It might be cold outside, but witnessing a full moon is always a treat for skywatchers — particularly when it’s a special one.
February’s Full Snow Moon rises on Sunday (Feb. 5) and will be the smallest full moon of the year, thanks to the current position of the moon in its orbit. Its distance from Earth will make this Snow Moon a “micromoon,” the opposite of a supermoon. While most observers won’t be able to tell a difference with the unaided eye, this month’s full moon will appear up to 14% smaller than a supermoon.
The Full Snow Moon will occur Sunday at 1:28 p.m. (1828 GMT) and will be positioned in the Leo constellation. In New York City, the full moon will rise at 5:10 p.m. (2210 GMT) and will reach its highest point in the sky just after midnight. For skywatchers who don’t want to brave the cold February evening to see the full moon, the Virtual Telescope Project will host a free telescope livestream beginning Sunday (Feb. 5) at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT).
Related: February full moon 2023: The Snow Moon rises with Jupiter, Mars and Orion
Read more: Full moon calendar 2023: When to see the next full moon
See the Moon phases in 2023 in epic time-lapsed animation
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February’s Full Snow Moon might technically be a micromoon, but it will nonetheless shine brightly in the night sky. While the light of the full moon will obscure some dimmer and more distant objects from view, the skies will also be graced on Sunday night by the presence of several bright planets.
Jupiter will be bright and well-positioned for viewing for most of the night for skywatchers in mid-northern latitudes that include the United States, as will Mars. From New York City, Jupiter should appear in the southwestern skies around 7:00 p.m. local time and will set around 9:30, while Mars will be to the south. At around 6:00 p.m. EST (2300 GMT), Venus will be very bright in the evening sky until it sets some 90 minutes later.
While you’re out gazing at the bright full moon, be sure to look over at the Orion constellation. The Hunter is visible for most of the night throughout February and will begin high in the east-southeast each night. Taurus and Gemini will be visible near Orion, as will Canis Major, home of the brightest star in the sky, Sirius. Each of these constellations will be bright enough to not be overwhelmed by the light of the full moon, even in areas with light pollution.
If you want to get some great shots of February’s Full Snow Moon, be sure not to miss our guide on how to photograph the moon for the best lunar photography tips and tricks we’ve found. We also have guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography if you need to gear up for this or other celestial events.
Editor’s Note: If you catch a great photo of the Full Snow Moon and would like to share it with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].
The growth of hybrid shooting has meant that photographers aren’t just photographers anymore. They’re videographers, as well. Many working professionals, such as wedding photographers, see an increased demand for video from their clients. This means they need a camera that can do both jobs in one body. And for the most versatility, they’ll want a camera that can shoot 4K video at 60fps. Shooting at this frame rate gives your footage smoother movements and more detail. To help you choose, we’ve rounded up which cameras shoot 4K video at 60fps.
Why shoot 4K video at 60fps?
The standard playback for video is 29.7fps, so why would you want to shoot at 60fps? Essentially because it gives you more flexibility. Footage captured at 60fps gives you smoother playback at 29.7/30fps and it also gives you the option to produce slow motion footage.
At 60fps it’s only half speed, but the slow motion effects you can produce are still quite cool!
If you try slowing down your 4K video shot at 30fps you’ll notice that it looks less fluid, kind of staccato – to borrow a musical term – whereas slowed down footage captured at 60fps has more frames and looks smoother.
Think of it this way: if you record 1 second of 4K video at 60fps you are capturing double the number of frames as you would at 30fps. So when you slow your 4K 60fps video down to half speed, that 1 second stretches out to 2 seconds.
The best cameras for shooting 4K @ 60fps video
So which cameras shoot 4K video at 60fps? We’ve rounded up the best consumer cameras for 4K 60p footage to help with your filmmaking. For a deeper dive into the many different camera types and features available, check out our range of camera buying guides.
Panasonic S5 II
Panasonic has been shifting its focus towards video rather than stills in recent years. So it comes as no surprise that the Lumix S5II delivers a huge step up in video features compared to the original S5. The S5 II can record 4:2:0 10-bit 6K (3:2) or 5.9K (16:9) footage at 30fps or 4:2:2 C4K and 4K video at up to 60fps internally.
Crucially, Panasonic has developed a new heat management system with an internal fan that enables unlimited recording times if you have the storage capacity and power.
There’s also HFR (High Frame Rate) recording at up to 120fps and Slow & Quick mode at up to 180fps – both in Full HD.
V-Log and V-Gamut are installed as standard rather than as a paid extra, plus there’s a new Real Time LUT function that enables colour grading LUTs to be uploaded to an SD card and applied in-camera.
Experienced videographers will also be pleased to see that a Waveform Monitor, Vector Scope and Zebra Pattern are available along with System Frequency (24.00Hz) and Synchro Scan (for setting precise shutter speeds).
What’s more, you’ll find 3.5mm ports for connecting an external microphone and headphones, while an XLR mic can be connected via the optional DMW-XLR1 adapter. Also, the S5 II has a full-size HDMI port for connecting external devices like a monitor/recorder.
Get the latest deals on the Panasonic S5 II at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Panasonic GH5
Videographers will be pleased to learn that there’s unlimited 4K video recording – most cameras can only record in bursts of up to 29minutes and 59 seconds. There’s also a choice between MOV, MP4, AVCHD Progressive and AVCHD formats at a variety of frame rates, the system frequency can be set to 59.94Hz, 50.00Hz or 24.00Hz.
With GH5 it’s possible to shoot 4096 x 2160 4K at 24p (or 3840 x 2160 4K at 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p with no cropping), 4:2:2 10-bit Full HD (1080p) recording and 4K 4:2:2 10-bit ALL-Intra MP4/MOV (apart from at 60/50p) and Full HD 4:2:2 10-bit ALL-Intra recording. The step-up from 8-bit to 10-bit recording vastly increases the range of colours that can be recorded.
In addition, there’s a Waveform Monitor and Vector Scope to meet the needs of professional videographers. This embeds SMPTE-compliant Time Code with Rec Run or Free Run counting to aid with multiple device synchronisation.
A firmware update has also added high-resolution Anamorphic Video Mode and Hybrid Log Gamma for 4K HDR Video (for playback on HDR compatible televisions).
It’s also possible to add V-LogL recording via an optional software key (DMW-SFU1), with LUT (Look Up Table) and V-LogL View Assist to help experienced videographers get the colour and contrast they want.
Further good news for video shooters is that the GH5 can output live to an external recorder and simultaneous internal (there are dual SD card ports) and external recording is possible. Plus there’s an optional adaptor (DMW-XLR1) to allow an XLR microphone to be used for sound recording.
Get the latest deals on the Panasonic GH5 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Panasonic GH5 Mark II
The Lumix GH5 II is the latest in the GH series of mirrorless Micro Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic, however, the company has announced that the GH6 is in development and that the GH line is splitting in two. Panasonic will pitch the GH6 towards serious filmmakers looking for a small camera while the GH5 II is designed for keen content creators, those who are serious about their photography and producing videos for YouTube, but that don’t need all the more advanced features of the GH6.
As its name suggests, the Panasonic GH5 II is an upgrade to the Panasonic GH5, which dates from January 2017 and has been incredible popular amongst videographers.
Inside the Panasonic GH5 II is the same 20.3Mp sensor as is inside the GH5 but it has new AR (Anti-Reflective) coating that reduces flare and ghosting. It’s also coupled with the Venus Engine 10 processing engine that’s in the Panasonic Lumix S1H – the company’s full-frame video-centric mirrorless camera.
This combination enables the GH5 II to capture 10-bit 4:2:0 C4K (4096 x 2160) video at up to 60fps and 200Mbps or 10-bit 4:2:2 C4K at up to 30fps and 400Mbps. If an external recorder is connected via HDMI, it’s also possible to record C4K 4:2:2 10-bit 60p video externally while simultaneously recording in 4:2:0 to the card in the camera. There’s also a selection of 4K and 6K anamorphic modes.
Although the GH5 II cannot shoot raw video, V-Log L is pre-installed which means that it’s possible capture very flat footage that’s well-suited to grading. Helpfully, there’s a Log Assist mode so you can assess the footage more easily when you’re shooting in V-Log L. It’s also possible to display a waveform or vector scope to guide exposure.
Get the latest deals on the Panasonic GH5 Mark II at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Panasonic GH6
There’s a huge range of video options and combinations available with the GH6, but the headlines are 5.7K 30p video in ProRes 422 HQ and ProRes 422, recording internally to a CFexpress Type B card. This is the first time that a CFexpress card has been seen in a Micro Four Thirds camera.
The GH6 is also capable of 5.7K 4:2:0 10-bit 60p/50p and 5.8K 30p/25p/24p 4:2:0 10-bit anamorphic 4:3 recording, using the whole sensor. In addition, 4:2:2 10-bit Cinema 4K 60p can be recorded internally while 4:2:2 10-bit Cinema 4K video at 60fps is simultaneously recorded over HDMI.
Alternatively, 4:2:0 10-bit 4K 120p (equivalent to 5x slow motion) and 4:2:2 10bit FHD 240p HFR (High Frame Rate) footage can be recorded with audio for creative speed ramping. VFR (Variable Frame Rate) recording can also be recorded with a FHD maximum of 300fps (equivalent to 12.5x slow motion) for more dynamic videos.
What’s more, 4K video at 120fps in Apple ProRes raw is now possible over HDMI, along with a number of new internal recording options, thanks to a Panasonic GH6 firmware update coming in July 2022.
Find the latest deals on the GH6 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
GoPro Hero11 Black
Like clockwork, GroPro launched the Hero11 Black in September 2022 and like its recent predecessors, the best action camera you can buy shoots 4K video at 60fps, among a host of other resolutions and framerates (including 4K at 120fps).
While framerates and resolution remain largely the same on the Hero11 Black as they were on the Hero10, you’ll find that a larger sensor makes all the difference regarding video quality and low light performance.
Video quality is notably better than previous releases, with more detail, tone and colour retained in lower light conditions. The ability to film at 10-bit high quality does push the file sizes up and reduces battery life slightly, but it is well worth it for the boost it gives to dynamic range and the smoothness of motion, especially as the pace picks up.
And as always, GoPro’s HyperSmooth redefines what’s possible with digital stabilisation technology and provides an amazing smoothness for professional-quality video.
Find the latest deals on the GoPro Hero11 Black at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
GoPro Hero10 Black
With the Hero10 Black you get a giant upgrade in the form of a new GP2 processor, promising more power and a boost to framerate options, HyperSmooth 4.0, Auto file uploads, more Mods and upgrades rather than a major uplift in video resolutions.
In the Hero9 Black, 4K at 60fps is the setting that really replaced 1080p at 60fps, and that option remains with the Hero10 Black. The footage looks great, and there’s plenty of quality here.
The top resolutions from the Hero9 Black also remain at 5.4k and 4k. Instead, there’s a major boost in framerate, and to be honest, this is more useful (and more fun) for the majority of GoPro users. In the Hero10 Black, 5.4K is boosted to 60fps and 4K to 120fps. This essentially means that with the 4K footage, you can record 5 seconds of footage and play that back over 20 seconds with beautifully smooth motion.
New HyperSmooth 4.0 is available in 5.3K @ 30fps, 4K @ 60fps and 2.7K @ 120fps. The in-camera horizon levelling has also been boosted with a tilt limit increase from 27º to 45º when shooting in 4K60, 2.7K120 and 1080p120.
When you compare the Hero10 Black’s 4K at 30fps footage against 60fps, it’s hard to see the difference in the quality. 30fps at 4K from the GoPro Hero10 Black is just superb, with plenty of detail, good balanced colour and ideal for anyone wanting to shoot a vlog, blog or anything of that type.
Get the latest deals on the GoPro Hero10 Black at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Sony A7 IV
Provided you’re happy to shoot in Super 35mm mode (ie with an APS-C crop), the A7IV is capable of shooting 4K video at 60p. If you want to use the full sensor area then the frame rate for 4K video drops to 30p, but this can be shot with 7K oversampling.
There’s also 10-bit depth 4:2:2 colour sampling, XAVC S-I intra-frame encoding for more efficient editing workflows and XAVC HS for better compression efficiency.
According to Sony, thanks to the A7IV’s heat-dissipating design, it’s possible to record 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 video continuously for over an hour.
The 5-axis image stabilisation system which is claimed to offer 5.5EV shutter speed compensation also has an ‘Active Mode’ that is designed for use when shooting video and crops the image slightly.
Videographers who want to nail the look of their movies in-camera can make use of the A7IV’s Creative Look presets or S-Cinetone mode while those wishing to grade their video post-capture can use S-Log 2 or S-Log3 to maximise the dynamic range of the footage, but there’s no raw recording option.
Get the latest deals on the Sony A7 IV at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Sony A7R V
With the A7R V, Sony made some significant improvements to the video capability of its high-resolution A7 series camera. The biggest headline is that it can record 8K video at 24/25p with a 1.2x crop or 4K video at up to 60/50p also with a 1.2x crop and 4K video at up to 30p with no crop. There’s also the option to shoot 4K video downsampled from 6.2K with no pixel binning. This is all quite a jump up from the A7R IV, which was limited to 4K at 30p.
The A7R V also supports the MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 codec, along with all intra recording and 10-bit 4:2:2 colour.
Sony’s updated subject recognition system and real-time tracking are also available in video mode and there’s breathing compensation feature that we saw introduced with the Sony A7 IV.
It’s also worth noting that the A7R V’s IBIS works during video mode, but there’s also a (digital) in-body Active mode for the image stabilisation.
Get the latest deals on the Sony A7R V at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Fujifilm X-H2S
The Fujifilm X-H2S builds on the X-H1’s video capability with the benefit of technological advances to give it greater resolution, a wider range of frame rates, greater bit depth and less rolling shutter (with full sensor readout in 5.4msec or 1/180sec), plus in-camera Apple ProRes (ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 422 and ProRes 422 LT) recording.
For example, 6.2K 29.97p and 4K 4:2:2 10 bit video can both be recorded internally with no crop. Alternatively, DCI 4K video can be recorded at 120p/100p with a 1.29x crop while FHD 17:9 or 16:9 video can be shot at 240P/200p with a 1.38x crop.
There’s also F-Log2 for recording video with up to 14 stops of dynamic range, but this means using a sensitivity setting of at least ISO 1250. With the original F-Log, which is also available, it’s ISO 650 and there’s up to 12 stops of dynamic range.
At 25°C, you can expect to shoot 4K video at 60fps for around 240 minutes before the camera overheats. In hotter climes this drops to around 15 minutes, but Fujifilm has also introduced a fan that can be connected onto the back of the X-H2S to help keep it cool and extend 4K 60P recording to 51 minutes.
Incidentally, the X-H2S’s battery is claimed to last for 90mins when shooting 6K video and 70 mins when recording 4K 60p footage.
As you’d expect, video can also be recorded to an external device and the X-H2S has a full-size HDMI port.
Find the latest deals on the Fujifilm X-H2S at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Fujifilm X-H2
The Fujifilm X-H2 price tag sits below £2,000 / $2,000 and yet for that money you get a camera that can record Apple ProRes 10-bit 4:2:2 footage at up to 8K / 30p – and using CFexpress Type B memory. Meanwhile, 12-bit Apple ProRes RAW or Blackmagic RAW footage can be recorded to an Atomos Ninja V+ or Blackmagic Design Video Assist respectively. These external devices connect via the X-H2’s full-size HDMI Type A port. It goes without saying that the Fujifilm X-H2 can record 4K video at 60fps and a whole lot more beyond that.
Like the X-H2S above, the X-H2 offers users the F-Log2 colour profile, which extends the camera’s dynamic range extends to 13+ stops. Further good news is that the X-H2 can record continuously for up to 160 minutes at 25°C (77°F) and this can be extended to 240 minutes with the optional X-H2 clip-on fan.
The X-H2’s native 8K video resolution enables some useful functionality such as a 2x digital zoom when recording 4K video, effectively doubling the mounted lens’ focal length. Alternatively, it can be used to boost 4K quality through down-sampling.
Find the latest deals on the Fujifilm X-H2S at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Fujifilm X-T5
The Fujifilm X-T5 marked a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the X-T4, and perhaps the biggest improvements came in video. Yes, the X-T5 can shoot 4K video at 60fps, just as its two predecessors can. But can now record 6.2K video internally at up to 30P and with 4:2:2 10-bit colour. There’s also a 4K HQ mode, in which the X-T5 uses 6.2K over-sampling to generate higher-quality 4K movies.
It’s worth noting, however, that all 6.2K, 4K HQ and 4K video filmed with the X-T5 is subject to a crop. The most dramatic is a 1.23x and some just encounters a 1.14x crop.
If you want to grade your footage, Fujifilm’s F-Log2 mode can deliver more than 13 stops of dynamic range for a wider range of tones.
With an Atomos device you can also record 12-bit Apple ProRes raw video via its HDMI output at up to 6.2K at 29.97fps. Likewise, you can output Blackmagic RAW video in 6.2K at 29.97fps with a Blackmagic Design Video Assist 12Gs.
Get the latest deals on the Fujifilm X-T5 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Fujifilm X-T4
Like the X-T3, the X-T4 can shoot C4K (4096 x 2160) MOV video at up to 60p. However, it can also record in MP4 format.
In addition, its possible to record Full HD video at up to 240p (with continuous focusing), twice the rate possible with the X-T3. That’s great news for those who like to see action in slow-motion.
All this combined with Fujifilm’s image-quality knowhow makes the X-T4 the company’s best X-series camera to date, not to mention one of the best mirrorless cameras you can buy today.
Get the latest deals on the Fujifilm X-T4 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Canon EOS R5
From the moment that Canon began drip-feeding information about its flagship full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS R5, it was clear that it is a game-changer.
The Canon EOS R5 features 8K video recording at 30fps, which is impressive of course, but you can also capture 4K video at up to 120fps. What’s more, footage filmed at 4K video at 60fps can be recorded internally or output over HDMI and it uses the full width of the sensor. 4K external recording is also available at up to 60fps.
Another great benefit of the EOS R5 is the option to oversample your 8K video for more detailed 4K footage in HQ (High Quality) mode, the results are stunning, just take a look at the video below.
Get the latest deals on the Canon EOS R5 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Nikon Z9
A flagship camera needs to be capable of recording great video as well as superb stills and the Nikon Z9 was capable of recording 8K video at 24p, 25 or 30p at launch but the Nikon Z9 V2.0 firmware released on 20th April 2022 added 8K video at 60p capability. Alternatively, 4K video can be shot at 24p to 120p. The V.2.0 firmware will also enable in-camera recording of 4K/60p Ultra HD footage oversampled from 8K 12-bit with ProRes RAW HQ (up to 4K/60p).
Thanks to its heat-dissipating design, the Z9 can record 8K 30p video for around 125 minutes at a time.
Further good news is that the Z9 maintains its full autofocus and exposure metering capability while shooting 8K video, complete with Eye-detection AF.
Also, at up to 4K/60p (except for Full HD/24p, 25p and 30p), it’s compatible with 10-bit ProRes 422 HQ format. If you want to shoot 8K video, you have to opt for H.265 10-bit MOV or H.265 8-bit MOV files. H.264 8-bit MP4 recording is also possible for Full HD video up to 60p.
The April 20th 2022 firmware update (V.2.0) also added N-Raw format recording to reduce files sizes to approximately half that of ProRes Raw files. In addition, it will also give the Z 9 a waveform monitor, a red REC frame indicator and a custom i-menu that displays video settings while shooting will be introduced.
Find the latest deals on the Nikon Z9 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Canon EOS R6 Mark II
While the original R6 can record 4K video at 60fps, there is a 1.52x crop applied to your footage. Thankfully with the EOS R6 Mark II, Canon has done away with this crop. The Mark II can shoot 4K video at 60fps using the full width of the sensor. Even better, all the 4K footage from the EOS R6 Mark II is oversampled from 6K footage, meaning image quality is much improved.
Canon has also done away with the original R6’s recording limit thanks to improvements in the Mark II’s circuit design. With the original R6 you were limited to 25 min 59 second recordings. With the R6 Mark II you can now record more than 40 minutes of oversampled footage in 4K at 60p or for up six hours in 4K at 30p.
And if you have an Atomos Ninja V+, you can output 6K raw video via the R6 Mark II’s HDMI port. EOS R6 Mark II users will also benefit from a new False colour option that uses 6 colours to indicate the brightness of elements of the scene. There’s also support for HDR via PQ and Canon Log 3.
Find the latest deals on the Canon EOS R6 Mark II at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Canon EOS R6
Although it doesn’t have the class-leading video resolution of the Canon R5, the Canon EOS R6 is no slouch when it comes to video credentials.
It can record 4K (3840 x 2160) video at up to 59.94fps, however, there is a slight crop as only 94% of the horizontal area of the sensor is used. This 4K video is produced by oversampling from 5.1K for better quality. There’s also a 4K movie cropping mode available that uses 62% of the horizontal area, which means there’s much greater cropping.
If you want to add drama to action shots, Full HD footage can be shot at up to 119.88fps for slow-motion playback.
It’s possible to record the highest resolution video to an SD UHS-II card in 8-bit H.264 or 10-bit 4:2:2 H.265 and Canon Log is available for greater post-capture gradability.
Incredibly, Canon has enabled a zebra display for the first time in an EOS camera to help guide exposure.
Other niceties include an HDMI micro port (Type D) for connecting an external monitor, a microphone port and a headphone socket.
Get the latest deals on the Canon EOS R6 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Canon EOS R3
Canon has given the EOS R3 very similar video capability to the EOS R5 although it maxes out at 6K rather than 8K. As such, the R3 is able to capture 6K raw video at 60p using the Canon Cinema Raw Light (.CRM) format, which gives the videographer greater post-capture control over exposure, colour and white balance than when shooting non-raw video.
It’s also possible to create 4K footage oversampled from 6K at up to 60P to deliver better quality 4K movies. Canon Log 3 is also available, enabling 10-bit internal recording for greater dynamic range while 10-bit HDR PQ reduces the amount of post-production editing or grading. And for slow motion video, it’s possible to shoot 4K video at up to 120p.
Also, according to Canon, the R3 can record up to 6 hours of ‘regular’ (that is not oversampled or or high frame-rate) video or 1.5 hours at high 119.88/100p frame rates. CRM light or MP4 footage can be recorded in All-I, IPB or the smaller IPB light format at a range of bit rates.
For peace of mind, the R3 allows 6K raw video to be recorded simultaneous to two memory cards.
Get the latest deals on the Canon EOS R3 at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Canon EOS R7
Canon is pitching it’s flagship APS-C camera, the EOS R7, as a hybrid camera, which means it has a good range of video features as well as stills-shooting options. The headline figures are that it can shoot 4K video at 60p with full-sensor readout so your lenses deliver the framing you expect. If you want to slow action more dramatically, there’s Full HD at 120p and there is the to crop the 4K 60p footage if you need to frame your subject tighter..
It’s also possible to shoot 4K 30p footage oversampled from 7K and Canon Log 3 is available if you’re keen to grade the footage or need to match the output from another camera.
According to Canon, the usual 29 min 59 second limit of video recording has been removed and it’s possible to shoot for around an hour before th camera needs to cool down.
Find the latest deals on the EOS R7 at Amazon UK and Amazon US. Also check out our Canon EOS R7 vs 7D Mark II comparison.
Nikon Z7 II
Like the Z7, the Nikon Z7II can record 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) video. However, the maximum frame rate is boosted from 30P to 60P, which is great news for slow-motion fans. As before, it’s also possible to shoot Full HD video at up to 120p.
The full list of video frame rates includes 4K (3840 x 2160) 60/50/30/25/24p, Full-HD (1920 x 1080) 120/100/60/50/30/25/24p, Slow-motion mode 1920 x 1080 30p x4/25p x4/24p.
If you record to a memory card in the Z7II, the video is 8-Bit, but connecting an external storage device via the HDMI port enables the video quality to be increased to 10-bit 4:2:2 with (or without) N-Log.
N-Log is useful if you want to grade your footage post-capture, or if you need to match the footage to that from another camera. Handily, timecode is available to help with editing video from multiple cameras.
With a compatible Atomos recorder connected, the Z7II can record video as Apple ProRes Raw which means you get the full benefit of the camera’s data gathering potential.
Focus peaking and zebra display are also available to help with nailing the focus and exposure. The Z7II can also shoot timelapse movies.
Get the latest deals on the Nikon Z7 II at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Nikon Z6 II
Like the Z6, the Nikon Z6 II can record 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) video at 30P, however, 60P will be added with a firmware update that expected to arrive in February 2021. It’s also possible to record Full HD footage at up to 120p for slow-motion playback.
The full list of video frame rates includes 4K (3840 x 2160) 30/25/24p (60P to come with free firmware update in Feb 2021), Full-HD (1920 x 1080) 120/100/60/50/30/25/24p, Slow-motion mode 1920 x 1080 30p x4/25p x4/24p x5.
Footage recorded internally is in 8bit colour. However, if you connect an external recorder via the HDMI connection, the Z6II can record 10bit 4:2:2 colour with N-Log for better grading and colour matching.
The Z6II also features Timecode, focus peaking and zebra display, plus the focusing speed and tracking sensitivity can be adjusted to suit the subject or the desired look of the movie.
The big news on the video-front is that the Z6 II has eye detection focusing for humans and animals. That’s going to make producing good-quality video a lot easier for many people.
Get the latest deals on the Nikon Z6 II at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Panasonic Lumix S1
Panasonic is aiming the Lumix S1 at creatives who want to be able to shoot both stills and video. On the video front, the headline feature is that the S1 can shoot 4K (3840×2160) at 60fps and 150Mbps. However, if you want to keep the full width of the sensor, the maximum frame rate for 4K video is 30fps.
There’s also an HEVC shooting option at 4:2:0 10-bit for internal recording. This option is missing from the Lumix S1R.
Helpfully, Panasonic’s Dual IS system is incorporated. This stabilises images and video.
In addition, Panasonic is going to introduce an optional (paid for) firmware update for the Lumix S1 to introduce full V-Log recording. This will also enable 4:2:2 10-bit 4K 24p/30p internal video recording and 4:2:2 10-bit 4K 60p HDMI output.
Using the V-Log recording option is said to enable an extra two stops of dynamic range compared with the V-Log from the Panasonic GH5 and GH5S.
Get the latest Panasonic S1 deals at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Panasonic Lumix S1R
While Panasonic created the Lumix S1 for creatives who want to shoot both stills and video, it’s aiming the S1R at professional stills photographers.
Nevertheless, the S1R can shoot 4K (3840×2160) at 60fps and 150Mbps. There’s a good range of other frame and bitrates available. However, the S1’s HEVC 4:2:0 10-bit internal recording option is absent from the Lumix S1R.
It’s also worth noting that the optional (paid for) firmware upgrade that will give the Lumix S1 V-Log recording is not coming to the Panasonic Lumix S1R.
However, like the S1, the S1R has both 3.5mm mic and headphone ports to enable audio motoring and ensure high quality.
Panasonic has given the Lumix S1R a 5-axis Dual IS system which offers a claimed 6EV of shutter speed compensation. This system combines two-axis lens-based stabilisation with 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS), and it works with both stills and video.
Get the latest Panasonic S1R deals at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Leica SL2
Video is another area which has seen some dramatic upgrades from the previous generation – unsurprisingly given how much development has been made in this area since 2015.
The SL2 is capable of recording 5K/30fps in the MOV mode, or 4K/60fps when shooting MP4 files. Professional videographers will also be pleased to note that it can shoot 4K 30fps 4:2:2 directly in camera, or at 60fps via an external recorder.
A nice touch is that when shooting in Cine mode, all the terminology which appears on the camera changes to movie recording equivalents, so f stops become t stops, ISO becomes ASA, and shutter speed becomes shutter angle.
Get the latest Leica SL2 deals at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Blackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera 4K features a 4/3 sensor that provides 13 stops of dynamic range and can capture 12-bit CinemaDNG RAW cinema 4K at 60fps and full HD video at up to 120fps, as well as 10-bit Apple ProRes 422. Oh, and it only costs £1,000/$1,000.
That alone is worth the price tag, but there’s so much more inside this stellar camera that make it even more of a bargain. Let’s talk about its Dual Native ISO.
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K boasts two gain circuits behind each photo site. Each of these is optimised for ISO 400 and 3200.
In a single ISO system, when you increase your ISO setting in low light you are effectively taking a stop from the bottom of your dynamic range and losing info from the shadows. In a dual system like the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, the gain curve resets once you get to ISO 1250 and you’re then getting similar shadow performance as if you were shooting at ISO 100.
There’s also Blackmagic’s Extended Video Mode, which is sort of a halfway house between Film and Video modes. You don’t have to grade footage shot in Extended Video Mode, but it provides an increased dynamic range and pulls back some of the highlight clipping, particularly when shooting wider scenes.
Get the latest deals on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
Building on the success of its Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, Blackmagic’s new 6K model offers a 6K HDR image sensor that records up to 50fps at 6144 x 3456 16:9 or 60fps at 6144 x 2560 2.4:1 and 60fps at 5744 x 3024 17:9. For higher frame rates they can window the sensor and shoot up to 120fps at 2.8K 2868 x 1512 17:9. Users can even work in true anamorphic 6:5 using anamorphic lenses in 3.7K 60 fps at 3728 x 3104.
As well as those staggering frame rates and resolutions, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K provides 13 stops of dynamic range and an EF lens mount that accommodates glass from Canon, Zeiss, Sigma and Schneider.
Also on board is Blackmagic’s dual native ISO up to 25,600, which enables the camera to capture noise-free footage in low light. We saw this on the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, and it was astounding.
The real unsung benefit here is that you can film in 6K, but in post-production you can zoom in and re-compose for better composition without sacrificing image quality.
Get the latest deals on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
GoPro Hero6 Black (and the Hero7 Black, Hero8 Black, Hero9 Black)
With the Hero6 Black GoPro kept the resolution at the same maximum of 4K as in the Hero5, but pushed the frame rates to 60fps (from 30fps), and boosted 1080p to 240fps. GoPro basically doubled the headline frame rates of the previous generation of the Hero Black ation camera.
What this meant in real terms is that you could shoot slow motion footage that will stretch 1 second of film over a staggering 8 seconds.
The full list of resolutions and their partnered frames rates is impressive, but something else GoPro did is it quietly reduced the number of lower resolution options in the menu system. For instance, 480p is gone, all the additional 720p frame rates also disappeared, and 960p bit the dust as well.
This reduction of options makes sense. Best to keep it simple. That way when navigating the settings and options, the ones you want and use most often are quick and easy to select without wading through all the additional options you’re never going to use. One day we may even see a custom menu that enables you to select only the options you use the most.
Of course, the GoPro Hero8 Black and Hero7 Black can shoot 4K at 60fps, as well, but the Hero6 Black does it at a much lower price tag!
Find great deals on older GoPro cameras at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
Before the EOS R5 was announced, the EOS-1D X Mark III was briefly Canon’s most advanced interchangeable lens video camera outside the Cinema EOS series. It can shoot 4K 12-bit video with raw internal recording at up to 60fps. It can even record raw and MP4 video simultaneously to two separate memory cards.
In addition, video can be recorded as 12-bit CRM files at 5.5K (5472×2886), for highly-detailed oversampled 4K footage.
Canon Log Gamma is available in 10-bit HEVC/H.265 file format and the MP4 container is available when speed is of the essence.
Movie Digital IS, as seen in the likes of the EOS C500 Mark II, has also been included to create 5-axis stabilisation.
Get the latest deals on the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
DJI FPV drone
First things first: the DJI FPV drone is designed for racing, not for filming cinematic video. As we point out in our FJI FPV review, the drone’s blades often appear in your video footage. This is a drone that is designed to fly up to 87mph.
However, the DJI FPV can record 4K video footage at up to 60fps. What’s more, DJI has incorporated its RockSteady electronic image stabilisation into the drone to ensure stable, cinematic quality. The RockSteady stabilisation also eliminates the rolling shutter effect when filming fast action scenes. As we’ve seen in past DJI cameras, there’s advanced distortion correction to remove warping and the fisheye look from the footage.
As ever with DJI, there is a good selection of filming options with 4X slow motion filmed at 1080p 120fps. Footage can be filmed in either H.264 or H.264, making the most from the small SD card storage.
So the DJI FPV offers some pretty advanced video specs… but watch out for propellers in your footage.
Get the latest deals on the DJI FPV at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
iPhone 13 Pro
The iPhone 13 Pro is capable of shooting 4K video at 60fps, with full access to all three lenses when shooting. It can also record 1080p HD video at 120 and 240fps for slow motion playback. But Apple has also introduced a number of intriguing new features for videographers that should also appeal.
Firstly, there’s a new Cinematic mode which switches the camera to record Full HD video but gives control over the ‘aperture’. This works in a similar way to Portrait mode, allowing you to set a computational aperture value with the iPhone 13 Pro creating an appropriate degree of blur. As with Portrait mode in stills, it’s possible to adjust the aperture value post capture and you can tap on a subject to set it as the point of focus or the camera can use its face-detection system to find the subject.
Apple is also going to bring ProRes recording to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max with an iOS update. This will allow the phone to shoot up to 4K at 30fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128GB storage).
On the whole, video quality is just as good as image quality, with plenty of detail, good stabilisation and a strong uniformity of colour between the lenses.
Get the latest deals on the iPhone 13 Pro at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Huawei P40 Pro
The Huawei P40 Pro produces arguably the best image quality of any smartphone in the world, and for the first time a Huawei smartphone camera can shoot 4K video at 60fps.
In our tests, the Huawei P40 Pro shows it is capable of producing high-quality video, and the 4K results are a marked improvement upon the P30 Pro’s.
Like the P30 Pro, the Huawei P40 Pro has a four-camera system and again it’s produced in collaboration with Leica. For the P40 Pro, Huawei and Leica have created a Vario-Summilux-H 1:1.8-3.4/18-125 ASPH camera system. That means that there’s an effective focal length range of 18-125mm and a maximum aperture of f/1.8 at the widest point and f/3.4 at the telephoto point.
Get the latest Huawei P40 Pro deals at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
In some ways, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is arguably the best smartphone for video. That the S20 Ultra adds 8K video recording at 30fps from its 108MP main camera made most of the headlines, but Samsung’s flagship smartphone camera also shoots 4K video at 60fps.
Galaxy S20 Ultra users can also now film in Pro Mode. This means you have all of the same controls that you would were you filming with a DSLR.
Another interesting feature for videographers is the S20 Ultra’s zoom-in mic. The Galaxy S20 Ultra’s microphone will effectively zoom in 6x to seek audio, and then follow that sound. This might be useful, for instance, if you were filming a live band or a speech at a wedding, and wanted to eliminate the background noise around you.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra’s quad camera array on the rear of the S20 Ultra comprises a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, 48-megapixel telephoto camera and a depth vision camera.
Get the latest Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra deals at Amazon UK and Amazon US.
Article Name
Which cameras shoot 4K video at 60fps?
Description
Which cameras shoot 4K video at 60fps? We’ve rounded up the best consumer cameras for 4K 60p footage.
This year marks 50 years since Susan Sontag’s essay Photography was published in the New York Review of Books. Slightly edited and renamed In Plato’s Cave, it would become the first essay in her collection On Photography, which has never been out of print.
The breadth of Photography is immense. It ranges over artistic, commercial, photojournalistic, and popular uses of photography; and it discusses the photograph’s role in both sensitising and desensitising us to other people’s suffering – a theme Sontag reconsidered 30 years later in her final book, Regarding the Pain of Others.
But perhaps nowhere is Sontag’s enduring relevance as a critic clearer than in the essay’s analysis of photography as both a symptom and a source of our pathological relationship to reality.
Sontag described photography as “a defense against anxiety”. She saw that it had become a coping mechanism. Confronted with the chaotic surfeit of sensation, we retreat behind the protection of the camera, whose one-eyed, one-sensed perspective makes the world seem maniable.
Sontag claimed that we photograph most when we feel most insecure, particularly when we are in an unfamiliar place where we don’t know how to react or what is expected of us. Taking a photograph becomes a way of attenuating the otherness of a place, holding it at a distance.
Tourists use their cameras as shields between themselves and whatever they encounter. According to Sontag, photography gives the tourist’s experience a definite structure: “stop, take a photograph, and move on.”
Having taken a photograph, we think of its subject as our captive: it’s there now, on the film, in the camera’s memory. This can make us inept observers. There is no need to experience something now, as we can always review it later. So we grab and run.
Even if we compose carefully, if we “make” rather than “take” a photograph, we are likely to feel the release of the shutter as the release of a bond, as if we now can (or must) move on – to other photographs.
I was there
Photography is a way of testifying I saw this, I was there.
Kodak’s marketing through the early 20th century testifies to this urge. “Take a Kodak with you” was one of the company’s earliest slogans. By 1903, they were announcing that “a vacation without a Kodak is a vacation wasted”.
Sontag wrote:
A way of certifying experience, taking photographs is also a way of refusing it – by converting experience into an image, a souvenir. Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs.
Duke University Library/Public Domain
Through photography, Sontag argued, we sooner or later become tourists in our own reality. Sontag thought this happened mainly to the photojournalist, the person on constant lookout for their next subject. But it is true of most of us today. We have become discontents on the perpetual lookout for content. Photographic promiscuity is now one of our mores. It’s what we do: we shoot everything, not least ourselves.
In the revised version of the essay, Sontag says that “taking photographs has set up a chronic voyeuristic relation to the world.” Her claim is that photography has reframed the way we see the world and our place in it.
What we see is mediated by technology. When we look through the eye of the camera, everything is revealed as a possible photograph. This has an atomising effect: people and experiences appear discrete, the sort of thing suitable for collection in the miscellany of memory.
One way of approaching Sontag’s deeper point here is through her discussion of this Leica advertisement:
The people in the advertisement evince fear and shock, but the man behind his viewfinder is self-possessed. The promise is that the camera will make you the master of all situations. The Soviets crushing the Prague Spring, the Woodstock festival, the war in Vietnam, the winter games in Sapporo, the Troubles in Northern Ireland – all of these are “equalized by the camera”. They are reduced to the status of the “Event”: something that is “worth seeing – and therefore worth photographing.”
Read more:
Richard Avedon, Truman Capote and the brutality of photography
An accessible world
Sontag was critical of a reduction that takes place in the lives of the viewing public (itself an extraordinarily telling phrase). She wrote that photographs have the effect of “making us feel that the world is more available than it really is”.
We see photographs of people and events that are remote in space and time. This may seem to bring them closer, but the sense in which they are made available is a highly mitigated one. Elsewhere in On Photography, Sontag speaks of a “proximity which creates all the more distance”. She argues that “it is not reality that photographs make immediately accessible, but images”.
Flicking through a photo magazine, we encounter a disorienting welter of subjects: the horrific, the erotic, the mundane. Everything jostles for our attention as tokens of one all-engrossing category: “the interesting”. This confusion is the ordinary condition of today’s compulsive screen-stroker.
Drawing of Søren Kierkegaard (c.1845). Frederiksborg Museum
Sontag’s complaint about the “levelling” effect of media is nothing new. It goes back at least to the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard in the 1840s. At that time, new telegraph networks and faster printing presses meant that each morning more eyes were focussed on news about elsewhere. Kierkegaard thought that as we become more curious about distant events, our lives lose intensity. We cease to see ourselves as concrete individuals and become members of that abstraction “the public”, whose solitary duty is to be informed, to be conversant with the topics of the day.
Like Kierkegaard, Sontag’s purpose was, broadly speaking, ethical. She was concerned with our sense of ourselves and our place in the world. She thought that photographs were displacing us. What is furthest in space and time now reaches us as quickly as what is closest. It is not that the far has drawn nearer, but that everything is held at an equal distance. Our sense of situatedness has been upset. We are simultaneously everywhere and nowhere – an all-seeing, incorporeal eye. Our sense of orientation, our sense of what is relevant to us, has diminished.
This may give a false impression of Sontag’s argument. Her political commitment is beyond question (just read about her 1968 visit to North Vietnam, or her 1993 staging of Waiting for Godot in Sarajevo). She was certainly not trying to justify inattention or insularity.
Sontag’s objection is primarily to the way we are transformed into, as she writes elsewhere, “customers or tourists of reality”. Our responsibility becomes perpetual consumption of what is served up by the media. We relate to the world beyond the media as if it were media, as if it were content.
Sontag’s criticism of “mediation” is, in part, about a loss of intensity. But more to the point, it is about (to use one of her key terms) a loss of complexity.
Susan Sontag at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2003. Michael Probst/AP
Reality?
Contact demands more than an image hitting the eye. It requires immersion, it requires physicality, it requires understanding. Sontag envisages a responsibility beyond that of the so-called “concerned spectator”, whose attention she describes elsewhere as “proximity without risk”.
In a late interview, Sontag said that she was for “complexity and the respect for reality.” But what exactly does she mean by reality? Photography begins:
We linger unregenerately in Plato’s cave, still reveling, our age-old habit, in mere image of the truth.
For Plato, reality is a world of abstract ideas hidden behind sensory experience. His cave-dwellers are prisoners forced to watch flickering, evanescent images cast on the wall. Knowledge alone can loosen our bonds, allow us to discover the source of the illusion that we mistake for reality.
Sontag’s cave is a different proposition. It is the cave of the Cyclops and the Gorgon, where all that moves becomes ossified before that one enframing eye. What Sontag sought were not the truths of static facts, but those of lived experience. In the worn existentialist jargon, she was after authenticity in the relationship of the individual to themselves and to their society. She was also after presence, an immersion in the moment, so long as we do not assume this means the non-discursive presence advocated by her contemporaries in slogans such as “Be Here Now”.
Sontag was interested above all in enriching the sorts of stories which we tell ourselves and others. She was interested in “consciousness”, not in the narrow sense of the mind as opposed to body, but in the novelist’s sense of the narratives of embodied subjects. Understanding, for Sontag, is not a matter of taking things at face value, but a matter of interpretation. “Only that which narrates can make us understand,” she writes.
Sontag has a strong sense of the the interpenetration of mind and world. Her conception of consciousness is not Platonic but Proustian. How we look at things profoundly influences what we see. We are not extricable from what happens to us. Our present is pregnant with our past. The world is not a composite of objects out there, which can be put in our pockets. Our experiences are not objects in here, which can be filed away in the mind’s albums.
The psychological distance required to record an experience does not leave that experience unchanged. Not only that, but those recordings can come to dominate and displace our narratives, our memories.
Read more:
Friday essay: my brush with Susan Sontag and other tales from the gay ‘golden age’
Memories in flux
In the last of the On Photography essays, Sontag writes that photographs are “not so much an instrument of memory as an invention of it or a replacement”.
Our memories are in flux, our narratives are forever being rewritten. The photograph becomes iconic: as a tangible document to which we can return, it eclipses the subtle and always equivocal texture of multisensory association. That is what Aunt Léonie looked like. This is what happened on that trip to Combray.
Kodak knew this, too: humans forget, they said, but “snapshots remember”. To have a Kodak with you is to be able to capture the moment, to possess it. “They All Remembered the Kodak” – but perhaps it is all they remembered.
Our history thus begins to present itself as a set of snapshots, static events. Our memories are made readily available to us by the camera as things. But for Sontag, our memories are not possessions. Our memories possess us, haunt us.
Of course, photographs can haunt us too. In her last book, Sontag argued that we should let certain images do so. But her sense of the danger of what we might call a photographic relationship to reality is not only relevant today; it is liable to seem positively prescient.
The two decades since Sontag’s death in 2004 have seen the greatest changes in popular photographic practice since the Brownie brought photography to the masses a century earlier.
In 1973, Sontag spoke of the “omnipresence of cameras”. How does one trump a claim to ubiquity? When Sontag wrote that, only the most earnest shutterbug took their camera with them everywhere. But since her death cameras have become not only smaller but also indiscrete. The camera is no longer something one decides to pocket; it piggybacks on the presence of the smartphone.
The coupling of camera and internet has changed the nature of photography. Kodak tells us in a 2010 campaign that “the real Kodak moment happens when you share”. This marks an important shift in emphasis away from the experience one tried to capture and towards the experience of publicity.
We no longer have to wait to show others what we have seen. But more importantly, those others have changed. Not only can we show photos to more people, but the viewer no longer needs to be selected at all. Our audience has become vague: it is (that abstraction again) “the public”.
We now have a compulsion not only to record, but to share. And for what? Sontag said that everything exists to end in a photograph. Today everything exists to be scrolled past in a feed.
It might be cold outside, but witnessing a full moon is always a treat for skywatchers — particularly when it’s a special one.
February’s Full Snow Moon rises on Sunday (Feb. 5) and will be the smallest full moon of the year, thanks to the current position of the moon in its orbit. Its distance from Earth will make this Snow Moon a “micromoon,” the opposite of a supermoon. While most observers won’t be able to tell a difference with the unaided eye, this month’s full moon will appear up to 14% smaller than a supermoon.
The Full Snow Moon will occur Sunday at 1:28 p.m. (1828 GMT) and will be positioned in the Leo constellation. In New York City, the full moon will rise at 5:10 p.m. (2210 GMT) and will reach its highest point in the sky just after midnight. For skywatchers who don’t want to brave the cold February evening to see the full moon, the Virtual Telescope Project will host a free telescope livestream beginning Sunday (Feb. 5) at 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT).
Related: February full moon 2023: The Snow Moon rises with Jupiter, Mars and Orion Read more: Full moon calendar 2023: When to see the next full moon
February’s Full Snow Moon might technically be a micromoon, but it will nonetheless shine brightly in the night sky. While the light of the full moon will obscure some dimmer and more distant objects from view, the skies will also be graced on Sunday night by the presence of several bright planets.
Jupiter will be bright and well-positioned for viewing for most of the night for skywatchers in mid-northern latitudes that include the United States, as will Mars. From New York City, Jupiter should appear in the southwestern skies around 7:00 p.m. local time and will set around 9:30, while Mars will be to the south. At around 6:00 p.m. EST (2300 GMT), Venus will be very bright in the evening sky until it sets some 90 minutes later.
While you’re out gazing at the bright full moon, be sure to look over at the Orion constellation. The Hunter is visible for most of the night throughout February and will begin high in the east-southeast each night. Taurus and Gemini will be visible near Orion, as will Canis Major, home of the brightest star in the sky, Sirius. Each of these constellations will be bright enough to not be overwhelmed by the light of the full moon, even in areas with light pollution.
If you want to get some great shots of February’s Full Snow Moon, be sure not to miss our guide on how to photograph the moon for the best lunar photography tips and tricks we’ve found. We also have guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography if you need to gear up for this or other celestial events.
Editor’s Note: If you catch a great photo of the Full Snow Moon and would like to share it with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].
Follow Brett on Twitter at @bretttingley (opens in new tab). Follow us @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab), or on Facebook (opens in new tab) and Instagram (opens in new tab).
Here are the 20 photos that show when outside-the-box thinking goes too far. “Outside the box thinking” refers to a creative and non-traditional approach to problem-solving, where one goes beyond the conventional or established ideas and methods. It’s about considering alternative perspectives, breaking the mold, and finding new and innovative solutions. The goal is to think differently and challenge the status quo in order to arrive at unique and original answers to complex problems.
There is a subreddit community called r/RedNeckEngineering, with around 650K followers. People around the globe share their creative photos in this group. Please follow the group to more amazing photos.
Here in this gallery you can find the best confusing photos, scroll down and enjoy yourself. All photos are linked and lead to the sources from which they were taken. Please feel free to explore further works of these photographers on their collections or their personal sites.
Smile-for-the-Camera, Finalist Invertebrate Portrait category: A young female white-legged damselfly … [+] Austria.
Photo: Rafael-Steinlesberger – CUPOTY
Celebrating the details most people overlook, the Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) competition, devoted to macro and micro photography, has selected this year’s winners from more than 9,000 entries from 54 countries.
Close-up Photographer of the Year, founded in 2018 by photojournalists Tracy and Dan Calder, is an annual competition organized in association with Affinity Photo to encourage photographers to slow down, enjoy their craft, and make long-lasting connections with the world around them.
Canadian photographer Samantha Stephens has been awarded the title Close-up Photographer of the Year, with her striking image of a pair of salamanders being consumed by a carnivorous pitcher plant in Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada.
Nature’s Pitfall, Overall Winner
Photo: Samantha Stephens – Close-up Photographer of the Year
‘Northern Pitcher Plants normally feast on moths and flies but researchers at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station recently discovered a surprising new item on the plant’s menu: juvenile Spotted Salamanders,’ says Stephens. “While following researchers on their daily surveys, I saw a pitcher with two salamanders floating at the surface of the pitcher’s fluid, both at the same stage of decay. I knew it was a special and fleeting moment. The next day, both salamanders had sunk to the bottom of the pitcher.”
This population of Northern Pitcher Plants in Algonquin Provincial Park is the first to be found regularly consuming a vertebrate prey. For a plant that’s accustomed to capturing tiny invertebrate, a juvenile Spotted Salamander is a hefty feast.
The overall winner photographer was awarded a $3,000 cash prize and the Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) trophy.
MORE FROM FORBESClose-Up Photographer Of The Year: 22 Striking, Winning ImagesBy Cecilia Rodriguez
The competition also selected winners in 11 categories: Animals, Insects, Plants, Fungi, Intimate Landscape, Underwater, Butterflies & Insects, Invertebrate Portrait, Manmade, Micro (for images created using a microscope) and Young Close-up Photographer of the Year (for entrants aged 17 or under.)
“Countless times, looking at the Top 100 pictures, I have sat in astonishment at the skill and curiosity of the entrants in capturing the incredible wonder of the world,” says CUPOTY co-founder Tracy Calder.
Hemitrichia Calyculata , Winner Young category.
Photo: Nathan Benstead – Close-up Photographer of the Year 04
The 17-year-old British photographer Nathan Benstead was crowned Young Close-up Photographer of the Year with his picture of slime molds. “I was walking through my local woodland when I came across a log covered in slime mold fruiting bodies,” he recalls. “I set up my camera gear and focused on a cluster amongst the moss.”
Following is a selection of winning images from each category:
Animals
Angry-Bird, Finalist Animals
Photo: Alex Pansier – Close-up Photographer of the Year
“Last July, I was on a trip to a small island above Germany, known for its gannet colony,” Pansier said. “The wind was blowing very hard and the birds had difficulty landing on the huge cliff. A number of birds sat on their nests and watched the bystanders intently, just like this one. It seemed to be saying, “Don’t come any closer!” I took this photo from a distance and the bird’s angry appearance immediately appealed to me.”
Photo: Jason Gilbody – Close-up Photographer of the Year
Explains the photographer: “After seeing a great blue heron hunting in a field, I witnessed it strike one vole after another. I sat down along the path beside the field, and it kept inching closer and closer as it hunted until it was within 10 meters from me. Due to its close proximity, I was able to capture all of the details of its scarred and blood soaked bill, the clump of dirt at the end of the bill from striking the vole on the ground, and the details of the vole in all of its agony.”
The Footprint Friend, Winner second place, Animals castegory.
Photo: Juan Jesus Gonzalez Ahumada – Close-up Photographer of the Year
“As this pond near Monda, Spain,dried up,” Gonzalez explained, “hundreds of miniature toads, barely a centimeter in size, began to wander around seeking refuge. A pair of them found safety in the huge paw print of a mastiff that was left in the mud when it came to quench its thirst at the water’s edge.”
All Winners and Finalists of Animals category are here.
Insects
Intruder, Winner, Insects category.
Photo: Anirban Dutta – Close-up Photographer of the Year
“This is the story of termites and a clever drongo,” Dutta explains. “We all know some species of termites swar-fly in the afternoon and early evening. Like most nocturnal insects, they are drawn to light sources. One day, I saw these near a petrol pump. But the rare thing was one black drongo bird among them. Drongos are very clever in snatching prey. As the termites flew around the light, the drongo kept catching them for close to 20 minutes, until all vanished and the drongo disappeared.
Little naughty draw circle, Winner third place, Insects category.
Photo: Yuan Minghui – Close-up Photographer of the Year
‘The beetle Aplosonyx nigriceps has developed a clever tactic to be able to eat the Alocasia macrorrhiza leaves and avoid the toxic alkalis that the plant secretes,” says Minghui. “It nibbles a three-centimeter circle on the leaves to cut off the toxin transmission before feasting inside the circle free of poison.”
This beetle was photographed in Nonggang National Reserve, Guangxi Province, China.’
Aerial-assassin, Finalist, Insects category.
Photo: Rory Wills – Close-up Photographer of the Year
A small robber fly with a small beetle it has claimed as prey. “Robber flies are incredible predators,” explains Wills. ”Armed with a sharp proboscis, immobilizing venom, large compound eyes to locate prey and wings to maneuver through the air. I was amazed at this small fly’s ability to pierce right through the hard protective elytra of the beetle.
While the macro lens may make these subjects look massive, the fly was only about 10mm long. This scene highlights some of the incredible arthropod biodiversity that can be where you least expect it, such as an overgrown fence line in the suburbs of a city.”
All Insects winners and finalists are here
Plants
Next-to-my-Tree, Winner Plants category.
Photo: Sébastien Blomme – Close-up Photographer of the Year
Sébastien Blomme won the highly competitive Plants category with his photograph of a delicate Snake’s-head fritillary framed by the distant shape of a tree.
Says Blomme: “Snake’s-head fritillary is one of my favourite flowers. This one was taken in the city of Toulouse, France. It usually grows on wet meadows but can also be found in forests. In this image, I wanted to introduce some context, but keep the flower as the center of interest. I managed to get a tree in the background and decided to keep it out of focus so that its shape is only suggested.’
Clematis polish spirit, finalist Plants category.
Photo: Andy Leonard – Close-up Photographer of the Year
“This clematis flower was grown in my garden in Ellon, Scotland,” says Leonard. “It was pressed and dried in a microwave, placed on an LED light panel and lit with LED stand lights to balance the lighting.
This was my first attempt at this sort of flower photography. It took some experimentation with various types of paper sandwiching the flower in the microwave – but tissue paper surrounded by kitchen paper seemed to work well.”
Sun-Worshippers, Winner, third place, Plants category.
Photo: Henrik Spranz – CUPOTY
“Three greater pasque flowers right after sunrise in early spring near Vienna – with Sahara dust in the air,” Spranz recalls. “It’s a rare occasion and always gives an unreal light condition.”
Plants category winners and finalists here
Fungi
Ice-Encrusted-Comatricha, Winner Fungi category.
Photo: Barry Webb – CUPOTY
“In January last year, following two days of freezing fog and sub-zero temperatures, I found some mature Comatricha growing on an old fence post lying on a pile of discarded, rotting timber,” recalls Webb. “I was attracted to the way the ice had encased the slime mold, creating strange, windswept, leaf-like shapes. The tallest one was only three millimeters high, including the ice.”
Scarlet waxcap or Slime-Mould-Didymium-squamulosum-on-Holly-Leaf, Winner third place, Fungi … [+] category.
Photo: Jeremy Lintott – CUPOTY
An orange Ebernoe cricket pitch fungus at dawn with dew is lassoed by spider webs.
“Many happy hours in winter can be spent crawling around under a holly tree searching for slime molds,” Jeremy says. “This tiny slime mold, around one millimeter tall, often grows in leaf litter. This one was growing along the edge of a holly leaf in a Hertfordshire woodland.”
The challenge photographing slime molds is their tiny size.
Linnerhei-Fly, Finalist Fungi category.
Photo: Erik Nevels – CUPOTY
“Last autumn, I went to one of my local spots called the Linnerheide, where I knew there were amethyst deceiver mushrooms,” says Nevels. “I wanted to photograph them in the backlight of the setting sun against the trees on the edge of the forest. In addition, I wanted to apply a special technique where you place the lens right in front of a small mushroom so that it is reflected in the light in the background. In the photo, you can see this reflection on the left while the two mushrooms on the right are about 10 centimeters from the lens, which I initially focused on.
I was just about to make the photo when a fly landed on the mushroom. This was an opportunity. Still kneeling on the forest floor, with the camera on the ground, I quickly shifted my focus point to the fly, focused and pressed the shutter button. Fortunately, the fly stayed in place so I could take multiple photos”
The winners and finalists of the Fungi category here.
Underwater
Little Predator, Winner Underwater category.
Photo: Viktor Lyagushkin – CUPOTY
A tiny jellyfish that appears to walk on its “hands” by Viktor Lyagushkin is the Underwater winner.
“This is a Lucernaria quadricornis (Stauromedusae), a stalked jellyfish, photographed beneath the ice of the White Sea in Russia – the only freezing sea in Europe,” says Lyagushkin. “The green colour of the water is a sign of spring as algae grows.
The “leg” of the jellyfish helps it to attach to a stone or seaweed. Its tentacles project up or down, waiting for prey. If its hunt is successful, it catches the prey and collapses its tentacles into a fist. If the hunting site is no good, Lucernaria walks away on its “leg” or sometimes its ‘hands’.”
Beauty-and-the-Beast, Winner second place, Underwater category.
Photo: Kate Jonker – CUPOTY
“As I was shallowing up after a 25-meter dive at Steenbras Deep in the center of False Bay, South Africa, I came across a small patch of Mediterranean mussels,” says Jonker. “This invasive species, brought to the waters off Cape Town in the bilge of passing ships in the 1980s, is replacing the colourful marine life on shallower sections of some reefs with dark patches.
Whilst I was investigating the impact these mussels were having on this particular section of reef, I found a beautiful Bluespotted klipfish perched amongst the mussel shells. He peered up at me cautiously, watching my attempts to battle the surge whilst photographing him with a shallow depth of field. My aim was to capture his beauty whilst softening the sharp edges of the mussels.”
A spider that mimics bird poo by Jamie Hall won the Invertebrate Portrait category.
“This Triangular Spider species is an ambush predator, not a web-based hunter like most,” Hall explains. “To hunt its prey, it sits compact and curled up on a leaf, mimicking bird poo or other bio-debris.
Balanced abdomen-side down, eyes up, it looks to the sky and watches for an unsuspecting fly or other insect to wander onto the leaf. The abdomen on this species has some very pronounced and interesting markings, which reminded me of the Mayan carvings on rocks and stone. This individual was photographed in a conservation park in Brisbane, Australia.”
‘This image is a 12-shot handheld stack of a male Polyphemus moth,” says Salb. “I photographed it in the fall after it emerged from a cocoon.
Several hours after emerging, I placed a piece of broken bark in front of him and he slowly worked his way on to it and posed in the manner seen in the image. He flew away in the hopes of finding a mate.”
Wim Vooijs cleverly reduced a damselfly to a series of shimmering light circles to win the Butterflies & Dragonflies category.
“I found this dew-covered male Banded Demoiselle on a reed stem among the streams near my hometown, Ede, in the Netherlands,” says Voojis. “Banded Demoiselles are easy to approach as they rest and dry in the early morning. I tried to find an angle that would produce bokeh bubbles in the warm light, creating the atmosphere that I desired in the picture.
I like to emphasize the beauty of these insects by showing their strength and vulnerability — maybe this is due to my background as a portrait photographer.”
Atlas+Moth, Winner Second place, Butterflies & Dragonflies category.
Photo: Hegde Uday – CUPOTY
‘This beautiful Atlas moth was found during my daily walk in our areca nut plantation in Sirsi, India,” says Uday.
“As our plantation is surrounded by evergreen forestm a lot of frogs, snakes, insects and butterflies take shelter there. These huge moths often have a wingspan that extends beyond nine inches. I wanted to show the moth in its habitat, so I decided to shoot this picture with a wide-angle macro lens.”
Common Winter Damsel, Winner Third place, Butterflies & Dragonflies category.
Photo: Kai Rosler – CUPOTY
‘This picture was taken in July, in a small nature reserve close to the town of Fribourg, Switzerland. The damselfly was sitting on a blade of grass, but flew away when I slowly approached, eventually placing itself on the tip of these grass spikelets.
I managed to take some shots, trying to align my camera with the body of the damselfly. The constant moving of the grass caused by the wind and the insect’s movements made things tricky, but after a few seconds, I had my shot.”
All Butterflies and Dragonflies winners here.
Manmade
Oil-&-Water, Winner Manmade category.
Photo: Matt Vacca – CUPOTY
Matt Vacca captured the moment two blobs of oil separated to create a human-like portrait, winning this category.
‘This picture was captured as two drops of oil were merging,” he recalls. “I’m intrigued by polarity and experimenting with oil and water has become a rich source of abstract expression. The symbiotic relationship that evolves from naturally opposing elements has become metaphoric for me as I watch and continue to be fascinated by the dance that plays out through a macro lens.”
Sunflower-Dreams, Finalist, Manmade category.
Photo: Don Komarechka – CUPOTY
This image shows a dandelion seed refracting the image of a sunflower through water drops.
All Manmade category’s shortlisted photos are here.
Intimate Landscape
Frequency, Winner Intimate Landscape category
Photo: Mike Curry – CUPOTY
After two hours, Mike Curry finally got a picture of a building reflected in the water at Canary Wharf that satisfied his high standards, gaining him first place in the Intimate Landscape category.
“‘This is a reflection of a building at Canary Wharf in London taken in November,” he says. “The water was moving in a very fluid way. I was struggling to get it to focus on the water’s surface, but after about two hours of failed attempts it suddenly worked, and the results were amazing.”
Sea-in-Fan, Winner Third place, Intimate Landscape category.
Photo: Angelo Richardson – CUPOTY
“This sea fan had washed up on the rugged and wild northeast coast of Aruba,” says Richardson. “I dipped the sea fan in the sea water and photographed the rugged coast and the sea through it. The photo was taken on April 28, 2022.
Intimate Landscape winners and finalists are here.
Micro Photography
Batrachospermum Red Algae , Winner Micro Category.
Photo: Marek Miś – CUPOTY
‘I took a sample of Batrachospermum (a kind of red algae) from a small river in Wigry National Park, Poland,” says Miś. “Although it has natural beauty, it doesn’t look great using bright-field illumination. However, by combining polarized light and darkfield techniques, I managed to get a colorful and interesting picture.”
Schistidium Capsule, Winner Third place Micro category.
Photo: Harald Cederlund – CUPOTY
Says Cederlund: “I am fascinated by the Schistidium mosses. The intricate capsules look like tiny flowers when viewed up close.
With the peristome teeth extended, the capsule is only about 1 millimeter wide, yet from afar the mosses often give a drab blackish impression. They thrive on exposed surfaces such as rocks on the shoreline or forest edges and persist unnoticed on concrete slabs in city locations. I picked this one up from a concrete foundation close to where I live in Ulleråker, Sweden, and shot it in my living room.
All Winners and Finalists of Micro category are here.
Young photographers
Doner-and-pizza, Winner Third place, Young category
Photo: Anton Trexler – CUPOTY
‘In Berlin, there is a lot of urban wildlife, such as this population of starlings living at Alexanderplatz,” says Trexler. “When trying some creative photography with a photographer friend, we noticed the birds eating the leftovers from humans.
I positioned my wide-angle lens on the table and triggered the camera wireless when the starlings came close to it. With this picture I want to show the coexistence between human and nature and how interesting and diverse this relationship can be.”
Feather-Care, Finalist Young category.
Photo: Luca Lorenz – CUPOIY
‘Ever since I started photographing wildlife, kingfishers have been one of my favorite birds and I always look out for them,” says Lorenz.
I watched this kingfisher for many days, to know exactly where it would land and catch fish from. Once I knew its favorite fishing spot, I set my camouflage tent up in shallow water. My legs were wet as I waited. After many mornings at the lake, I finally got lucky and the kingfisher started cleaning its feathers and stretching out its wings right in front of me while the light and conditions were good.”
Stuart Reeves makes a presentation at a JN Foundation workshop for participants in the ‘Greatness through the Lens’ photo advocacy competition.
STUART Reeves was only six years old when he developed a love for the camera, which was first introduced to him by his father, a fireman and hobbyist photographer.
His love for the artform blossomed, and more than six decades later the educator continues to teach photography and mentor budding photographers.
“Photography is an experience. It is going out and seeing an image and capturing it in the best way, using whatever techniques and processes to get that image. When you have that final image and you realise that is what you saw in your mind and that is what you got in front of you, it can be very rewarding,” he shared.
Reeves, who was born in the United Kingdom, came to Jamaica to complete a one-year tenure as a volunteer teacher in 1970. He was planted at Glengoffe High School in St Catherine where he taught industrial arts, but what was supposed to be only a gap year for the Englishman after completing his tertiary studies in the UK turned into half a century as he put down roots on the island.
The educator taught at various institutions over the years, including the Mico Teachers’ College (now The Mico University College); Fair Prospect High School in Portland, where he was principal from 1991 to 1995; and Jamaica College, where he served from 1995 -2003. He then served the Ministry of Education as an education officer before retiring in 2004.
Wherever he taught or served, Reeves always tried to engage his students in photography by establishing photography clubs at the institutions where he was placed.
Following his retirement he received the opportunity to do more impactful mentoring of young people, using photography, through the JN Foundation’s Resolution Project in 2010.
“When I was working with the Ministry of Education I had gone into Rose Town and I heard that there was a photography exhibition going on nearby — and that was the JN Foundation Resolution Project. I went across and saw the exhibition and I was really enthralled,” he said.
Reeves was invited to join the team with whom he was involved in mentoring new cohorts of photography students.
“The JN Resolution Project was an opportunity to engage children. The project had this big thing about advocating with the camera — the students really took to it. We had to teach them what advocacy was and how you advocated using the camera,” he explained.
He recalled that the students were given themes to work with and they were sent to their community to capture images associated with the themes. Workshops were also conducted with the children to teach them about the correct techniques for using the camera, and about advocacy.
“They came from diverse communities so when we gave them themes to work with, they interpreted them in their communities, which was important. So it was not a case where everyone came back with the same types of images; they were really coming back with unique, individual images,” he disclosed.
The JN Resolution Project ran for more than a decade. Originally called Youth Zoom, the Resolution Project began in 2004. Each school received digital cameras and participated in workshops in strategic locations across Jamaica. The fundamentals of photography and advocacy, as well as the basics of journalism, were taught and students used the skills they garnered to then tell intricate stories with their cameras, critically examine the issues facing them, and creatively articulate their observations in photographs.
Reeves noted that some exceptional students emerged from the programme, with some moving on to careers involving photography. Among them was Osheenei Zevandell Graham of Grange Hill High School in Westmoreland, who is now an established photographer.
Graham credited the JN Resolution Project for assisting him to develop his craft and giving him the exposure he needed as a student. He was part of the programme for four years.
“The JN Resolution Project gave me the exposure that I needed, and it forced me to come out of my shell and be more outgoing and more of a people person,” he said. He said photography is a good way of preserving memories and recording events and that it gave him joy doing so.
Reeves is again engaging budding photographers through the recently launched JN Foundation ‘Greatness through the Lens’ photo advocacy competition, which invites persons passionate about photography and community advocacy to enter.
The competition, which was launched in October, was conceptualised in celebration of Jamaica’s 60th year of Independence under the national theme, ‘Reigniting a Nation for Greatness’.
It seeks to encourage Jamaican photographers to bring awareness to the unseen ‘helpers/advocates’ whose voluntary service has been engendering positive change in vulnerable communities and promoting environmental preservation.
So far, 50 persons have been shortlisted for the competition which will culminate in August 2023 during Jamaica’s Independence Day celebrations.
“I’m anxious to see the work they [participants] will come up with,” said Reeves, who is one of the trainers in the competition.
Readers will be well aware that I have not been shy in highlighting that the development of the UK Government’s ‘flagship’ Environmental Land Management schemes — designed to replace payments to farmers previously linked to our membership of the EU — have lacked ambition, transparency and urgency. — Writes Erin McDaid, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
Last week, Defra finally set out much-needed details about what activities farmers will get paid for in 2023.
New support encouraging farmers to improve hedgerow management are a step in the right direction cpt 2020VISION (62192461)
This included bringing forward new payments to incentivise farmers to reduce the use of damaging pesticides and be more efficient with fertiliser use.
Farmers improving the management of hedgerows and providing habitat for birds and pollinators will also be rewarded.
The latest announcement represents a more rounded programme of rewards for farmers who choose to take action for nature.
This is hugely welcome, and we very much hope it will encourage increased numbers of farmers to take up ELM schemes this year.
New payments will encourage farmers to provide habitat for pollinators. Photo: Al Greer
News of a further round of investment in the Landscape Recovery scheme, which was heavily oversubscribed in its first round, is also pleasing.
This has real potential to unlock enormous benefits for nature as well as for rural communities.
Getting the approach to these schemes right will be critical to tackling the climate and ecological crises, which must be addressed to ensure long-term food security.
While we are always happy to give credit where credit is due, the announcement was not all good news. As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, but the fundamental ‘nuts and bolts’ of a positive delivery mechanism do now seem to be in place.
For farm payments to make a real contribution to restoring nature we need a step change on the level of ambition and investment in the years to come. Photo: Andy Jamieson
However, several of Defra’s decisions could undermine the schemes’ effectiveness when it comes to restoring nature and improving our environment.
The introduction of the management payment for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), for example, could see more than £60m paid out in administration payments.
Defra has also failed to put in place any safeguards to ensure management payments of up to £1,000 a year are only paid where substantive environmental actions will be delivered.
As things stand, the payment will apply to applications where one or two simple actions are included.This could considerably reduce the budget available for rewarding those farmers who commit to much more ambitious actions.
How Defra will build on the new offer is also unclear.
A yellow hammer. Photo John Smith (62192465)
While the SFI supports farmers choosing to take action for nature, we have reservations about the ‘free-choice’ approach planned.
Experience suggests that this approach comes with an inherent risk of poor outcomes.
We are therefore urging Defra to layout a clear route for encouraging and rewarding farmers to go further — delivering win-wins for both farming and nature.
Time and time again farmers tell us that confusion about the support on offer is a real barrier, so by setting out clear standards and offering a simple, standardised options, Defra can help ensure greater outcomes from uptake of the scheme.
We still need much more detail about how Defra plans to develop the Countryside Stewardship scheme and it will be essential that the right positive actions are targeted in the right place.
Land managers must also be supported to deliver actions suited to their local area. They also need access to trusted advice.
For farm payments to make a real contribution to restoring nature we need a step change on the level of ambition and investment in the years to come. Photo: Andy Jamieson
For Countryside Stewardship to deliver the ambition set by the Local Nature Recovery scheme, and make a significant contribution to nature’s recovery, there must be a step change in ambition for the scheme in the years ahead.
In addition to understanding how the proactive funding schemes will protect the environment and enhance biodiversity, we also need clarity on the future regulatory framework for farming. The current scheme, Cross Compliance, is designed to provide basic protections from the worst farming practices but only runs to 2024. Whilst far from perfect, it at least has clear baselines. Defra has so far provided no detail on how it will be replaced.
Defra is unquestionably at a crossroads in terms of the development of ELM, but the latest announcement represents a welcome, positive step in the right direction.
Together with partners such as the National Trust and RSPB, we look forward to working with Government to ensure that the future of ELM helps deliver the legally binding long-term targets for nature and climate and a sustainable, resilient future for farming.
In peninsular India, the coastal area plays a pivotal role in the country’s GDP growth and per capita income. The Coastal area acts as a major tourist place in India. A lot of people make their living around the sea beach. A major part of working class people depends on the tourism department of sea beach. Huge number of people are engaged in various livelihoods which are often seen in sea beaches.
Beaches are beautiful and almost everyone under the sun will agree with this fact. From entertainment, commerce, and transportation to recreation and relaxation, all purposes are fulfilled here. The point with beach business is that you have to be socially relevant and economically sound and aware to operate a business here. Also, beaches require you to have appropriate licensing requirements and be conformed to certain standards of quality, precision, and duties.
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About Dipanjan Chakrborty
I am Dipanjan Chakrborty. I am Kolkata based street and documentary photographer. I have been documenting Kolkata for the last few years. As a photographer, my perspective remains to explore street photography as a key to reach the common people and their lives. I love to tell stories through my lens.
Every frame tells a story but when we create a story within a frame, it makes the frame more beautiful. After being a street and documentary photographer my course of life has entirely changed. I have started photography from my childhood. But I have had a craze for photography since my childhood, whenever I could get a mobile or camera from anyone I would always try to capture my surrounding people and their daily life.
I love to see photos daily, in social media I used to watch various kinds of pictures from different countries and different photographers that helped me to increase my knowledge. When I make a plan to go out for a shoot, first I used to make research on that particular subject or project on which I am going to do my work, then I used to make a plan on that particular place and time when my shoot takes place, because time is more important in street photography. But sometimes when I go out with my equipment I capture various candid moments on the street. I am using a Sony A6000 mirrorless camera right now. I have used a DSLR earlier but mirrorless is giving me such a great output, especially in low light mirrorless is a revolution.
You can find Dipanjan Chakraborty on the Web:
Copyrights: All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Dipanjan Chakrborty. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
Two Chester County residents received awards in the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation’s Annual Photo Contest.
The 2022 photo contest’s theme was “Clean Water and Forested Ecosystems” with categories selected to highlight the value of clean water and the role forests play in watershed health, such as Water is Life, Caught in the Rain, Raindrop to River, Reflections, Forests, as well as a Young Photographers category.
With nearly 600 photo entries in the 2022 Photo Contest, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation announced that there was stiff competition for the 20 prize awards.
“The passion people have for their state parks and forests is evident in the volume and quality of images received,” said Marci Mowery, president of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, in the release. “Photography is one of many ways that people enjoy these special places.”
Mark Lucas of Elverson traveled a distance to capture the magic of Penn’s Woods in his winning photo from Gallitzin State Forest which consists of two separate areas of state forest land located in northern Bedford, Cambria, Indiana, and northern Somerset counties.
Mark won the Judge’s Choice Award in the Forests category.
A native of Windber, Gallitzin State Forest is his “home turf.” Mark has walked its trails many times throughout his life, cherishing the forest’s calm nature and history-rich trails.
He especially appreciates the quiet that Gallitzin’s extensive remote trail network provides.
“This solitude enables me to walk slowly on the trails looking for potential photographic opportunities, take the time to think about a shot, build the photograph in my mind and set up with the proper equipment to capture what I’m seeing and feeling without any kind of disruption,” he said in the release.
His winning shot truly captures that magical calm that one finds in nature.
He was walking the 12-mile loop of the John P. Saylor Trail when he chanced upon morning sunbeams coming through the tree cover and illuminating the bright green moss speckled with tiny orange mushrooms at the base of the decaying tree.
“I decided that I needed to try to tell the story of the once magnificent tree being reclaimed by the forest floor. With the young trees in the background looking on, the scene seemed to portray the forest’s circle of life,” he said in the release.
He lowered himself to capture a shot of growth and decay, science and magic. A shot that brings fairy tales to mind.
Marsh Creek State Park in north central Chester County provided the People’s Choice Young Photographer winner Lilly Zhang from Chester County with her photo of a heron waiting in the mist.
“It was a crisp autumn morning, and I went to Marsh Creek State Park, hoping to see the mist suspended on the water with the fall colors reflecting on the surface. To my surprise, I also saw a great heron perched on a rock by the shore,” she said in the release.
Lilly Zhang from Chester County won People’s Choice Young Photographer in the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation’s 2022 Photo Contest for her photo of a heron waiting in the mist at Marsh Creek State Park. (Submitted photo)
Lilly loves Marsh Creek for all its recreational activities — kayaking, boating, fishing, picnicking, trails, and playground areas — and for its wildlife and serene beauty. It holds a special place in her heart.
“I have a lot of fond memories of gatherings, early mornings, and paddle boarding there with family and friends,” she reflected.
View the winners and all the 2022 Clean Water and Forested Ecosystem Photo Contest submissions on Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaParksAndForestsFoundation/photos_albums.
The 2023 Photo Contest is officially open. The categories for 2023 are related to Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation’s 2023 theme of “Reflections” and are a direct outgrowth of 2022’s photo contest. To participate, visit https://paparksandforests.org/our-work/recreation/photo-contest/.
With a mission to inspire stewardship of Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation supports 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of forest by coordinating volunteers, activities, and donations through its 48 chapters. To learn more about the foundation, visit https://paparksandforests.org/.
