Cameracraft magazine – Taking your practical photography further

Tag: portrait

  • Luminar Neo’s new portrait background removal

    Luminar Neo’s new portrait background removal

    Luminar Neo has gained a new tool – Portrait Background Removal, enabling the background behind a subject to be made transparent in one click. Careful hair-by-hair selections are done by trained neural networks.

    Portrait Background Removal tool can be found in the Luminar Neo Layer masking options. 

    It offfers:

    • Remove Background without Layering. Just open Luminar Neo, load an image, and select Portrait Background Removal.
    • Get clean assets for composing. Any portrait you edit can be exported as a PNG with a transparent background, a great base for seamless photo composing.
    • Create realistic portraits with AI that’s precisely trained on people. AI scans the image to find and select human figures as accurately as possible. Luminar Neo has an option to edit several images in a click with custom saved Presets, so editing event portraits becomes faster.
    • Achieve precise selections without extreme effort. The portrait and the background are highlighted in different colours. A Transition Brush refines the edges by removing unnecessary elements where the portrait and background touch. The Object Brush revives portrait details that may have been eliminated by the neural network, while the Background Brush helps to additionally remove parts that aren’t detected by the AI. 

    Luminar Neo is available as a one-time purchase or as a subscription. The new architecture is flexible, so it can be easily updated in the future. Luminar Neo is available in both the Microsoft Store and the macOS App Store. Luminar Neo works as a plugin, so you can keep your images in your preferred photo editor while still benefiting from its powerful AI tools.

    Additionally, the brand-new Luminar Share mobile app allows you to quickly and seamlessly transfer images from your phone to your computer. Take a photo, edit it, and post it to social media without third-party programs that reduce quality. Luminar Share is available on the Google Play Store and the macOS App Store.​​

    To learn more about Luminar Neo and sign up for updates, visit http://skylum.com/luminar-neo. 

  • New 85mm f/1.8 FE and 100mm f/2.8 STF for E-mount

      

    Sony has announced two new lenses for E-mount mirrorless cameras.

    The FE 100mm F2.8[i] STF GM OSS is the first Smooth Transition Focus prime since the acclaimed A-mount 135mm and is designed for the best possible bokeh without any trace of aperture-related artefacts. The compact, lightweight FE 85mm F1.8 portrait prime lens may put an end to sales of Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM lenses mounted on FE adaptors… but at £550 and not stabilised it’s just over the typical cost of that combo, which also enables the use of other Canon lenses and of course the use of the Canon glass on native bodies.

    It’s a slightly disappointing lens as the 80cm close focus is no improvement over the 85mm G-Master f/1.4, and much less useful than the 85mm A-mount SAM f/2.8 which focuses to 60cm. With the 85mm such a popular choice for portraits, food photography and creative close-ups (short of the macro range) this is a missed opportunity even it is also very much an industry standard. In contrast to this the 100mm STF has an excellent close focus of 57cm and the same close-up ability as zooms like the classic ‘Beercan’ 70-210mm f/4 by Minolta, the magic ‘quarter life size’ which covers the area of a 6 x 4″ postcard print when used on full frame.

    Sony also introduced a new flash HVL-F45RM with radio-controlled wireless communication ideal for off-camera multi flash TTL work with Sony’s line-up of α7 full-frame cameras. This flashgun uses the Sony Quick-Navi visual system for its rear panel – so they did learn something from the success of this in the old A700!

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    (Sony information follows)

    FE 100mm f/2.8i STF GM OSS Telephoto Prime Lens

    A specially designed mid-telephoto, full-frame prime lens, the new 100mm STF is built to produce truly unique, magnificent and beautiful bokeh while maintaining the exceptional standard of resolution that is showcased throughout Sony’s entire line-up of flagship G Master series lenses, making it a powerful photographic tool for any portrait, fashion, nature or wedding photographer.

    These impressive defocus capabilities are made possible by the lens’ advanced optical structure, as it features a newly designed 11-bladed aperture and a unique optical apodization lens element. Similar to a neutral density filter that increases in density towards the edges, the apodization element creates beautiful transitions of in-focus to out-of-focus areas within an image, making for exceptionally soft, smooth bokeh that adds depth and dimensionality. This allows the subjects to stand out against beautifully defocused elements in both the foreground and background, producing an image that is naturally pleasing to the eye. The design of the lens also ensures that vignetting is kept to an absolute minimum, ensuring optimum image quality.

    David Kilpatrick writes: The STF function is available from full aperture (an effective T=5.6 despite the f/2.8 physical aperture) over a one-stop adjustment range to T=8. This is less than the f/4.5 to f/8 (T) range of the original STF design and indicates that a more powerful apodisation element (radial/circular graded element created by using neutral density in a double concave glass) or apodisation filter (a cheaper method using a conventional radial graduated ND filter inside the lens near the aperture position). This should actually mean that f/5.6 looks smoother than f/4.5 could have. Confusing, but true. You can the depth of field of a more-or-less f/8 lens with the bokeh of an f/4.

    Additionally, the new 100mm lens supports both contrast AF and focal-plane phase detection AF[ii], and has a high-precision, quiet direct drive SSM (Super Sonic Motor) system that ensures exceptionally fast and accurate AF performance. The SEL100F28GM also offers up to 0.25x close-up capabilities with a built-in macro switching ring, built-in Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilisation, a customisable focus hold button, AF/MF switch, aperture ring and is also dust and moisture resistant.[iii]

    FE 85mm f/1.8 Telephoto Prime Lens

    The new SEL85F18 mid-telephoto prime lens offers an extremely versatile, lightweight and compact telephoto prime lens solution for a variety of Sony camera owners ranging from working professionals to emerging enthusiasts that have stepped up to an APS-C or full-frame camera for the first time. With its wide f/1.8 aperture, it can produce impressive, exceptionally sharp portraits with soft background defocus that take advantage of its 85mm focal length and wide f/1.8 maximum aperture.

    The new prime lens features a 9-bladed circular aperture mechanism that ensures smooth, natural looking bokeh, and a double linear motor system to allow for fast, precise and quiet focusing. It also has a focus hold button that can be customised and assigned together with functions in the camera body like the popular Eye-AF feature. There is a smooth, responsive focus ring and AF/MF switch and the lens is also dust and moisture resistant.iii

    New Compact Radio-controlled Flash

    Sony’s new HVL-F45RM flash enhances the radio-controlled lighting system capabilities of their growing system, offering a compact professional shooting solution when combined with the currently available wireless remote controller FA-WRC1M and receiver FA-WRR1.

    The new flash, which is designed to complement the compact bodies of Sony’s E-mount camera line-up including full-frame α7 models, produces a maximum lighting output as expansive as GN45[iv]. This ensures sufficient illumination even when shooting with bounce lighting or high-speed-sync (HSS) flash. The radio capabilities of the HVL-F45RM allow it to be used as a transmitter or a receiver at up to 30m (approx. 98 feet[v]), making it an ideal fit for creative lighting with multiple flashes. Additionally, unlike optical flash systems, radio-control flashes do not require a direct line-of-sight between components to function properly, while also minimising any impact that bright sunlight has on signal transmission and control.

    The HVL-F45RM flash has an impressive battery life of up to 210 bursts, and can tilt up to 150o vertically, a complete 360o horizontally and up to 8o downward to maximise versatility. Usability has been maximised with a new large, bright and highly visible LCD display, an LED light, dust and moisture resistant design3 and a revamped menu system that mimics those of Sony’s newest camera systems.

    Pricing and Availability

    The new lenses and flash will start shipping in March 2017. The SEL100F28GM will be priced at approximately £1700, the SEL85F18 will be priced at approximately £550 and the HVL-F45RM will be priced at approximately £420. Further information can be found on the Sony Camera Channel: www.youtube.com/c/ImagingbySony/ and the Sony Photo Gallery: www.sony.net/Product/di_photo_gallery/

    [i]T-number (T) =5.6

    [ii]With compatible α camera bodies. Please visit Sony support webpages for details.

    [iii]Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.

    [iv]Guide Number (GN) 45 (105mm, in meters at ISO 100)

    [v]Sony internal measurement

  • Family Portrait Week launched in UK

    HRH Princess Michael of Kent, David Cameron MP and The National Portrait Gallery have all got behind a new photographic promotion to raise much-needed funds for the Variety Club of Great Britain, which celebrates its 60th Anniversary this year.

    (more…)

  • A quick vertical bracket for DSLRs

    Moving a DSLR – preferably without vertical grip because of the further imbalance created – to portrait format shooting on a small tripod ballhead produces an unstable arrangement where the head is stressed. The camera may sag unless the head is tightened, and if the lens is heavy, it may also unscrew itself from the normal tripod bush tightening. A L-bracket is the ideal solution for mounting your camera for a portrait session or any other situation where most of the images will be vertical.

    The best solution is a rotating camera cradle, but these are expensive and often add too much bulk. They will keep the lens centered around its axis, so compositions don’t need radical changes to camera position. Flip-over L brackets which move the lens axis but provide a swift change from vertical to horizontal composition are OK, but usually place the camera off the centre of the ball head action, again stressing it unduly.

    Here is a really cheap DIY solution, a binocular tripod bracket retailing in the UK for £14.99 under the brand Viking:

    Viking binocular clamp

    As you can see, the binocs are intended to sit outside the L, not inside. A black hard plastic washer/spacer is glued to the outside of the threaded clamp, which has two threads to attach to tripods depending on the position you want (these are on the short arm of the L), and the single one for the binoculars. The plastic washer is easily removed by sliding a craft knife into the glue, it pops off instantly. You could just reverse it, but the shiny washer would have no grip on the camera baseplate.

    Instead, I glued a layer of IKEA tacky thick vinyl drawer lining textured sheet to the inside upright of the L. Some rubber sole from a shoe repair shop would be equally good, or any suitable plastic, rubber or foam of the right thickness. It should be more than 1/16th thick, otherwise the tripod screw will hit the base of the Alpha tripod socket and not tighten (a washer can be used on the other side, it has a slim one already).

    Binocular clamp converted

    Here is the result. It is shown on a Giottos ball head (as ever, missing some of its rubber knob grips, which come off in a matter of days when working). The head is fitted with the Giottos quick release top unit, replacing its normal head. A quick release insert is fitted to the L base permanently, so it’s very easy to remove the rig. It would be possible to make a longer tripod screw for the camera and mount a further quick release insert on the long arm – the screw going through the insert, the arm and then into the camera. This would make rapid switching from vertical to horizontal mounting easy. I have Giottos heads on several of my tripods and monopods, and a bunch of these quick release tops, so I may convert it this way but would need to locate or cut exactly the right length of 1/4 Whitworth screw.

    Binocular clamp alternative view

    You can see here that the original name of the clamp is Opticron 31005. It should be easy to locate, and cost around US $25 in other markets – or less. It has just the right amount of space for the Alpha 700, and the IKEA sheeting provides almost enough grip – there is probably a better alternative industrial sheeting, floor tile, old mousemat or similar material. The further to the end of the two tripod threads places the lens axis neatly over the centre of the tripod. This will not work with a vertical grip fitted, but I’m not a fan of vertical grips and with the A700 any tripod shooting is normally triggered using the free wireless remote control supplied.

    – David Kilpatrick