Photos look better on a dark background – Are your walls painted black?

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Posted on 31st January 2012 by admin in Photography

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If I had a dollar for every time I’ve visited a forum and seen a photographer urging their viewers to view the image against a dark background because it looks better, I’d be a millionaire by now.

Black or dark backgrounds naturally enhance any and all colours, they can even make sub-standard images appear really good but ask yourself this …. are your walls at home painted black or charcoal grey?

I can guarantee that 99.9% of people will answer NO to that and I can also guarantee that 99.9% of your customers who you try and sell images and prints to also do not have dark black or grey walls in their houses.

If you truly want to visualise how an image will look in your house then view it on an appropriate background colour such as white or off-white shades or other neutral tones. As a photographer you should also think a little bit more about this and stop urging people to view it on a dark background, concentrate on making your images look good on lighter backgrounds, that is after all the conditions that 99% of your customers will use to display your print.

Nikon announces the much anticipated D4

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Posted on 16th January 2012 by admin in Cameras

nikon-d4After years of rumours, Nikon has announced the arrival of the new D4 DSLR camera aimed at professional photographers.

Limits are there to be pushed. And this SLR is made to push them.

The D4 offers a powerful combination of up to 11 fps, a 16.2 megapixel FX-format sensor and phenomenally high ISO (extendable up to 204,800, equivalent). D-movie delivers all the flexibility you need for broadcast quality video. The Kevlar/carbon fiber-composite shutter unit boasts a standard life cycle rating of 400,000 releases, thirty percent more than its predecessor.

Ready for anything, the D4 has the durability and the versatility to realize every shooting opportunity out there.

Key features:

16.2 megapixel FX-format (full-frame) CMOS sensor with fast channel readout and up to 11 fps consecutive shooting in FX-format.

ISO 100–12800: extendable up to 204,800 (equivalent) and down to 50 (equivalent). High signal-to-noise ratio and wide dynamic range.

Multi-area format D-Movie: records Full HD (1080p) movies in FX- and DX-format, as well as in native Full HD (1920×1080) crop. Offers uncompressed full-resolution HDMI output to external devices.

Newly developed, highly durable Kevlar/carbon fiber-composite shutter unit: standard life cycle rating of 400,000 releases, with a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000 to 30s and flash synchronization at up to 1/250 sec.

Multi-CAM3500FX 51-point AF system: individually selectable or configurable in 9-point, 21-point and 51-point coverage settings. Sensitive down to -2 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F).

EXPEED 3 image processing engine with 14-bit A/D conversion and 16-bit image processing for superb tonal gradation.

8 cm (3.2-in.), 922k-dot LCD monitor with auto brightness control. Anti-reflective with wide color reproduction.

3D Color Matrix Metering III: 91k pixel AE AF sensor with full-time face recognition.

100% viewfinder coverage and three Crop Modes: 5:4, 1.2x and DX-format. With viewfinder masking.

Movie frame rates: offers 30p, 25p and 24p and a max recording time of approx. 20 minutes.

High-fidelity audio control: features a stereo microphone input and an audio out for external headphones, which lets you fine tune audio in isolation both before and during recording. A line input setting for PCM linear recorders is also provided.

Storage media: two card slots. One for high-speed CF (UDMA 7) cards and one for high-speed, high-capacity XQD card slots.

Wireless LAN and Ethernet support via optional Wireless Transmitter WT-4 or the newly designed compact Wireless Transmitter WT-5.

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