Tag: landscape photography

  • Topaz Gigapixel AI vs. Olympus Handheld High Res.

    Sometimes we need more megapixels than our camera can give us. Olympus has had a high resolution mode which gives you either about a 50Mpix or 80Mpix images.

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    Handheld or tripod high-resolution images?

    The newest Olympus cameras like E-M1 MKIII and E-M1X has both versions of the high-resolution shot. E-M5 MKII has the tripod version. Also, E-M5 MKII was the first Olympus camera that had a high-resolution mode. Other cameras that have high res shots are, E-M1 MKII and E-M5 MKIII.

    The resolution is about 50Mpix for the handheld hight res shot and 80Mpix for the tripod version. The handheld high res shot takes advantage of the camera movement. The resulting images have 8160 pixels on the longer side. The tripod image has 10360 pixels. These numbers are from cameras that have a 20Mpix sensor.

    Is Gigapixel AI an alternative?

    Topaz Labs has made a lot of interesting software that uses AI. One that I have used is DeNoise AI. It is a very good noise reduction software. I have tried also the Gigapixel AI which will upscale images. I was curious to find out if Gigapixel AI can match the quality of Olympus high res shot.

    In the video below I will talk about the differences and if the quality is better or worse.

    disclaimer: Some of the links might be Affiliate links. If you buy something using those links I do get a small commission. You do not pay any extra so t is a win-win situation.

  • How To Get Sharp Focus In Photography?

    Getting sharp images is most likely your goal. it is not easy sometimes, but with these few tips, it will a lot easier.

    The First tip is to use the right focusing mode.

    Modern cameras have a variety of different focus modes. Choosing the right focusing mode will help a lot. The normal focusing mode for everyday photography is S-AF, single autofocus. Then the camera will focus when you press the shutter button (or use the back focus button) and the camera will focus. This works best if the subject is not moving.

    Use C-AF or AF Tracking for moving subjects.

    S-AF will stay on the distance that it was when pressing the shutter button. If your subject is moving it will out of focus. Using C-AF or AF Tracking the camera will follow the subject and try to keep it in focus. This depends on how good your camera is in continuous autofocus and tracking.

    Use Face Priority and/or Eye Priority when photographing people.

    We usually want to focus on the eye of a person in portraits. Sometimes it can be a bit hard and take our attention away from the model. With Face and Eye priority, we do not need to worry about focusing. We can have our full attention on the model. This will make your photography a lot easier and better. One of the most important things in portraiture is the connection with the photographer and the model.

    The video about the same topic will have a few more tips.

  • Does Gear Matter in Photography?

    Does gear matter in photography is a question that I get asked quite a lot. There is no one answer to this. You can answer No and you can answer Yes. It all depends on the perspective you take on this one.

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    Let’s start with No.

    Many of us think that getting new gear will make you a better photographer. In my opinion that is false. To be better you must learn how to use your existing gear. Getting new once won’t help in that at all.

    Sometimes limiting yourself will be a better solution. Having limitations makes you think more. You need to solve problems and that will make you better. You might come up even ith new ideas and totally new kinds of images.

    For example, in landscape photography, most of us think that a wide-angle is a must. Yes, a wide-angle lens is often used in landscape photography. If you do not have an ultra-wide-angle, what then?

    Why not try a standard lens or even a telephoto lens. That can give you a totally new kind of landscape photos.

    When the answer Yes?

    When you get better here might a time to start thinking about better gear that actually will make you better. Well it is maybe a bit too much to say that it is the gear, it is the possibilities that the new gear gives. What I mean by that is that it might open up all new ways of making photographs. Sometimes it might even give a possibility to try new genres.

    One example is bird photography. You can photograph birds with a wide-angle, but getting a longer lens will give new possibilities and new kind of mages that was possible for you before.

    In the video below I talk more about the No and Yes.