Michael Andrew's Blog, page 21

I took Lindsay Adler's "The Magic Gels" Course - Here is what happened

When a photographer whom you admire comes out with a course on what they do, 9 times out of 10 it is going to be worth your investment. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is in terms of efficiency to invest in your own skills instead of trying to figure it out on your own, the time savings alone is almost always going to be worth it.



Lindsay Adler is a Canon Explorer of Light. That title is given to only a few select photographers in the world, chosen by Canon as one of the best. For commercial and editorial beauty work, she's one of the best in the world. When it comes to the use of color, I cant think of many who do it as well as she does. Her instagram is a wealth of eye-candy and inspiration:



https://www.instagram.com/lindsayadler_photo/?hl=en



I had a GREAT time watching Lindsay's Magic of Gel's course and highly recommend it to all photographers wanting to study gelled strobe work.



Two important notes:



1. This is an advanced course. If you are a beginner, focus on learning your camera, then take a basic lighting course to learn how to use strobes. I also think knowing Lightroom or Photoshop are going to maximize your potential with gels.



2. You are going to need a lot of gear to pull these shots off. I used 2 strobes, but I really think you will need 3-4, and sometimes 5 strobes to create the same kinds of looks Lindsay does. There is also a lot of gear that you will need, including modifiers, gel packs (at least 2), transmitters, stands, etc to make a serious attempt at this, but if you can master what she is teaching, you will be well on your way to taking your strobe game to the next level.



Lindsay Adler's "The Magic of Gels" Course



Michael's Intro Camera Tutorial Videos



MAVEN Filters, Mini Microphone



Michael's Maven Straps



#LindsayAdler #GelPhotography #strobephotography

Hyperfocal Distance - How to maximize your Depth of Field without needing to stop down too much!

We have had a few videos recently discussing the difference between the Depth of Field and Sharpness, today we are taking it a step further and talking about how to maximize your DOF, specifically the hyperfocal distance. Something beginners will do is when they want a deep DOF, they stop the lens down to f22 for example. This will work, however, it will also increase softness due to diffraction. More and more sensors are become diffraction limited at wider apertures (say for example f5.2 like the Canon 90D or M6ii) so If you want to maximize your DOF, and not stop down too much, understanding Hyperfocal Distance will help you find this balance.



Im including a very simple, easy work around so you dont have to worry about calculating it! Thank you for the questions!



If you like my teaching style and are struggling to learn your camera, check out one of my many camera training courses here:



Michael's Training Videos



MAVEN Filters, Mini Microphone:



Michael's Maven Straps



#HyperFocalDistance #DepthofField #DOF

Why is there Noise Grain at Low ISO - What Is Shot Noise?

In the past month I have received at least five or six students asking if I thought their camera was broken because they found grain in low ISO images.



There are some misperceptions about what causes image noise/grain. This is complicated by a number of variables and contributing factors, however the most important factor is the amount of light coming into the camera, especially when there isn't a lot of it and the general term to explain this called "shot noise"- (and yes high ISOs will definitely introduce grain, but that is another topic)



So with that in mind, what is shot noise? That is the topic of today's video and I hope you enjoy it!



Michael's Training Videos



MAVEN Filters, Mini Microphone:



Michael's Maven Straps



Large Sensors = Less Noise



#ShotNoise #LowISONoise #SensorNoise

Best Cameras of 2019

These are my picks for the best cameras of 2019 there were a couple cameras I really didn't like but I just decided to leave them off the list because I know people hate me for it LOL.



Photographer Andrew Shoemaker's GFX 100 Photos



Michael's Training Videos



MAVEN Filters, Mini Microphone



Michael's Maven Straps



Links to cameras:

Canon 90D

Sony A6100

Sony A6600

Sony A6400

Sony A6400

Fuji X-T30

Fuji GFX 100



#BestCamera2019 #GFX100 #Canon90D

What is DLA / Diffraction Limited Aperture? Diffraction Limits of a Sensor

Did you know that cameras experience diffraction differently depending on the sensor design? Do you know what your cameras diffraction starting point is? Could be worth it if you are looking to maximize sharpness.



Today we are talking about DLA, or diffracting limited aperture, which is a diffraction starting limit based on sensors. Ill have a very nerdy video coming soon that will take this to a whole different level, but I wanted to make a shorter video defining the term.



I have a series of videos coming that will describe the limits and challenges of cramming more and more photosites into a sensor. The Canon 90D / M6ii which have the most MP for an APSC sized sensor have a very interesting issue: they are near the limit of what EF zoom lenses appear to be capable of resolving. More to come soon!



Michael's Training Videos



Michael's Maven Straps



DLA Calculator



#DLA #DiffractionLimitedAperture

Canon Responds To 90D Lens Problems

It seems the Marketing and Tech Support divisions of Canon are on different pages and a lot of 90D users are very upset about it. Trust me, I have been attacked and blamed for the lens issues (this is kinda funny when I have nothing to do with the manufacture and marketing of the 90D). I have also been very vocal about its tracking and soft problems from day one. Had some sound issues, but the information is still good!



Thanks to a Canon 90D Facebook group member who forwarded these two responses to me!



My 90D FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Canon...



Michael's Training Videos (including the Canon 90D Tutorial)



Michael's Maven Straps



#Canon90D #Canon #90D

Sharpness & Depth of Field are not the same

Two days left on my Black Friday Coupon Code to save you 25% off: maven25



Many beginners have been asking me recently about the relationship of DOF to sharpness. Here is an introduction to both! Enjoy!



My Camera Straps, Training Videos, ND Filters and now microphones can be found here: https://www.canontrainingvideo.com

The Irishman

Martin Scorsese is legitimately one of the most talented directors of our time. Anyone interested in filmmaking should study him, and again here he is with an incredible crime /mob story. It is long (3.5 hours) but just incredible as a story. Top named actors, Al Pachino is one of my favorites.



That said, I have a problem with it, namely that it is based on a real life hitman that actually killed people, and the story is significant because it is based on a book that explains what might have happened to Jimmy Hoffa. The morals of the main character are so gut wrenching it will give you nightmares and the fact that this is about an actual person that did these things, it felt like the film was glorifying him. Im not a huge fan of movies that glorify criminals, its a reward / notoriety for their evil actions, seems culturally inappropriate.



Incredible movie, but bad juju. I probably would have preferred to not watch it.

Black Friday Special - 25% Off Entire Store - Michael The Maven Crash Courses

Many of you have asked for a BLACK FRIDAY coupon on my camera training videos, here it is! We also have a ton of cool accessories, including the new Maven Mini Mic Kit (Very limited supply), my Maven Filters, camera straps and much more! Many of our regular prices have been temporarily reduced, so you can enjoy huge savings on those as well. Happy thanks giving everyone!



Black Friday 25% Off Coupon Code: maven25



Find your camera tutorial video now at https://www.canontrainingvideo.com



Michael's Maven Gear section



Maven Mini Mic

only 10 units for the sale, first come first serve, all additional orders will be fulfilled sometime the first week in January



Maven Filters

100X100MM ND1000 10Stop



MAVEN 84X84MM ND1000 10 STOP



MAVEN 100X100MM ND64 6 STOP



MAVEN 84X84MM ND64 6 STOP



Business Crash Course DVD

Knives Out

There is some really good writing, but the amount of patience it requires to get to the payoff is too much. The first half of the movie is boring and mostly police interviews. Felt like it was making me work for what I wanted to be recreation. Maybe a rental if you loved the board game Clue. :)