iPhone is dumb and besotted with Pixel in Google’s latest ad campaign

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© Image: Google


Google has found a fun new way to dunk on Apple with an ad campaign for Pixel phones that straddles the line between cute and cringe. The search giant has released five videos — under the campaign name “Best Phones Forever” — which depict sitcom-like interactions between anthropomorphized versions of the Pixel 7 Pro and some sort of iPhone Pro. And it kinda seems like the phones want to bone each other?

Google has pitched this as “what happens when two phones stop being rivals and start being friends,” though the campaign largely focuses on the iPhone’s apparent shortcomings compared to Pixel phones — such as astrophotography, security, and Apple’s lack of foldable devices. The iPhone is basically portrayed as an outdated, inexperienced dumb dumb across all of the videos. It’s a similar riff to Apple’s iconic “Get a Mac” campaign but with phones. And some weird, robotic sexual tension.

Each of the videos follows a similar format. The iPhone and Pixel “characters” take part in various activities together, such as stargazing, watching a sunset, and going to the beach (which may or may not be a date). Then one of two things will happen:

The first is that the iPhone says something lovably stupid to depict its inferiority to Pixel devices (“You know, night sight. With my night light,” it says in “Seeing Stars” after turning on its flash to take better pictures of the night sky) before promptly dying — a nod to long-standing complaints surrounding battery life on older iPhone models. The second is that somber music rolls in and the iPhone starts confessing its jealousy over many of the Pixel 7 Pro’s features. “When I was your age, people were showing me off to their friends,” the iPhone laments in Google’s “Plateau” video. “Astrophotography mode, Call Assist, 30x zoom… you can do so many things I may never be able to.” And then it dies again.

Throughout everything, the iPhone waxes lyrical about how rad it thinks Pixel is, and there are a lot of weird, cutesy “will they, won’t they” moments. The Pixel has to clamber on top of the iPhone to save its life in the beach-themed ad (i.e., the phone activate its Battery Share feature to recharge the iPhone), and at one point, a Pixel Fold replaces the Pixel 7 Pro so that the character can “flash” the iPhone — opening up its brightly lit display like a sexy trench coat.

Poking fun at Apple is a tried and tested method for marketing campaigns at this point. Samsung went heavy on this in the past, seeing particular success with its “Growing Up” ad in 2017. Google’s decision to dunk on the iPhone with chummy, lighthearted teasing also seems to have worked in the search giant’s favor — the reactions to these ads across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok have been overwhelmingly positive so far. Sure, it’s slightly cringey, but the humor works, and it’s certainly memorable — truly an “enemies to lovers” kinda vibe, though I’m not sure what fanfiction category AO3 would need to file this under.



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Empowering women through the art of photography

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Holly Nylund photographs Tia Trudgeon.


© Provided by Marquette WLUC
Holly Nylund photographs Tia Trudgeon.

ESCANABA, Mich. (WLUC) – Empowering women through photography: welcome to a Hello shoot with Photographer Holly Nylund.

Empowering women through the art of photography

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“Picture yourself being photographed as the cover story of a magazine and this is the photo shoot that goes along with that story,” says Nylund.

Empowering women through the art of photography

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TV6′s Tia Trudgeon got in front of the lens to experience a Hello shoot for herself.

Nylund tells Trudgeon that photography can be a great tool to help women see the best in themselves.

The photoshoot included a hair and makeup appointment with Mckenna Pepin at Salon West.

Trudgeon was photographed in five outfits, in five different scenes at Nylund’s Studio Space in Downtown Escanaba.

The shoot wrapped up at Blackrocks in Marquette.

“So we’re gonna show all the sides of you. We’re gonna wear something extravagant, something out there and wild, but we’re also gonna show that stripped-down natural beauty,” Nylund tells Trudgeon. “We’re gonna show your soft side, your strong side, your fun side. However you dream of being photographed, I wanna make it happen so that you can see yourself the way other people see you.”

Nylund is currently booking photo shoots into the fall. Her Studio Space is available for other photographers to rent.

You can check out her other offerings and book her services at hollynylund.com.

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6 wildlife photography tips from a pro

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 Fox

Fox

If wildlife viewing is a big part of the reason you get out in nature, you might have been trying to capture that perfect still of a grazing elk or even a frolicking bear so you can document the enchanting sights you see on your travels. And along the way, you’ve probably learned that wildlife photography isn’t easy.

Wild animals are unpredictable and tend to be shy of humans, and sometimes it seems that they just know the minute you’ve pulled your camera out and flit off to a further tree out of range. Professional wildlife photographer and panel judge for the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards Emma Jacobs recently shared the following tips with us for successful wildlife photography to help you snag those stunning shots.

1. Photograph during the magic hours

You may have heard photographers describe dawn and dusk as the “magic hours” because of the softer light and reduced contrast created by the sun’s lower position in the sky, but when it comes to photographing wildlife, there’s another reason to capitalize on the two hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset, according to Jacobs.

“Wild animals are generally more active at sunrise and sunset, as searching for food in the full sun can make them feel exposed. As the day is ending, nocturnal animals will be waking up. During the summer months you have a better chance of spotting them as they forage before sunset. Birds are more active in the morning, having spent the night tucked up waiting for sunrise to signal that it’s time to look for food.”

Not only will there be more wildlife opportunities at these times, but Jacobs explains that photos of animals being active will often be more interesting than a plain portrait.

Remember that it may also be cooler at these times, so bring extra layers such as a down jacket and a hat, and carry a headlamp if there’s a chance you’ll be hiking out after dark.

A lion

A lion

2. Look to your own backyard for inspiration

When you’re looking at other photographers’ work, it can be easy to feel envious of their proximity to magnificent moose, elusive mountain lions or exotic alligators, but you don’t have to travel to the Rocky Mountains or Everglades to access amazing creatures. Jacobs recommends you take advantage of what lives locally and you are sure to discover interesting subjects.

“You can find hedgehogs, snails and beetles in your local park. Frogs, dragonflies and damselflies can be seen around ponds and lakes, and butterflies and bees will be feeding in flower beds. You can even photograph moths and spiders in your own home!”

You can even find interesting shapes to photograph in structures like cobwebs, which can create unique silhouettes and try photographing insects from interesting angles. Photographing locally means you can save time and money on travel and spend more time doing what you love. All you need is a small daypack with some water, snacks and your camera.

man holding vintage camera in countryside

man holding vintage camera in countryside

3. Take the long view

Grabbing your camera and marching out into the forest to see what creatures are at play is one way to photograph wildlife, but this method might take a lot of time, and seeing you relying heavily on luck. Doing a bit of research ahead of time on the animals you hope to capture will both save you time and increase your likelihood of success, according to Jacobs.

“Wildlife can take a lot of time and consideration to photograph, do some research on your subject – learn what their habitats are, their waking hours and so forth.”

Once you get out in the field, when you come across that pika or woodpecker, don’t just yelp with excitement, grab your camera and start snapping away. Take some time to observe them in their natural habitat and you’ll learn more than you can from books and websites.

“Take time to watch the animals in their environment as quietly as you can. What are they doing? What is around them? What is their character like? All these things can give you ideas for photos and help you tell a story.”

Patience is an important skill to refine as a wildlife photographer, and it shouldn’t end when you’ve got your shot, either.

“Move slowly and quietly, even after you’ve taken the photo so you don’t disturb the animal. Keep in mind that you have no control over wildlife, but that’s what makes your subject so interesting! If it flies or crawls away, look for another – you will be rewarded in the end! All you can do is put yourself in the right place and be patient.”

For long days out in the field, wear hiking shoes or boots that are comfortable, and consider bringing a lightweight, folding camping chair or foam seat so that you can sit comfortably without moving around.

An owl

An owl

4. Try the rule of thirds

Once you’ve got that red fox or hummingbird in your sights, what do you do? Jacobs advises that there are no hard and fast rules in photography, so you should play around with different methods and suggests the rule of thirds, as a starting point. The rule of third is a compositional technique that breaks an image down into thirds. If your phone or camera has an option to add a grid, use this. The grid is two horizontal and two vertical lines which help you line up the composition of your photo.

“When using this technique, you can position your subject to the left or right of those lines ensuring the horizon and ground have an even split. By positioning the subject of your photo along the grid lines you’ll end up with a more aesthetically pleasing photo composition.”

Bears at Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Bears at Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

5. Get creative

Methods like the rule of thirds can land you a stunning shot, but don’t fall into the trap of getting too dependent on them.

“Half the fun of photography is getting creative, breaking the rules and trying your own thing,” says Jacobs.

“Photography is all about creativity, so have fun with the photos you take and try different things, you never know what might happen!”

Jacobs recommends exploring different techniques like zooming in for an intimate close up, zooming out for context and getting down low to shoot from ground level. If you can, try different lenses on your camera or even phone camera.

“Digital cameras and some mobile devices allow you to try different shutter speeds and aperture settings so you can create lots of artistic effects.”

Pika gathering large amounts of vegetation

Pika gathering large amounts of vegetation

6. Respect wildlife

Last, but certainly not least, remember your commitment to the principles of Leave No Trace when you’re out in nature and don’t do anything that might disturb the wildlife you’re trying to photograph.

“Only photograph natural behaviors and always avoid making animals do anything to cause them harm or distress.”

That means no startling birds to get them to take flight or tempting a marmot closer with trail mix. You’re a guest in their house, so be quiet, still and let them be wild.

The 2023 RSPCA Young Photographer Awards is now open for entries and runs until Tuesday 15 August.  

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How to Calculate Photography Business Profit Margins

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Photographers tend to be very creative people, possessing the skill to be able to see when something will make a good photograph.

But it’s about more than just having a good eye.

You need to know how to use high-end photographic equipment and work with light. Never mind your subjects—if you’re photographing landscapes, this is probably less of an issue, but if you’re into photographing people or animals, then getting them to follow your instructions is an incredibly difficult task.

Now, on top of all the creative and technical skills you need to be a good photographer, you also need business skills. To run a successful photography business, you need to be organized, and most importantly, you need to be able to manage your finances. This means budgeting, quoting, and planning. And, at the end of the day, it all comes down to being able to properly calculate profit margins.

We’re going to tell you everything you need to know about how to properly calculate profit margins for your photography business. But first, let’s delve into why it may be different to calculate profit margins for a photography business as opposed to any other kind of business.

How to Calculate Profit Margins for Your Photography Business

What’s Special About Calculating Profit Margins for a Photography Business?

Every business, regardless of the sector of the economy or type of service that’s provided, is going to be different. But this is especially true in the world of photography. Here are the main points of difference:

Variable Costs

Variable costs contribute significantly to why it can be a complicated process to work out profit margins in the photography business.

Variable costs are expenses that tend to vary from project to project, and they are related to things like props, staff, prints, location rentals, and so on. Because these costs are always changing, you need to be constantly doing the math and staying on top of the cost price of your service versus what you’re charging clients.

Time and Skill-Based Services

What you charge clients is going to include a fee for the expertise and experience of the photographer in question. If you’re working with several different photographers of different calibers, you’re likely to charge different rates for each one’s work based on their credentials. Thus, pricing strategies need to include these varying skill sets, making it more difficult to determine a consistent profit margin.

Editing and Post-Production Work

Unlike some other services, photography is a two-part job—the actual photoshoot and then the post-production period. It’s essential that you take into account both periods when calculating overall expenses and your profit margin.

Seasonal Variations

Certain months tend to be more popular for specific types of shoots and photographers that fill certain niches. For instance, if you have photographers who have impressive wedding portfolios, the wedding season is always going to be extremely busy.

Therefore, you’re likely to charge more during this period because you’ll have more demand. Thus, your profit margins need to take into account when you’re charging more and when you’re charging less, and this tends to be more volatile in the photography business than in many other sectors.

Equipment and Depreciation

The photography business requires high-end, specialized, and expensive equipment—more so than many other businesses. So, it’s important that costs for upgrades or emergency equipment replacements are factored into your profit margin.

How to Calculate Profit Margins for Your Photography Business

How to Calculate Profit Margins for a Photography Business

Whether you’re good with numbers or not, the good news is that knowing how to calculate profit margin isn’t too difficult—as long as you know what you’re doing! Luckily, we’re going to explain the whole process to you so that you can follow it from start to finish and be confident in your calculations.

First of all, let’s have a look at the most important part; the formula for calculating profit margin.

Profit Margin = (Net Profit / Revenue) X 100

Looks pretty simple, right? Right! But you need to do a few important calculations before you can start using the main formula. We’re going to set the process out step by step

Step 1: Work Out Your Net Profit

Net Profit = Total Revenue – Total Expenses

Start off by finding your total revenue (that is, all the money that’s come in from clients). Then you’re going to subtract your total expenses from your total revenue.

Your total expenses are going to include absolutely everything you’ve spent during the process— photography equipment, utilities, marketing, transport to and from shoots, taxes, editing software subscriptions, and the fee you pay to your photographer and other staff.
Make sure that you include your direct costs (the ones that relate to the specific photoshoot) as well as indirect costs (a portion of your overhead expenses).

Step 2: Work Out Your Profit Margin

Profit Margin = (Net Profit / Revenue) X 100

Now that you’ve determined your net profit, you’re ready to plug your figures into the general formula. Divide your net profit by your total revenue and multiply the answer by 100. This will give you a percentage, and that percentage is your profit margin.

Example: Let’s say that you worked out your net profit, and it came to be $100,000. Meanwhile, your total revenue is $500,000. Thus, your calculation would go as follows:

Profit Margin = ($100,000 / $500,000) X 100 = 20%

Once your calculations are complete, you can see that your profit margin is 20%. That means that for every dollar you generate, 20 cents is what you’re taking home. Knowing what your profit margin is can be incredibly helpful because you can simply multiply that percentage by whatever your total revenue is, and you’ll end up with the amount of money that you’ve earned.

Now, in the photography business, your profit margin is going to change based on the seasons. In the high (busy) season, your net profit may increase, and your expenses may stay the same. Another factor that could change is that you may start working with a more experienced photographer that requires higher pay, or you may need to replace expensive equipment.

These are the factors that you always need to bear in mind and account for with your indirect and direct expenses when you’re calculating your profit margin. When you do all of this correctly, your photography business can thrive, and your financial position will remain healthy all year round.


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iPhone is dumb and smitten with Pixel in Google’s latest ad campaign

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Google has found a fun new way to dunk on Apple with an ad campaign for Pixel phones that straddles the line between cute and cringe. The search giant has released five videos — under the campaign name “Best Phones Forever” — which depict sitcom-like interactions between anthropomorphized versions of the Pixel 7 Pro and some sort of iPhone Pro. And it kinda seems like the phones want to bone each other?

Google has pitched this as “what happens when two phones stop being rivals and start being friends,” though the campaign largely focuses on the iPhone’s apparent shortcomings compared to Pixel phones — such as astrophotography, security, and Apple’s lack of foldable devices. The iPhone is basically portrayed as an outdated, inexperienced dumb dumb across all of the videos. It’s a similar riff to Apple’s iconic “Get a Mac” campaign but with phones. And some weird, robotic sexual tension.

Each of the videos follows a similar format. The iPhone and Pixel “characters” take part in various activities together, such as stargazing, watching a sunset, and going to the beach (which may or may not be a date). Then one of two things will happen:

The first is that the iPhone says something lovably stupid to depict its inferiority to Pixel devices (“You know, night sight. With my night light,” it says in “Seeing Stars” after turning on its flash to take better pictures of the night sky) before promptly dying — a nod to long-standing complaints surrounding battery life on older iPhone models. The second is that somber music rolls in and the iPhone starts confessing its jealousy over many of the Pixel 7 Pro’s features. “When I was your age, people were showing me off to their friends,” the iPhone laments in Google’s “Plateau” video. “Astrophotography mode, Call Assist, 30x zoom… you can do so many things I may never be able to.” And then it dies again.

Throughout everything, the iPhone waxes lyrical about how rad it thinks Pixel is, and there are a lot of weird, cutesy “will they, won’t they” moments. The Pixel has to clamber on top of the iPhone to save its life in the beach-themed ad (i.e., the phone activate its Battery Share feature to recharge the iPhone), and at one point, a Pixel Fold replaces the Pixel 7 Pro so that the character can “flash” the iPhone — opening up its brightly lit display like a sexy trench coat.

Poking fun at Apple is a tried and tested method for marketing campaigns at this point. Samsung went heavy on this in the past, seeing particular success with its “Growing Up” ad in 2017. Google’s decision to dunk on the iPhone with chummy, lighthearted teasing also seems to have worked in the search giant’s favor — the reactions to these ads across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok have been overwhelmingly positive so far. Sure, it’s slightly cringey, but the humor works, and it’s certainly memorable — truly an “enemies to lovers” kinda vibe, though I’m not sure what fanfiction category AO3 would need to file this under.



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Photographer Hugo Suissas Unveiling the Magic of Perspective With Playful Compositions

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Hugo Suissas, a creative photographer hailing from Lisbon, Portugal, has established himself as a master of visual deception. With an unwavering dedication to his craft, Hugo employs his camera and his inventive mind to play tricks on the eyes of onlookers. Despite being entirely self-taught, he possesses a remarkable ability to seamlessly incorporate ordinary objects into unexpected settings, prompting viewers to perceive familiar items and locations in a fresh and unfamiliar light.

Often described as an artist consumed by his work, Hugo Suissas embodies an almost obsessive passion for his craft. He relentlessly pursues the realization of his imaginative visions, refusing to rest until he successfully captures in a photograph what resides within his mind. This unwavering commitment demands immense effort and discipline. Each day, Hugo takes his place at his desk, armed with a blank sheet of paper and a pen, engaging in a mental exercise to generate meaningful ideas and conceive captivating projects.

What sets Hugo apart is his insatiable drive to create something truly unprecedented, not just on our own planet but across galaxies. Fuelled by an irrepressible desire, he is constantly propelled forward, eager to bring to life innovative and boundary-pushing creations. In this pursuit of the extraordinary, Hugo Suissas finds his inspiration, his motivation, and his reason to continue pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.

Scroll down and inspire yourself. Check Hugo’s Instagram for more amazing work and information.

You can find Hugo Suissas on the Web :

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Google’s Latest Ad Campaign Unveils iPhone 14 Pro’s Hilariously Awkward Jealousy of the Pixel 7 Pro

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In yet another Apple-bashing moment, Google has rolled out a collection of ad campaigns that comically taunt Apple and its iPhone 14 Pro, presenting the Cupertino giant’s phone as an inseparable “Best Phones Forever” pal with the Mountain View giant’s Pixel 7 Pro.

These ads take cringe to a whole new level, showcasing the iPhone as a hapless underdog, bereft of nifty features like astrophotography mode, with its sole redeeming quality being the blue iMessage bubbles. Oh, the agony!

Google's Newest Ad Campaign Pokes Fun at Apple’s iPhone

“Best Phones Forever”

The first video in the series, titled “Plateau,” kicks off the banter between the two phones. Apple proudly announces its 14th iteration, while the Pixel 7 Pro confidently claims its legendary status.

The iPhone 14 Pro can be found longing for desirable attributes such as 30x zoom, astrophotography prowess, and AI image processing. In the meantime, the Pixel cunningly highlights the appeal of those coveted blue iMessage bubbles, subtly suggesting their widespread admiration.

This leaves the iPhone in a state of existential crisis, questioning its entire existence after 14 long years, only to find solace in the fact that its biggest claim to fame is… well, the color of a bubble. Ouch!

Sketchy Wi-Fi Woes

In another ad, the iPhone laments its sketchy Wi-Fi situation since it lacks a built-in VPN like the Pixel. We witness the iPhone 14 Pro’s paranoia about hackers lurking on public Wi-Fi while being amazed at the Pixel 7 Pro’s free VPN. It’s a clear case of Apple not providing a dedicated VPN on its devices, leaving users to rely on pricey third-party VPN apps.

Lifesaver – Battery Woes

The fourth video, aptly named “Lifesaver,” delivers the most hilarious punchline. The iPhone lies lifeless after streaming an episode of the friendly football coach series (because, let’s face it, iPhones are infamous for their fast-draining batteries).

But fear not! The Pixel 7 Pro comes to the rescue, flipping over the iPhone and literally lying on top of it to recharge using the Battery Share feature. Ouch, Apple, your battery struggles have become the ultimate punchline.

Opening Up – The Foldable Jab

Lastly, in the video “Opening Up,” the Pixel 7 Pro is replaced by the Pixel Fold, cunningly asking the iPhone if it notices anything new about the Pixel. Here, the comedy callback is perfectly executed, with the iPhone recollecting all the features mentioned in the ad series but failing to spot the obvious foldable design.

The video concludes with the Pixel Fold unfolding and cheekily asking the iPhone if it wants to play games, taking a jab at Apple’s lack of a foldable phone in its portfolio.

I can’t wait for Apple’s comeback to this playful rivalry. Although cringe-inducing, I’m looking forward to more of these banters in the future.

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Story first
published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 15:48 [IST]



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artist and poet Julian Knxx on Jermaine Francis at the Centre for British Photography

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Screenshot 2023-06-21 at 23.52.45.png


© es
Screenshot 2023-06-21 at 23.52.45.png

In this episode of Art After Dark, the artist and poet Julian Knxx visits an exhibition by the photographer Jermaine Francis, at the new Centre for British Photography on Jermyn Street. In A Storied Ground, a series of works here shown in London for the first time, Francis explores the black presence in nature – historically the black figure is absent in the English landscape, both in life and in art. Our landscape too has a strong relationship to nationalism and colonialism – the idea of Englishness woven into the landscape, ideas of land stewardship and ownership.

Art After Dark: Artist Julian Knxx at the Centre for British Photography

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Francis considers how these complex, layered codes influence how the black figure is seen. What does it mean to be black in these spaces? he asks. Julian Knxx, who has exhibited his work at 180 The Strand and elsewhere, uses words, image. film and performance to tell stories rooted in his Sierra Leonean heritage, exploring identity in all its complexities and his birth country’s untold histories.

Francis’s exhibition is one of a number of shows at the Centre of British Photography, which opened last year. It was set up by James and Claire Hyman, who wanted to create a non-profit space in which they could share their vast collection of photography with the public. The displays change several times a year, and explore the full range of photography being made here, and of what it means to be British.

In this film, Julian examines Jermaine Francis’s work on a physical as well as a visual level, and the metaphors he uses to explore his subject.

britishphotography.org; studioknxx.com

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The winners of the 2023 Audubon Photo Awards

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As any ornithologist will tell you, birds are wonderful, funny and expressive animals, so it’s no surprise they also make such incredible subjects for nature photo competitions.

The 2023 Audubon Photography Awards return to show off the most fabulous feathered finds captured in the wild by some very talented snappers.

Formed over a century ago, the National Audubon Society has hundreds of chapters across the US. Named after 19th century artist John Audubon, known for his bird illustrations, the annual contest aims to spotlight a huge range of bird behavior across North America. Over the years the awards have attracted some of the most talented bird photographers able to capture bird behavior, which you can revisit for 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

Rock Pigeons, by Liron Gertsman (Grand Prize Winner)
Rock Pigeons, by Liron Gertsman (Grand Prize Winner)

These rock pigeons, snapped at White Rock, British Columbia, earned Liron Gertsman the grand prize this year, showcasing their glorious colors as they preen each other. While we see these birds across the globe, it’s not often we stop to see how stunning they are and how sweet their courtship rituals are.

Chinstrap Penguin, by Karen Blackwood (Amateur Winner)
Chinstrap Penguin, by Karen Blackwood (Amateur Winner)

A chinstrap penguin taking a leap of faith off an iceberg near Esperanza Station in Cierva Cove, Antarctica, was a stunning shot from amateur winner Karen Blackwood, who hails from very far away, in Colorado. Chinstrap penguins are very social animals and will hit the water to hunt for krill. Incidentally, their poop plays an important role in the health of our oceans.

Brown Pelican, Sunil Gopalan (Fisher Prize Winner)
Brown Pelican, Sunil Gopalan (Fisher Prize Winner)

Fittingly, this brown pelican was captured in the Galápagos National Park, Ecuador, a region known for incredible biodiversity and a magnet for wildlife lovers eager to see what Charles Darwin witnessed nearly 200 years ago (and what inspired the foundations of evolutionary biology, The Origin of the Species). The smallest of pelican species, the brown pelican is a common sight in the Galápagos. When a female lays her eggs, usually two or three, both her and her partner will work on the incubation duties.

For more of these incredible shots, check out our gallery, and below, don’t miss the video category winner (short-eared owls) and honorable mention (osprey and fish), both shot by Steven Chu.

Mid-air fight between two short-eared Owls

Osprey grabs fish for takeaway dinner

Source: National Audubon Society



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Canon EOS R8 review

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© Jason Parnell-Brookes
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The Canon EOS R8, released in April 2023, is Canon’s lightest full-frame mirrorless camera to date. Sporting a 24.2MP CMOS image sensor and a Digic X processor, this unassuming camera is surprisingly adept at all kinds of photography and even makes short work of astrophotography.

Thanks to its full-frame 35mm image sensor and excellent on-board processing there’s minimal high ISO noise despite having a massive range of up to ISO 102,400 natively, expanding to 204,800 with a boost. While it’s not the first camera we’d recommend for night photography we were impressed with our test results.

The R8 is perfect for anyone looking to dip a toe into Canon’s full-frame mirrorless ecosystem without dropping too many dollars as long as they’re not expecting anything ground-breaking spec-wise for stills photography or video. 

That said, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocusing is truly outstanding and with up to 100% coverage edge-to-edge plus the ability to discern people, animals or vehicles (or automatic detection) plus even biasing left or right eye focusing and blisteringly fast results. This doesn’t help much with astro, but for photographers wanting a more generalist camera that excels at astro within its limits, is really useful.

Canon EOS R8 review

Canon EOS R8: Design

  • Lightest Canon full-frame mirrorless
  • Great button layout despite compact design
  • Some features awkward to access

Canon highlights that the EOS R8 is the lightest Canon full-frame mirrorless camera, at the time of writing, and for good reason. At 0.91 lbs / 414g and 5.22 x 3.39 x 2.76-inches / 132.5 x 86.1 x 70.0mm for the body only, we felt this in the hand and could see its compactness from its slim profile. It is a full 0.09 lbs / 26g lighter than the previous lightest full-frame mirrorless Canon camera the Canon EOS RP.

Traveling long distances or packing for a journey is where we think the EOS R8 stands out. It’s smaller than many lenses that an astrophotographer might attach to it, especially a fast ultra-wide angle zoom lens which is often large and weighty due to the premium glass construction needed to acquire sharp, color fringe-free images.

This has a knock-on effect on other camera accessories too, like being able to buy a less expensive tripod that has a lower maximum payload limit or even investing in a travel tripod rather than a full-sized one. Often astrophotographers will be setting out a telescope as well so carrying the gear from the house or car can get quite tiring when heading out to dark sky locations.

Despite the compact design, we didn’t want for any more of the commonly used buttons than it featured and everything seemed in an intuitive location when using it. So much so, that when we were forced to operate it in the dark, even without a red light headlamp, we could set the aperture and shutter speed without a hitch. We weren’t impressed with the method we had to use to control exposure compensation with the default layout, but more on that in our Functionality section.

Canon EOS R8: Performance

  • Really impressive astro abilities for its price point
  • Outstanding autofocusing system for tracking a range of subjects
  • No in-body image stabilization forces users to rely on lens IS

It’s known that full-frame cameras perform better at astrophotography because they are better at handling image noise brought about through the use of high ISO sensitivities. The Canon EOS R8 is nothing short of astounding in this respect. Considering it’s Canon’s entry-level, second-cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera we couldn’t been fooled into thinking it comes in at twice its current price ($1499 at time of writing).

The standout performance of the Canon EOS R8 for us is its image noise handling when shooting wide-field astrophotography at high ISO sensitivities. What we would once have grit our teeth over when shooting in the 2000 to 3200 range, the EOS R8 comfortably handles 5000 and above. Time and again when zooming in to 100% in photo editing software we saw minimal image noise and when it was there it was uniform across the image, with very little color distortion and noise that was easily removable with the help of some Denoise processing. 

The rear screen is vivid, colorful and sharp and really helped us compose images, especially at awkward shooting angles where the vari-angle touchscreen really came in handy. However, owners should be aware that we noticed that while the images seemed great on the rear screen, once we opened them up on the computer later they were a little less clear than we’d have expected.

Pixel peeping at 100% zoom we could see the limitations of the EOS R8’s dynamic range. Underexposing scenes to avoid clipping highlights we boosted shadows in select areas using Adobe Lightroom and were met with disappointingly clipped shadows. This is something higher-end Canon models like the Canon EOS R5 don’t exhibit.

We were seriously impressed with the high ISO noise handling for a camera at this price point. We paired the EOS R8 with a Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 which isn’t ideal for astrophotography but even when pushing the sensitivity up above ISO3200 the image noise was minimal. We think that using this with a fast wide zoom like the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM could yield incredible results.

Image noise again wasn’t a problem when viewing on the rear screen, but loading them up into Lightroom we spotted more image noise than was visible on the rear LCD screen on the camera.

Although not a useful feature for astrophotography, the EOS R8’s silent electronic shutter can capture up to 40FPS stills with up to 6FPS electronic first-curtain shutter. The former is useful in situations where subjects and camera are mainly still due to the rolling shutter effect, so quiet wedding settings, group portraits and stationary wildlife shoots will benefit from this.

Canon EOS R8: Functionality

  • Foolproof working straight out of the box
  • Button placement perfect, with one small niggle
  • Video stabilization less impressive than more expensive Canon models

After loading up a battery and a memory card it couldn’t feel more intuitive to start snapping shots on the EOS R8. Command dials and back-button focusing (AF-on) plus metering buttons are all in exactly the right spot. The body is slim but the grip is deep enough to provide adequate grip when transporting it handheld, even without a neck strap.

One small niggle we had during testing was shooting in Av (Aperture value, or aperture-priority) or Tv (Time value, or shutter priority) and trying to adjust exposure compensation to brighten/darken the shot. To do this we had to hold down the asterix button on the rear right-hand side of the body and simultaneously scroll the Quick Control dial above it. This requires finger dexterity better than legendary guitarist Steve Vai and completely removes the ability to press the shutter release button at the same time. 

We’re aware that it’s possible to set up the Lens Control Ring to adjust ISO on lenses that have one. But for us and many other photographers that prefer to use this to control other settings, this criss-crossing of the fingers on the body by default seems backwards. If it was shifted to the Main dial by default this would be much better.

Part of the big draw with mirrorless cameras is that they feature in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This is where the camera stabilizes the scene in the camera body, rather than relying on image stabilization (IS) in the lens. Some Canon models can work in tandem combining the power of both IBIS and IS of camera and lens together. Sadly, The EOS R8 doesn’t have IBIS so stills photographers that might shoot handheld in low light conditions or videographers that need extra stability will need to stock lenses that have IS built-in and perhaps also invest in stabilizing gear such as a monopod or a gimbal.

With the above said, these are small points and most beginner and hobbyist users (heck, even more intermediate shooters) will probably not even recognize this as being a problem, at all. It is a very solid camera, super light and inordinately useful and affordable.

Should you buy the Canon EOS R8?

If you’re looking to get into the full-frame mirrorless game and want to shoot Canon without breaking the bank, the Canon EOS R8 is the camera to beat. For our money, we wouldn’t go with anything else from Canon’s line-up for shooting astro on a budget. Because it’s full-frame you can take advantage of the entire field of view of those full-frame lenses as well. The lack of in-body image stabilization shouldn’t bother astrophotographers who will always be using a tripod anyway, but if purchasing as a generalist camera to shoot during the daytime too, this only makes sense if budget is restricted. Saving that money is a great benefit because you can drop some serious dollars on big, fast glass, like the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM or Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM and then upgrade your EOS R8 to something beefier like the EOS R5 in the future without having to reinvest in better lenses.

If the Canon EOS R8 isn’t for you

This is a full-frame camera that shoots 40FPS (electronic shutter) captures 4K 60FPS video and is stunning at astrophotography. So what’s not to like? Well, nothing in and of itself but there are some users that will want for more out of their camera. To start with the EOS R8 has only one memory card slot and its 40FPS is susceptible to rolling shutter so it’s useless for things like sports and action. Instead, we’d recommend the Canon EOS R3 which is built for professional use and is much better adept at sports shooting at 30FPS (mechanical shutter) with no buffering issues to speak of.

However, for astrophotography on a mirrorless camera we think the Sony A7R IVA is the overall winner at the moment. Top of our Best cameras for astrophotography guide (aside from two dedicated astro cams) and its non-A sibling the Sony A7R IV in the number one spot on our Best cameras for photos and videos page, we were impressed enough to give it four and a half out of five stars. Deftly detailed with 61MP stills resolution and an incredible autofocusing system it does almost everything excellently. Though, video shooters be aware it tops out at 4K video recording.

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