The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017

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[View it in your browser](. to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast!]( [25683aad-fd15-4681-b999-25b47f86a370.jpg]( TODAY'S POSTS [Photographer Killed at SF’s Twin Peaks in Camera Robbery]( [Don’t Buy the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 for Astrophotography: How to Get Better Photos for Less Money]( [The Bonfoton Lens Helps Turn a Room Into a Giant Camera Obscura]( [How to Make Camera Case Dividers for Less Than $13]( [Scammers Are Using Venmo to Steal Pricey Camera Gear]( [3 Ways to Find Clients While You Sleep]( [Your Photos May Have Colors Screens Can’t Display]( [This Underwater 8×10 Camera Can Be Yours for Just $5,800]( [You Can Now Buy Snapchat Spectacles Directly on Amazon]( [How to Use a Tube Light as an Invisible Softbox]( [Why I Burned My Own Property and How I Photographed It]( [Camera Drones Sound More Annoying Than Any Vehicle, NASA Finds]( [How to Fake a Drone Shot with a Phone and a Really, Really Long Selfie Stick]( [Want To Photograph a National Park? Airbnb Can Find You Lodging]( Photographer Killed at SF’s Twin Peaks in Camera Robbery Jul 19, 2017 12:57 pm | [Michael Zhang]( Violent criminals are still targeting photographers in San Francisco for their valuable camera equipment, and the latest victim is a 71-year-old photographer who was shot and killed this past weekend at a popular tourist spot by two robbers who stole his camera. [SFGate reports]( that 71-year-old photographer Edward French was at the scenic Twin Peaks viewpoint overlooking the city on Sunday morning at about 7:50am when he was approached by a young man and woman. The duo shot French, took his camera, and drove away in a dark gray Honda Accord. A nearby jogger heard the gunshot and found the photographer bleeding from a gunshot wound near his car at the main parking lot. French was then taken by paramedics to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. French was [well-known in the film industry]( for his work as a location scout, and he may have been shooting scouting photos on the morning he was killed. There have recently been “several brazen robberies at the sightseeing spot involving tourists and photographers,” SFGate writes, including the July 1st robbery of three people’s cameras and lenses at gunpoint at the same location. “The crimes often go unsolved.” Two professional photographers in San Francisco were [robbed of over $7,000 in high-end camera gear in broad daylight]( in August 2015. And back in 2013, there was a string of robberies that [targeted Bay Area photojournalists](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Image credits: Header [photo by Joe Ross]( and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( Don’t Buy the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 for Astrophotography: How to Get Better Photos for Less Money Jul 19, 2017 12:01 pm | Richard Hum I’ve seen a lot of posts and comments raving about [how f/1.8 on a 14mm lens is revolutionary]( for anyone wanting to shoot astrophotography. Yes, having a larger aperture will collect more light, but you’re still limited in the exposure length because of the Earth’s rotation. To counteract that, you can get something called a tracker, which automatically rotates your camera to match the earth, and keeps your stars from trailing. The [Sigma 14mm f/1.8]( gives you a 1 1/3-stop advantage over the [Rokinon 14mm f/2.8]( which means you can get an exposure that is 2.5x brighter on the Sigma. However, if you get a tracker, you can compensate for the smaller aperture with a much longer exposure. For example, the [iOptron SkyTracker Pro]( will allow you to expose for 2 minutes or more with a 14mm lens attached with minimal trailing. The iOptron SkyTracker Pro It also works out to be much cheaper as well. The Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 is $339, the iOptron SkyTracker Pro is $299, and the combination comes out to just $638, which is less than half the price of the Sigma 14mm f/1.8, which costs $1,599. In my opinion, the biggest advantage of getting a tracker is versatility. You have the option of connecting some longer telephoto lenses to photograph smaller targets. Even if your lenses have slow apertures, the tracker will still gives you great results. You can get better shots for cheaper than buying a $1,599 Sigma 14mm f/1.8 purely for astrophotography. Some downsides to the Rokinon and tracker combo are as follows: 1. It’s manual focus only, which doesn’t matter for astrophotography, but might be annoying if you want to use the lens for something else. 2. If you have any landscape in the shot, you will need to do a composite in Photoshop because the landscape will be streaked from the tracking. 3. You will need to polar align the tracker to make it work properly. However, at 14mm, polar alignment doesn’t matter too much, and doesn’t need to be too accurate. Something roughly correct will do just fine. 4. You don’t get a fancy new Sigma Art lens. So in summary, don’t waste your money getting [the new Sigma 14mm f/1.8]( if you want to shoot only astrophotography. Get a cheap manual focus lens and a tracker instead. --------------------------------------------------------------- About the author: Richard Hum is an astrophotography enthusiast and a graduate student in electrical engineering. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can find some of Hum’s work on [his Instagram](. [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( The Bonfoton Lens Helps Turn a Room Into a Giant Camera Obscura Jul 19, 2017 11:11 am | [Will Nicholls]( The new Bonfoton Camera Obscura Room Lens is a small lens that helps project the outdoors indoors, turning any room into a giant camera obscura. It uses the camera obscura phenomenon, in which a bright scene will project through a small hole into a dark room and will appear flipped upside-down on the walls. The lens will fit onto a blackout blind or similar, and once your room is dark enough it will project the outdoors scene into a room. A room after using the Bonfoton lens (left) and before. You can [create a room camera obscura using a simple pinhole]( of course, but the Bonfoton lens helps focus light onto your wall, making the resulting image sharper and brighter than if you had used a pinhole. The creators, Tommi & Annika, created this lens because of the amazement it brings people of all ages to see in action. I have been a street photographer for most of my life catching fleeting moments on film on my travels around the world. My dad was an avid photographer too when he was younger, and from his photobook library I first discovered the concept of the Camera Obscura. The Bonfoton lens is available directly [from their website]( for €27 (about $31). [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( How to Make Camera Case Dividers for Less Than $13 Jul 19, 2017 10:49 am | Jake Hicks I’m as interested in an “easy life” as much as the next person, so if somebody else has already done the hard work of making a product for me, and I can purchase it for a reasonable price, I’m all over it. After all why make life hard for yourself if you don’t have too. Unfortunately there are times when you literally can’t purchase what you need and the only option is to get all arts-and-crafts on the problem! I recently decided to upgrade my flash-head carrying bags from the old, long, soft and cumbersome kit bags to the sleek, compact and robust Peli cases. These new [1440 Peli cases]( hold three of my strobes upright, side-by-side. This upgrade not only offers me far more protection on the heads but it also makes it a lot easier to transport them with their wheels. But although they fit my three strobes perfectly, I needed some way of separating them inside to avoid them bashing against one another in transit. Thankfully Peli does offer many varying solutions to this problem including [foam]( and of course their own standard [dividers]( but alas they did not have the correct inserts for what I needed for separating the lights and I would have had to remove too much foam for it to be effective. There is one other option as well for all you Peli case fans and that’s [the TrekPak dividers](. I love the simplistic nature of these, but unfortunately TrekPak don’t make them for the size Peli case I have. So when money can’t help you, the only option is to make your own dividers, and thankfully it’s actually pretty easy. This quick tutorial is for making dividers for my Peli case but exactly the same thing can be applied to smaller soft camera bags too. What you will need - Fairly stiff Cardboard - High density foam (not as tricky to find as you might think) - Sharp craft knife - Metal ruler to cut straight lines - Tape measure to ……measure stuff - Your preferred fabric (I personally used Nylon and that’s what I would recommend) - Velcro-style strips (preferably with self adhesive sticky-backs) - Needle and thread (This is the worst part but bear with me) - Stapler (optional) Cardboard I shouldn’t need to explain this one I’m sure but if you’re stuck, just stack up two or three layers of cereal box cardboard to make one thicker piece. The cardboard is only there to offer additional support and is sandwiched between two pieces of foam. So don’t worry, it will be completely hidden and nobody will ever know that you still love Lucky Charms. High Density Foam Like I mentioned before, this is actually really easy to get a hold of via sites like eBay who will sell it to you in small quantities. Here’s a link to the one I used [60″x20″ High Density Foam](. Mine cost around £4.85 (~$6.30) and it was the thinnest foam at a quarter of an inch thick. Fabric This is something that you’ll need to decide for yourself but my recommendation is the Nylon. This fabric is essentially made of lots of interlinked plastic threads that means its harder to tear or rip as soon as you cut into it like other fabrics. This is very useful for us as we’ll be making lots of thread holes close to its edges, so unless you’re a master seamstress it just makes our lives a lot easier. Here’s link to the sheet I got: [4oz Waterproof Black PU Coated Nylon Fabric](. I bought a meter of this black fabric for around £3.75 (~$4.89) but you can obviously get whatever color you’d prefer to match you specific bag. Velcro-style Strips This is that ‘hook & loop’ stuff that makes all the noise. You’ll need enough of it for the size of the project you wish attempt but I got a meter of it for £1.19. You’re looking for the ‘hook’ part though as nearly all camera cases and bags have the ‘loop’ part as their lining, meaning that you can place your dividers anywhere inside. Here’s a link to the strip I bought: [1m 20mm Black Self Adhesive Hook & Loop Fastening](. Whatever you decide to go for it would be my recommendation that you get the self adhesive ones as again this will make your life a lot easier. The sticky side is the one covered in the white strip on one side in the picture. Needle and Thread This is the worst bit but to really make your camera dividers stand the test of time you’ll need to do a little bit of sewing. WAIT! Before you close this window, you don’t need any prior knowledge and it really is pretty quick and easy so I promise its worth doing. I had four pretty large panel dividers to make for my two cases and it took me about an hour to do them by hand. If you have access to a sewing machine (and a fully trained operator) though this is literally 5 minutes work. Obviously, if you have smaller panels to make it’ll take no time at all. I’m sure you already have thread at home somewhere but if you don’t, here’s what I bought: [Machine Thread 120s Spun Polyester 1000YD](. And no I have no clue why on Earth I bought a THOUSAND YARDS of thread :O Pretty sure that’s me done for LIFE! Making the Dividers Step 1 First off you’ll need to measure the space for the dividers. Measure the inside of your case or bag so that you can cut out your cardboard. My Peli case has a slanted side on one side so I had to account for that too. Step 2 Next up you’ll need to translate those measurements to your cardboard. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to take care cutting the dividers out. Step 3 Now that you’ve got you cardboard cutout, place it on top of your foam and cut around it again. You’ll need two pieces of foam for each piece of cardboard as we’ll actually be sandwiching the cardboard between the two. Step 4 Next up we need to cut our fabric. To do this I placed my stack of two bits of foam and sheet of cardboard and allowed the fabric to hang over by about 1-2 inches all the way around. We need this extra width to allow for the Velcro-style flaps to extend beyond the width of the actual divider. To reduce the amount of sewing I also just folded the fabric back on itself to sandwich the whole lot in the middle rather than cutting two pieces of fabric top and bottom. Step 5 Once you have your fabric, remove the foam and cardboard and turn it inside-out and begin to sew around the outside of two sides. Once you’ve done that, turn the whole thing inside-out again to reveal the proper side which will in turn hide all of your horrendous sewing work….just speaking from experience :( Start to sew up your divider pocket by sewing along two sides (middle pic) ensuring you have one open side. When you’re done simply turn the pocket inside out to hide the ‘handiwork’ (right hand image). Step 6 Now place your sandwiched foam and cardboard inside the fabric pocket via the one open end. This next step is more personal preference than anything but apart from looking as ugly as all hell this is actually a great way to hold everything in place when you start to sew it up. With the foam and cardboard inside, I actually went around and stapled it all into place. Once you’ve finished sewing along the line of staples you simply remove the staples and you’re done. Of course there is no shame in just stapling the whole thing in this very manly way and leaving it. It serves its purpose and nobody will see it in you bag …… but I’ll know. You can see in the right hand image that I’ve stapled all the way around where I need to sew. This makes life a LOT easier without the foam ad cardboard moving about inside when you’re sewing. Step 7 Once you’ve stapled it, proceed to sew around the line of staples. This will ensure everything stays where it’s meant to and leaves you flaps on either side to attach the Velcro-style hook and loop fastener strips. Once you’re done with the sewing you can remove the staples. Above you can see this is the most time-consuming step. Firstly staple everything in place (left hand shot), next sew along the staple line (middle image) and then finally remove the staples (right hand shot). Step 8 Now all that’s left to do is affix your Velcro-style strips down each of the sides and you’re done. In my case the ‘loop’ section of Velcro-style strips only extends two-thirds of the way up the case so that’s why I only put the ‘hook’ part of the Velcro-style strip two-thirds of the way up the divider. I would recommend you put as much ‘hook’ as you have ‘loop’ in your case. Congratulations! You did it, you made a whole bunch of camera case dividers for just a handful of dollars! Plus I’m pretty sure you can now add seamstress to the C.V. Remember: I know I’ve just shown you how to make these camera case dividers for my large case but all the same ideas and techniques are just as applicable for far smaller camera bags too. The same principles learnt here can make dividers big or small to fit any bag Now that you have your camera case dividers all finished its time to insert them into your case and never speak about how horrendous your sewing skills are ever again. As always if you have any questions or queries feel free to fire away in the comments below. Also if you know of anywhere or anybody who actually makes bespoke dividers for all shapes and sizes then let me know too. --------------------------------------------------------------- About the author: Jake Hicks is an editorial and fashion photographer based in Reading, UK. He specializes in keeping the skill in the camera and not just on the screen. You can find more of his work and writing on his [website]( [Facebook]( [500px]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( and [Flickr](. This article was also published [here](. [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( Scammers Are Using Venmo to Steal Pricey Camera Gear Jul 19, 2017 10:21 am | [Michael Zhang]( If you ever need to sell pricey camera equipment — or anything else, for that matter — stay away from buyers who want to pay you using the popular mobile payment service [Venmo](. A scammer in Los Angeles has reportedly bilked multiple people of up to $100,000 in camera gear in just two weeks. [The Verge reports]( that a man who goes by the name “Andy Mai” has been contacting people selling cameras through Facebook Marketplace and scamming them using Venmo. Here’s how the scam works: after agreeing the purchase expensive camera equipment, Mai sends the money to the seller through Venmo in a ridiculously large number of small payments — unlike PayPal (which owns Venmo), Venmo is designed for small, non-commercial payments between people. One seller received 52 transfers of under $100 each from Mai as payment for a camera, The Verge reports. This payment strategy seems bizarre, but since the money appears to be received on the seller’s end, the sellers hand their camera equipment over to Mai. But hours after the deal is “done,” the sellers get hit with the bad news. Venmo blocks the transfers, freezes the sellers’ accounts, ask for identity verification, and inform the sellers that it’s against Venmo’s policy to receive money in exchange for goods. In other words, Venmo cannot be used for selling things. As many as 20 people may have fallen victim to Andy Mai over just the past two weeks The Verge writes, and the total losses could be as high as $100,000. The 4 confirmed victims alone lost a combined $25,000. The scammer continues to create new Venmo accounts after each one used in a scam is disabled, and the reason seller accounts are disabled is because they may have been paid with money from stolen financial accounts. So be warned: Venmo should never be used if you’re selling camera gear, as you could easily fall victim to a costly scam. “Venmo is designed for payments between friends and people who trust each other,” a Venmo rep tells The Verge. “We strongly caution Venmo users to avoid payments with people they don’t know, especially if it involves the sale for goods and services (like event tickets and Craigslist items). These payments are potentially high risk, and can result in losing your money without getting what you paid for.” [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( 3 Ways to Find Clients While You Sleep Jul 19, 2017 09:50 am | [Jayphen Simpson]( Being a great photographer is only one part of turning it in to a full-time job. You’ll also need some business chops, and these 3 tips from photographer [Moshe Zusman]( will give you some ideas on how automate client acquisition. In the 6-minute video above, Zusman discusses 3 vital components to his lead and booking workflow. He begins with explaining how he uses Facebook, Google and Yelp for diversified targeted ads. Zusman says that he actually gets the majority of his clients via Yelp. Next, at 5:12, Zusman talks about his website and how he [SquareUp]( to manage bookings. This service allows him to embed a booking calendar, enabling clients to book a time slot and pay seamlessly. Finally, at 7:10, he recommends finding an assistant to help you manage clients who need a little extra attention. If you can afford it a studio manager is preferable, but you could also consider a virtual assistant. An assistant can help answer questions that clients may have during the booking process, or to handle communications while you are away on a shoot. To see some of Zusman’s work or to get in touch with him (or test out the booking process he describes above), check out [his website]( [Instagram]( or [Facebook]( page. (via [Behind The Shutter]( via [ISO 1200]( [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( Your Photos May Have Colors Screens Can’t Display Jul 19, 2017 09:48 am | [Will Nicholls]( Did you know that some colors in the world are too intense for an average consumer computer screen to display? In this 3-minute video by [Tom Scott]( see how one really intense pink is just too pink for your screen. Meeting up with artist Stuart Semple, Scott tests out his creation: [The World’s Pinkest Pink](. Lo and behold, the color is just so intense that screens can’t properly replicate it for you to see, so it appears duller than what you’d see with the naked eye. When an image, or video, reaches your screen, colors are interpreted as a series of numbers that say how bright to make each of the red, green, and blue pixels. “Unless you’ve got a really fancy, expensive screen, those numbers run from 0 to 255,” says Scott. “0 means turn the pixel off, and 255 means make it as bright as it can go.” So with some calculation wizardry, that means your average screen can show around 16 million colors. “But that’s not every color,” warns Scott. “There are colors that are so intense, your screen can’t display them — pixels cannot go red, green, or blue enough.” You can buy screens with colors running higher than 255, but they’re very expensive. Technology is moving on though, and eventually the World’s Pinkest Pink may be replicated properly on screen. So if you’ve ever photographed a really intense color, and wondered why you can’t quite get it to look like how you saw it in real life, then this could be the answer to your problem. (via [Tom Scott]( via [Laughing Squid]( [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( This Underwater 8×10 Camera Can Be Yours for Just $5,800 Jul 19, 2017 09:28 am | [Michael Zhang]( Have you always wanted to try your hand at 8×10 large format film photography… underwater? If you have $5,800 to spend, now’s your chance to jump in. An underwater 8×10 camera has just popped up on eBay that purports to be the “first successful underwater 8×10 ever made.” The seller, based in Florida, writes that the camera is crafted from aircraft aluminum that was welded without warping metal. Everything was designed around a Schneider Super-Symmar 150mm f/5.6 XL Aspheric MC lens with a Copal No. 1 shutter and No. 2 close-up lens by Century Optics. On the side of the camera are two ports for strobe connections. The dome and rear element were purportedly built by Jim Bailey, a man who created camera systems for the likes of National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, and Surfer Magazine. “The system was created for fine art film photography as many serious galleries will not accept digital photography,” the seller writes in the listing description. “This is the first successful underwater 8×10 ever made. Produced in 2005.” When being used in fresh water, you’ll need 60 pounds (~27kg) of dive weights to keep the camera down and give it about 10 pounds of negative buoyancy. The seller has tips for how to operate the camera as well: “Set focus at five feet underwater (subject to film plane is five feet for tack-sharp resolution),” they write. “Additionally, the full frame subject coverage on the 8×10 negative at five feet in front of the film plane is about 6 feet horizontally and about five feet vertically. Depth of field at f11 – f16 for tack sharpness is around 3 feet.” If you’re interested in snagging this rare camera for yourself, you can get it for $5,800 if you do Buy It Now [on the eBay Listing](. If you do end up purchasing it, you can either pick it up yourself in Sarasota, Florida, or work out a shipping method (and cost) with the seller. (via [eBay]( via [The Phoblographer]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Image credits: Photographs via [swfloridagirl941/eBay]( [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( You Can Now Buy Snapchat Spectacles Directly on Amazon Jul 19, 2017 08:52 am | [Jayphen Simpson]( Snap Inc’s experimental foray into wearables may not have had much of a financial impact for [the struggling company]( but they did create some buzz with their pop-up [‘Snapbot’ vending machines](. Now they’ve made their Spectacles available [directly on Amazon]( at the same $130 price. In case you missed the buzz when they were first announced, Snap’s Spectacles are sunglasses that have an embedded camera that can record circular 10- to 30-second video clips, which then transfer to your phone for posting to Snapchat or saving to your camera roll. The sunglasses can capture up to 100 videos with one charge from the included case. The glasses have been available online [since February]( via Snap’s [Spectacles website]( but the ease of ordering via Amazon with one-day shipping may see another surge in orders. Back in May [Recode estimated]( that Snap had sold only around 60,000 units last quarter, while Snap’s CEO Evan Spiegal continued to refer to the product as an experiment. If you’re interested in getting your own pair of Spectacles, you can [find them on Amazon]( in Black, Teal, and Coral, all with Snap’s signature yellow bordering the camera. They’re going for $129.99, which is the same price they launched with. (via [Amazon]( via [The Verge]( --------------------------------------------------------------- P.S. If you’re buying Spectacles, you may also want to check out our previous article: [7 Tips for Capturing More Creative Shots with Snapchat Spectacles]( [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( How to Use a Tube Light as an Invisible Softbox Jul 19, 2017 08:35 am | [Will Nicholls]( Want to try out product photography but can’t afford a softbox? They can be expensive pieces of kit, but invisible ones cost a lot less. In this 6-minute video by [Leo Rosas]( learn how to use a cheap tube light as a makeshift softbox. Sounds strange? Just shoot a long exposure and move the tube light along, light painting your subject, in the same plane the surface of a softbox would be. The result? Well, see for yourself: Even trickier-to-photograph wine bottles work too, and you get the same white reflection that you would from a soft box: “This video aims to inspire and motivate you to go a learn more about light and its effect on subjects,” Rosas tells Petapixel. “Especially if you are a beginner or simply you still don’t own studio lighting and modifiers such as the very popular soft box.” With this trick, you are light painting the subject. Think about the direction you’re moving, and even add a transparent sheet in front of the tube light to diffuse the light. “Besides this being a resourceful option, it only intends to show a cheap option and I’m not suggesting that this can offer the same results that professional photographic gear can,” continued Rosas. “If you are serious about your photography you should definitely invest on good quality tools and flash systems are no exception to this.” [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( Why I Burned My Own Property and How I Photographed It Jul 19, 2017 08:22 am | Joel Wolfson I was committed to burning my property. I know this sounds a bit crazy but we’re talking about a prescribed burn. My wife researched programs in our area for homeowners to reduce fire hazard. In our area the firefighters are cross-trained for both wildland and structure fires so they are perfectly qualified to do prescribed burns on a residential property. After getting an assessment we got rid of all the pine needles dropped by the numerous ponderosa in proximity to the house and studio. The fire crew dug a containment “line” around the perimeter of our property. Then they trimmed low hanging branches and small trees that could be potential “ladder fuels” Then we waited for the right weather and time to burn. My wife, Barb, is also a fire ecologist and participated in initiating the prescribed burn in autumn. Using a drip torch like this, the burn crew strategically places fire based on wind and weather conditions. Nikon D800E with Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f4 G ED VR at 70mm, 1/160, f8.0 I live in the WUI (pronounced woo-ee). That stands for wildland-urban interface. The upside is I’m in the woods and mountains with beautiful views; surroundings that motivate me creatively, it’s quiet, and I see lots of wildlife. The downside is I’m in the woods, which means potential danger from wildland fires. Exacerbating that danger is that I also happen to be in northern Arizona, where wildland fires are not uncommon. Scary Moments Can Motivate You I’ve seen smoke plumes and hazy skies from forest fires many times but they are usually far off. However, a few years ago a young man, despondent over his girlfriend, decided to light a dozen fires in the forest near my house and studio. My wife happens to be a fire ecologist and although we were away at the time, one of her colleagues that manages a wildland fire crew called us to let us know there was a fire in our area. We drove home, got our dogs, and packed up a few irreplaceable items while coughing from smoke. It sounded like we were in an air raid with planes flying right over our heads dropping fire retardant. Then the sheriff knocked on the door and told us to get out of there. We stayed at my mother’s house trying to get updates on the progress of the firefighters. Finally in the early evening we breathed a big sigh of relief when a neighbor called and said it was OK to come back to our homes. Thankfully, the fire crews did a spectacular job safely containing the fires. There was no fire or smoke damage to our home or my studio and we were able to clean the fire retardant off of our house. With the main fires out I walked into the woods to shoot photos of the remaining smoke, the remnant flames, and the remaining firefighters making sure everything remained under control. After this experience I was ready for a prescribed burn of our property. Shooting the Burn In order to shoot, I had to mentally dissociate myself from the fact this was my home so close to the flames. The flames never reach the house due to careful planning and preparation prior to the burn. Nikon D800E 24-120mm, 24mm, f8.0, 1/250 sec. I knew I wanted to shoot this and tell the story. Although I asked lots of questions about it of my wife, the Burn Boss, and some of the crew, I didn’t fully know what to expect in terms of photo opportunities. I knew I would have to be able to move quickly during the burn so I didn’t want to be laden with too much gear and using a tripod was likely going to be out of the question. I made sure to cover my bases with my full frame rig (Nikon D800E and Nikkor 24-120), and a Micro 4/3 for video and backup stills (Olympus OMD E-M1) along with my infrared body, also a Micro 4/3 (My old GH2 with IR modification), and an Olympus 12-40 f2.8 lens. I kept all 3 cameras on straps around my shoulders and neck so all were accessible. I also had a compact camera (Sony RX100 III) in my pocket. With all but the Nikon rig being compact and lightweight I was fairly unencumbered and able to move quickly. I Was Blown Away by What Unfolded During the Burn, In a Good Way Capturing smokey sunbeams is aided by backlight shooting directly into the sun during the fire. Dense air masses keep the smoke low to the ground. This combined with a sunny day and blue skies helped me capture these unusual effects. Olympus E-M1, ED 12-40mm f2.8 Pro zoom at 15mm f5.6 (30mm FF equiv)Infrared capture of the prescribed burn. My infrared camera offers a very different look, “seeing” parts of the spectrum that we can’t see with our eyes. The symmetrical pattern of the flames are from the drip torches used by the burn crew to place the fire in specific locations. Panasonic GH2 Infrared (IR) modified, Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 Pro at 12mm (24mm FF equiv) f11, 1/250 sec.Infrared capture at peak of the burn. The crew made sure to burn piles and old fallen trees to eliminate them as potential fire hazard in the future. Panasonic GH2 IR modified, Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 Pro at 40mm (80mm FF equiv) f11, 1/250 sec.The smoke helped me capture a spot lighting effect on the foreground tree. Olympus OMD E-M1 with ED 12-40mm f2.8 Pro at 28mm f2.8 (56mm FF equiv)I had a minute to run to my studio and grab my longer telephoto zoom. With the dense air mass it got quite smokey on the ground, dramatically decreasing the visibility. I used a long lens to accentuate that. Nikon D800E with Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD at 300mm, f8.0 1/320 sec. ISO 200 There happened to be a dense air mass that day that kept smoke close to the ground. Combined with the blue skies, trees, and the sun, it made for unique and magnificent lighting and wonderful effects from the smoke. I couldn’t have dreamed up anything like this. There were nature shots, firefighters, vehicles, all in a dreamscape. I wanted to be everywhere at once. Then when night fell, I had another set of opportunities. As night began to fall I could start to see glowing stumps and remnants of the burn. When it was completely dark I could see many more (see below) I shot this one hand-held with a Nikon D800E and AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f4.0 G ED VR zoom at 24mm, f5.6, 1/60 sec. ISO 25,600This is one of the very few shots with a tripod- the use of which was a luxury I didn’t have during the burn when I had to move quickly. Smoldering stumps burn through the night under a star-lit sky. Nikon D800E with AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f3.5-4.5G ED wide-angle zoom at 18mm, f5.6, for 30 sec. The next morning, amidst the smoldering charred ground that used to be my yard, I looked at my wife, the fire ecologist, and said “Wow, that’s a whole lot of black” She assured me that not only would green grass and flowers return but we’d have a much healthier forest with less potential fire hazard on our property. Then my longer term project began: after the fire was out I ended up shooting all the blackness, then little green sprouts coming up through the ash and charred ground, the contrast of snow and blackened tree trunks, and the elk coming around for the nutrient rich regrowth. I ended up shooting this story through all four seasons spanning a year. Wintertime. The purpose of the burn is to get rid of flammable ground cover. Amidst the charred remains from the burn are healthy ponderosa trees which are adapted to survive fire. Nikon D800E with AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f3.5-4.5G ED wide-angle zoom at 18mm, f8.0, 1/320 sec.Spring brings new grass sprouts right out of the charred remains of the native grasses. Nikon D800E and AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f4.0 G ED VR zoom at 28mm, f8.0, 1/250 sec.The regrowth started early in the spring and the elk, showing up before sunrise, take advantage of the fresh sprouts. The lack of light for this pre-dawn shot required ultra high ISO. This was about the time of year I switched to a Sony system. Sony A7II with Sony FE 24-240mm f3.5-6.3 OSS, f5.6 1/15 sec, 70mm ISO 20,000. Even at ISO 20,000 I had to bring up the exposure in post capture processing. The Sony raw file handled it well. Although the A7II and A7II R have in-body stabilization and I was using a stabilized lens I wasn’t worried about my own movement- the weak link here are the subjects themselves. Because I was shooting at 1/15 sec. I had to wait until the elk were fairly still to eliminate motion and get them sharp.Also in the spring my wife, Barb, a fire ecologist shows our daughter some of those grass shoots coming out of an area burned in the fire. Sony A7II with Sony FE 24-240mm at 146mm, f11, 1/160 sec., ISO 160.Summer showcased a large visible departure from the previous charred ground. The remaining ash you see in the foreground transitions to grasses and wildflowers in the former burn area. Sony A7II with FE 24-240mm zoom at 67mm, f16 1/60 sec.Late summer/early fall brings more regrowth with taller grasses and wildflowers. Sony A7R II with 24-240mm at 181mm f8.0, 1/200 sec.Full circle: A year later, notice how the vegetation in the former burn area is much taller. It brings the elk back for their winter fuel. With all the nutrient rich regrowth we see wildlife far more frequently than before the burn. Sony A7R II with FE 24-240mm at 210 mm f6.3, 1/250 sec. I’m not a wildland fire specialist but I was able to take advantage of a rare occasion as a photographer: the weather on the particular day we did the burn, a controlled environment with a fire crew and their equipment at hand, and a beautiful day in the forest, all came together for some amazing opportunities and an ensuing story with many photographic rewards. --------------------------------------------------------------- About the author: [Joel Wolfson]( is an internationally published photographer who loves teaching as much as shooting. He shares his 30 years of experience as a working pro with other photographers and enthusiasts by way of his [workshops, 1 on 1 training]( [webinars]( articles, blog and speaking engagements. He is one of the pioneers of digital photography, having conducted digital photography seminars for Apple and other corporations starting in the early 90s. This article was also published [here](. [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( Camera Drones Sound More Annoying Than Any Vehicle, NASA Finds Jul 19, 2017 07:37 am | [Michael Zhang]( Hate the high-pitched buzzing of camera drones? You’re not alone. A [new study published by NASA]( has found that people find drone founds more annoying than any ground vehicle, even when the sounds are heard at the same volume. NASA found 38 subjects and ask them to listen to sounds related to “the future of transportation.” Some of the sounds were recordings of drones (including the DJI Phantom 2) and others were the sounds of ground vehicles ranging from the consumer Subaru Impreza Sport hatchback to diesel truck. What the scientists found was that the extra annoyance levels of drone sounds were the equivalent of cars being twice as close as they were before. “Initial analysis of the data from this test indicates that there may be a systematic difference between the annoyance response generated by the noise of the sUAS [Small Unmanned Aircraft System] and the road vehicles included in this study,” NASA concludes. “This result casts doubt on the idea that sUAS operators can expect their operations to be greeted with minimal noise-based opposition as long as the sound of their systems are ‘no louder than’ conventional package delivery solutions.” “We didn’t go into this test thinking there would be this significant difference,” says study coauthor Andrew Christian. So for drones to be less annoying to the public than cars on the road, drone manufacturers may need to find a way to make them much more quiet. (via [NASA]( via [New Scientist]( [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( How to Fake a Drone Shot with a Phone and a Really, Really Long Selfie Stick Jul 19, 2017 07:01 am | [Will Nicholls]( No-fly zones are increasing, regulations are tightening, and the situations where you can actually fly a drone in public spaces are dwindling. No bother — just use your smartphone and a really, really long selfie stick instead. In this 2-minute video from [Chung Dha]( he runs through his setup for taking “aerial” shots from a drone’s perspective… without a drone. By using a 5-meter-long (~16.4ft) boom pole, coupled with a stabilizing gimbal, his shots really do look like the real thing. Combine the pole with moving yourself forward, as well as tilting the pole between different angles, and you have yourself a pretty natural “drone movement”. But you might have to cope with some strange looks. (via [Chung Dha]( via [ISO 1200]( [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( Want To Photograph a National Park? Airbnb Can Find You Lodging Jul 19, 2017 06:51 am | [Jayphen Simpson]( The US’s national parks offer some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, perfect for the aspiring landscape photographer. The [National Park Foundation]( recently partnered with Airbnb to [create a dedicated site]( for finding accommodation near 10 of America’s parks. The two organisations hope to further the conservation of park resources for future generations by promoting tourism at the national parks. Airbnb has also pledged to donate $50,000 to the National Park Foundation. “We’ve found a powerful partner in our friends at the National Park Foundation, a community, who like ours, believes in the importance of belonging,” said Airbnb’s Global Head of Policy, Chris Lehane. “To quote Teddy Roosevelt, the founder of our national parks, ‘We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received’ In this spirit, our nation’s most beautiful parks belong to the people who visit, appreciate, and experience them year after year. We’re proud that our hosts in gateway communities can play a role in continuing that tradition of making the people’s parks accessible to as many people as possible.” Should the lofty words of Teddy Roosevelt inspire you to get out and spend some time photographing these fine parks, consider checking out [the dedicated website put together by Airbnb]( to find accommodation. (via [Airbnb]( via [Engadget]( [Read More]( [Like The Daily PetaPixel for 07/19/2017 on Facebook]( [share on Twitter]( [b82dce33-4a48-4869-a135-1d67d5dd676a.jpg](  YESTERDAY'S POSTS [Lightroom Gets Selective Brush on iOS, Native Design on Android, and More]( [Photographers, Register Your D*mn Copyright]( [When a Camera’s Frame Rate is Synced to a Bird’s Wings…]( [What It Takes to Photograph Nepalese Honey Hunters for Nat Geo]( [The Top 10 Things I Wish I Had Known as a Beginner Photographer]( [How to Replace the Sky in Any Photo in Photoshop: A 2-Minute Tutorial]( Copyright © 2017 PetaPixel, All rights reserved. Copyright © 2017 PetaPixel, All rights reserved. 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