by Welcome again to HDR News. The holidays have begun and photography is on our minds. In this issue we get insights into one of the most famous National Geographic photographers Steve McCurry and celebrated conflict
brand new 150-400 zoom that sports a built-in teleconverter. And, most interestingly, we serve up solid advice from seven photographers who made the jump from hobbyist to professional because, we know you want to do that yourself. Let’s get going!
Icon Steve McCurry On The Perfect Portrait
Steve McCurry’s photos of life and culture in the remotest pockets of the globe have graced the pages of National Geographic for decades. He is the artist behind Afghan Girl one of the most celebrated and haunting images ever to grace the cover of the magazine. There are volumes of experience
that McCurry can provide us that would help us integrate into a new culture or just get us to the point where we could ask a complete stranger to take their portrait. Read this valuable interview with McCurry in Conde Nast Traveler’s How I Got This Shot feature to grab
some of this experience.
Get McCurry’s wisdom HERE.
Battle Of The 70-200 f2.8 Zooms
If you talk to a working photojournalist, sports photographer or even a portrait photographer and ask them which lens they can’t live without, most will tell you it’s their 70-200 f2.8. That’s not an exaggeration. In fact, many working pros rely on a two camera setup with a sturdy 24-70 f2.8 on one camera and a 70-200 f2.8 on the other. The top manufacturers know this and it’s the reason these two lenses are their sharpest, most clear and fastest lenses they make. Right now let’s focus on the 70-200 f2.8 and see how the Canon, Nikon, Sony and Panasonic mirrorless lenses stack up in this dpReview article.
See which zoom was the winner HERE.
Olympus 150-400 f4.5 With Built In 1.25 Teleconverter
If you’re a nature or sports shooter you’re probably tired of lugging a 8.5lb monster lens into the wild. Wouldn’t it be a dream to have a lens that has pro quality sharpness from 150mm to 400mm in a package that’s just 12.4 inches in length and weighs just 4.1lbs? On top of that throw in an 8 shutter speed image stabilization system and you’ve got Olympus’ new M.Zukio Digital ED 150-400mm lens with a built In 1.25 converter. This may be the lens that helps you get farther into the back country for those special wildlife images.
Learn more about this possibly amazing lens HERE.
Lindsay Addario – Photographer In War
“It’s a man’s world” they say of war photojournalism but no one told Lindsay Addario. She shoots in the thick of the action in locations we wouldn’t consider going to like Afghanistan and Syria. She’s been one of the few, if not only, women photographing in the midst of the Taliban. The list of dangerous situations is long. She claims that she knew little of operating her camera in her early years but this may be modesty as most would be proud of the photographs she’s made. This Vanity Fair interview with Addario takes you inside her thinking about danger and photography.
Get inside the world of Lindsay HERE.
How To Become A Professional Photographer
You love photography and you’d like to do it full time. That is, you want to take photography beyond the hobby status it plays in your life to where it is the point of your work life. It’s being done all the time and if you’re considering the leap you’re probably scouring the Internet for advice from photographers like yourself who’ve done it. This article is special because it features advice from seven different photographers working in different corners of the market. It’s solid, useful advice.
Learn more about going pro HERE.
Christmas Shopping Decision – Sony a7C or Nikon Z5
You may be shopping for the budding photographer in your life or friends may be coming to you for advice on their purchases. The question at Christmas time is “what’s the entry level DSLR that will grow with the budding hobbyist photographer in your life?” The answer to that one is not so easy. The camera should have excellent photo quality and pro-level controls. It must sport more than 20 megapixels and the autofocus should be super quick. The guys at The Slanted Lens did a deep review video of the Sony a7C and the Nikon Z5. It turns out both cameras are great choices but you may want one or the the other depending on how the camera will be used.
Inform your Christmas purchase decisions HERE.