alpha-jessica-a

Another question from email: How do you stay updated on industry trends and technological advancements in timelapse photography and videography in general?

Starting things off with a question that came in via email: Can you share a memorable client project or collaboration?

The AMA is happening in this thread right now: https://community.alphauniverse.com/live/topic/8/

Sony Brand Ambassador Andrew Geraci (@Drew_Geraci) is one of the world’s leading timelapse filmmakers. Geraci has shot timelapse projects all over the world for major brands and Hollywood productions. You can check out some of his work on his instagram. We’re excited to have Andrew Geraci in the community for this live AMA today. You can ask questions about how he got to the level he is at today and any tips and tricks you’d like to know.

Sony Ambassador Andrew Geraci (@Drew_Geraci) has over a decade of experience shooting timelapse professionally, having worked on films with big-name directors like Steven Spielberg and David Fincher. In this video, he shows you not only how to shoot a cinematic timelapse, but also how to plan, compose and process your final shots using your mirrorless camera and laptop. If you have questions about timelapse, Andrew will be here in the forums to answer your questions in a text-based AMA on February 9th from 4pm to 6pm EST. If you can't make the event live, feel free to pop any questions in this thread and we'll make sure Andrew answers them during the AMA. Hope to see you there!

Sony Brand Ambassador Andrew Geraci (@Drew_Geraci) is one of the world’s leading timelapse filmmakers. Geraci has shot timelapse projects all over the world for major brands and Hollywood productions. It’s our pleasure to announce that Andrew will be participating in a text based AMA here on the forums on February 9th from 4pm to 6pm EST. If you’d like to ask a question ahead of the event, post it in this thread and our forum moderators will make sure that they’re posted for Andrew to answer during the event. If you can’t make it to the live AMA, never fear! The event will become a forum topic once it is finished, so you’ll be able to read all the questions and answers afterward. We hope to see you there!

Fiona Wardle (@fi_tography) is a photographer and conservationist who travels the world working as an expedition photographer capturing the natural world both underwater and topside. She has a particular affinity to marine mammals and has been able to capture awe-inspiring images whilst underwater, hanging out of a helicopter or from eye level on a kayak. Often working in remote and sometimes harsh conditions it’s important to Fiona that she has reliable and hardwearing gear at the ready in her camera bag. We sat down with her to learn about how she uses a pair of Sony Alpha bodies and a three-zoom lens kit for her epic expeditions. Cameras: Sony Alpha 9 II: One of the reasons I love Sony is because they push the industry forward with new technology in every camera they produce. The advanced autofocus features on the Sony Alpha 9 II gives me the reassurance that I can nail the shot in any given situation. Along with its trusty weather sealing this make it’s the perfect camera for any wildlife photographer but especially for someone like me who is often out on the ocean, where conditions can get rather interesting! One of my favorite features of this camera is the silent shooting that allows me to go unnoticed by the wildlife but also works great in capturing candid moments of people too! However it’s the ability to shoot 20 frames per second which really excites me. With such an impressive frame rate I was able to capture the complete sequence of a sperm whale lifting its tail before sinking below the surface for a long deep dive, allowing me to then select the most compelling frame from an action that happened in the blink of an eye. Sony Alpha 7R II: This was my first mirrorless and as a front runner at it’s time, my Sony Alpha 7R II is still found in my camera bag today. Making an early move to mirrorless for my underwater set up was a no brainer with the Sony Alpha 7R II’s super small full body frame. Over the years it has produced some beautiful underwater shots and I love the 42 megapixels, capturing incredible detail and allowing me to crop in post edit if needs be. It also performs well in low light conditions which Is important to me as I currently only shoot with natural available light underwater. I believe this shot of a whale shark is a true testament to the quality of image this camera can produce despite its age. Since owning my Sony Alpha 9 II, I do find myself now only using this camera exclusively underwater and my aspiration is to upgrade from the Sony Alpha 7R II to the Sony Alpha 1 which can provide both the resolution and the speed for both my underwater and topside photography. Lenses: Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master: Combined with my Sony Alpha 9 II, I have a photographer’s dream team. What’s not to love about this lens? It is fantastic for shooting any type of wildlife and is often my go-to for landscapes and portraits too! However, it especially comes into its own when photographing whales and dolphins out on the water. With their unpredictable behavior, I need an adaptive and fast lens that can offer me the reach if needs be but also gives me the ability to pull back and capture the closer scenes that can happen in an instant, like the explosive jumps of these bottlenose dolphins!
100mm was the perfect focal length to capture this scene below, allowing for a balanced composition whilst also showcasing the beautiful colors of sunrise revealing themselves in the background. This is an image I truly believe I wouldn’t have been able to capture with another camera setup. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master: An incredibly sharp, quick, and versatile lens, it is everything you could wish for and more. The focal range allows me to document the world around me, be that a breathtaking landscape, a close encounter with wildlife or people in action, it is a storyteller's dream. It also happens to be my favorite lens to have out on the water when kayaking. Dusky dolphins are known for their acrobatic skills and having the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master paired with my Sony Alpha 9 II allowed for a unique perspective. For a subject I spend a fair amount of time with, I am continually trying to find new and original ways to document these charismatic dolphins and using a fast wide zoom lens that can deliver corner-to-corner resolution and sharpness, is a great way to achieve this. Fast and reliable autofocus is key when shooting subjects such as dolphins and this lens is just that! When out kayaking I am not in a position to interchange lenses. Knowing the behavior of the dolphins I opted for a wider lens in the hope they would be in a friendly and acrobatic mood and it’s safe to say both the dolphin and lens delivered!
 Sony 16-35mm f/4: Having an ultra-wide zoom lens for underwater is important especially when working with inquisitive megafauna like this dusky dolphin, but the range of this lens also gives me the opportunity to shoot underwater landscapes and/or marine wildlife in their environment. It is a lovely sharp lens, with little distortion underwater even at 16mm which is of real importance to me when shooting wildlife portraits and delivers well under pressure… pun intended! Its constant aperture also makes it ideal for the low-light environment that I often find myself in when exploring the underwater world.
Dusky dolphins are known for their inquisitive nature so attempting to get deeper than them to have the ability to shoot up was a challenge in itself. Luckily I had faith in my setup allowing me to focus on my breath hold, positioning and the final composition in the image below. Accessories: Nauticam Housing: Working in remote locations I need an underwater housing that I can trust. Nauticam offers some of the most ergonomic aluminum underwater camera housings out there and it gives me full control of the camera and lens with the use of zoom and focus rings as well as access to all camera features on the back plate, allowing me to take full advantage of the Sony Alpha 7R II underwater. Sony TOUGH SD Cards: After a few memory card failures with other brands I am now solely using Sony TOUGH SD Cards. They are fast as well as dust, dirt, and water resistant making them the most reliable card for a photographer who’s always working out in the field like me! You do not know despair until you’ve photographed an incredible wildlife moment and the card fails.

Welcome! We hope you enjoy being here in the forums and can't wait for you to share some of your work with us!

We're happy to have you here in the forums! Can't wait to see more of your work.

Thanks to all who shared their images in the Black and White Photo Challenge! We loved seeing your stunning images. Sony Brand Ambassador @CarolineJensen shared this stunning image. We chatted with Caroline to learn some of her black and white photography tips. Caroline spent a number of years photographing in only black and white and she has some great insight into successful B&W photography. Caroline also shared that black and white photography can be a great way to help you understand color more deeply, “I think that shooting in black and white made me understand color so much better.” Shoot B&W in RAW + Jpeg: That way you’ll have a black and white jpeg shot out of camera but you’ll still have the colorful RAW image, if you’d like to go back while editing. With that being said, Caroline does suggest switching your camera to just jpeg occasionally and only shooting in B&W, as a creative exercise. Study the “B&W Mix” or “HSL Panel” in your editing software: This will help you understand how colors change when shooting in black and white. For example, when we see red in color, it’s bold and bright but when it’s converted to black and white, it becomes quite a dull gray. “So learning how to amp up that contrast with the underlying color is very important and people do better to understand color and in the HSL panel.” Study shapes and composition: “With black and white, you spend a lot more time looking at shapes. With color images we've got so much information that you can get overwhelmed but in black and white we can really concern ourselves with the shape of the negative space, the shape of outlines, the shape of profiles, the shape of everything. I think that if you want to get better at composition black and white is a really good place to start because the cues of composition, of tension or comfort or peace or whatever emotion you're going for in your composition is heightened in just black and white.” The image below is a great example, Caroline used black and white to show the texture and detail of the leaf! Don’t be afraid of ISO: “You can really crank your ISO in black and white. And Sony noise is pretty easy on the eyes, and you can also cover it or kind of mix it in with grain from your editing program to be very nice looking. I go much higher on my ISO when I’m shooting black and white than when I’m shooting color.” Lean into the drama: “When you work with backlighting or very moody lighting or really dramatic lighting with black and white, it becomes artistic. Again, you're focusing on shapes and shadows and negative space versus the subject, framing, all of that. There's a lot more ‘Fine Art’ feel sometimes to black and white because it is so much more structural. Colors is its own language and stripping that away forces different things to the forefront.” Play with texture: “Don't be afraid in post processing to add a lot of clarity or Texture one of the things with black and white images is that they can feel kind of flat and boring; but cranking up the clarity and the texture is making up for that missing color. You're replacing texture where color would normally be.” Mind your dust spots: Caroline says she’s learned the hard way that black and white is totally unforgiving when it comes to dust spots, so she recommends being super aware of that when out shooting. Thanks to Caroline for sharing these helpful tips! Share some more of your favorite black and white images below! 👇

To change your profile picture, you'll need to update your profile on Alpha Universe. Click on My Alpha Universe at the top right of the page, then select log in and you can change your profile picture for your public profile on that page. That profile picture will then come through here to the forums.

Hannah Rheaume (@Hannah) is a Washington based landscape and travel photographer who is deeply passionate about community and education. It’s our pleasure to announce that Hannah will be participating in a text based AMA here on the forums on February 21st from 2-4pm PT!! If you’d like to ask a question ahead of the event, post it in this thread and our forum moderators will make sure that they’re posted for Hannah to answer during the event. If you can’t make it to the live AMA, never fear! The event will become a forum topic once it is finished, so you’ll be able to read all the questions and answers afterwards. We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to @Katrina Thompson for winning the Blue Hour Photo Challenge! Her blue hour images were stunning. Katrina Thompson successfully manages to pursue her passion for photography while balancing caring for her two children under three years of age. Her photographic interests include macro, landscape, and wildlife photography, which enable her to remain present and focused on her surroundings. Growing up in a rural town, Katrina has always harbored a deep appreciation for nature and wildlife. She feels fortunate to reside in Nova Scotia, where she can capture the unspoiled beauty of wildlife and nature through the lens of her camera. With over a decade of experience in photography, her work has been showcased in Carrousel Du Louvre, Canadian Geographic, and Sony Alpha Universe. Katrina's ultimate aspiration is to become a full-time photographer and adventurer. We connected with her to learn more about how she made this shot. The Scene This photograph was taken during the blue hour on a December morning. As an individual who has developed a penchant for rising before the sun, I have come to appreciate this magical time of day. The blue hour, during which the world awakens and becomes active, has become an important part of my day, as it often provides breathtaking views. One such view is that of a group of crows that visit my yard every morning, calling out to each other. To capture this morning ritual, I used my camera gear and tripod to take shots from various angles before the crows flew off toward the ocean. Capturing a Fleeting Moment Capturing beautiful and memorable moments is a breeze with the exceptional Sony Alpha 7III camera, which boasts impressive features and unwavering reliability. To further enhance my photography game, I use the Manfrotto Element Traveler Small 5-section Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head. It's highly dependable and portable, making it perfect for photographers who are always on the go. Capturing the perfect silhouette of a crow mid-crowing has been a long-standing goal of mine. To achieve this, I had to consider the angle and settings required to produce an action shot of the bird calling while still obtaining its distinct outline. In this regard, set my camera to: 1/200, F6.3, and ISO 100 to capture the crow's silhouette mid-call. The primary objective of this photograph was to capture the crow's calling out while producing an outline of its figure. Editing the Images I utilize Adobe Lightroom on my MacBook Pro and prefer to shoot in raw format. To begin the editing process, I cropped the image to achieve my desired composition. Subsequently, I increased the blue hue in Luminance and adjusted the tones slightly to brighten the photo. To further enhance the image's background, I made minor adjustments to the shadows, blacks, whites, and highlights to accentuate the crow's silhouette. We'd love to hear what your photography goals are for the year in our latest Photography Challenge!

In case you missed the AMA, you can catch up on all the questions and answers from Niah here:

The live AMA is happening in this thread! Please join in and ask any questions you have for Niah!

We are excited to have Niah Aldrich in the community for this month’s live AMA. This is a great time to learn and connect with Niah on her work. Please be patient, as Niah will be typing responses out as questions come in.

Niah Aldrich is a creative portrait photographer who pushes colors to the max and provides a luxurious portrait experience. You can check out some of Niah’s work on her Instagram.

Welcome! We're thrilled to have you here in the community. Can't wait to see you share more of your work!

Niah Aldrich (@niahrosephoto) is a full time portrait photographer based in Kansas City, Missouri. She enjoys pushing colors to the max, and traveling to meet new creatives in other cities. Her work consists of off camera flash, and natural light depending on the location. Aldrich primarily shoots her clients in her studio, but gets outside any chance she gets, especially in the spring when the flowers are in bloom. We were smitten with Aldrich’s colorful and emotive portraits and sat down with her to learn about her process and the gear that helps her make her images! I switched to Sony in 2020 after being born and raised on Nikon. Switching to Sony was the best decision I ever made, and I wish I would have done it sooner. Before Sony, I was overshooting and taking the same image multiple times because I couldn’t trust my gear to nail the focus. Now with Sony I trust my gear, and can count on Sony’s amazing eye auto focus to nail the shot. As a portrait photographer, I love the ability to interact with my subjects without having to always hold the camera to my eye. I started my Sony journey with the A7III, Sony FE 35mm f/1.8, Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA, Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 Lens, but have recently upgraded all my gear to G master lenses and the new A7IV. You can call me a gear hoarder, but I believe there’s a lens for every situation. As the classic Pokemon song so beautifully states, “I Gotta Catch ‘Em All.” Cameras Sony Alpha 7 IV (2): I chose two Sony Alpha 7 IV’s to take advantage of the improved autofocus, dynamic range, updated color profiles, larger sensor, and better LCD screens. The IV has not disappointed as a portrait photographer and I love showing my subjects previews of the photos to get them excited and boost their confidence. I have seen a big difference in colors and vividness on the LCD and on the computer compared to my A7iii. The focusing has also been faster in low light, and since I mostly shoot in studio this has been tremendously helpful. The slightly larger file sizes allow me to retain more detail in the image for retouching, and cropping. My average clients don't need their photos blown up to billboard sizes, so this sensor size is perfect for my typical high school senior, maternity, birthday, headshot, model portfolio, and other portrait work. Lenses I have quite the collection of lenses! Here’s the list: Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master Sony 135mm Sony 24mm Sony 35mm Sony 50mm Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G And here are some thoughts on a few of my favorites: Sony 24mm: The 24 is a very specific focal length that I have to be careful with portraits. Too close and the face becomes super thin, and distorted, but used correctly it can be a powerful tool. Using the wide to my advantage I’m able to capture more of my environment and emphasize certain features that give a memorable look. I will often use this lens for fashion, models, and creative shoots. Sony 35mm: I have grown to love this lens. For someone who loves environmental portraits I find myself always gravitating toward this focal length. It is perfect for indoor low light situations, and outdoors. It is light, fast, sharp, and like all the GM lenses, it is built like a tank. It is definitely one of my most used, and loved lenses. Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G: This is the sharpest most detailed lens I own! It is my go to for beauty shots, and studio portraits. The ability to macro focus on the eye, nails, and lips makes this lens essential for branding shoots. Lighting Accessories Lindsey Adler Optical Spot by Westcott: I can attach this spotlight onto my flash, and LED lights. This spotlight allows me to create lighting effects, patterns, with shapes of light on the background, and subject. Using the leaves to slice the light into rectangles, squares, triangles, and the circle gobos shapes I’m able to creatively control the light to give my image some dimension. I love using colored gels with this tool for some extra colorful fun! Gobo & Inserts: These gobos “go-betweens” are inserted in the optical spotlight creating even more patterns and shapes you can choose from. They have hearts, windows, circles, blinds, stars, palm leafs, and really anything you can think of to add extra creativity to my images. AD300: I use these in the studio to light the background, side light the subject, and light the hair from above. These are also wonderful on location or in shady areas when I need to pop my subject with flash and don’t have enough light to use a reflector. AD400: I will often use this as the key or main light in the studio. I will take this light outside when I want a more powerful controlled light on sunnier days. V1: I use these speed lights on and off camera at events, and weddings. I will often have one on my camera, and 3 or 4 around the room depending on the venue, and location. R2 Pro Trigger: This controls all off camera flashes, and speed lights. With this trigger I’m able to wireless control the brightness of each flash. Rogue 2-in-1 Super Soft Silver 32” Reflector: If I’m shooting on location you can bet I have this with me. The Rogue soft silver is my favorite reflector. It’s a mix between the normal silver most used, and a white. It creates a soft but beautiful bounce back into my subjects when I need more detail in the shadows. Diffuser 32”: The diffuser is a must to cut the harsh sunlight while creating super soft light for my portraits. You’ll often see me shooting at high noon using both of these reflectors to cut light and pop back that light. Seamless Paper Rolls: I love using paper to create beautiful studio portraits. I have over 30 rolls to choose from that I use to make my subject pop while keeping color theory in mind for the perfect backdrop color. Niah will be participating in an AMA right here in the forums on January 8th at 10am PST. We'd love to have you join us live, but if you can't be there, you can post questions for Niah ahead of time in this thread.

For this month's Forum Feature we are thrilled to highlight Justin Niu (@TrekRover). Justin is a great member of our Forum community and a fantastic photographer. Justin is a passionate travel photographer who unknowingly started his life-long journey into photography when he bought his first camera for his first international trip. Since then, he has traveled through 7 continents and over 40 countries and continues to pursue his passion for travel and photography. He strives to capture the essence of being in-the-moment through his photographic vision and convey the stories and experiences in his imagery. Justin is continually adding to and refining his kit. He has also added wildlife photography to his passions. Here’s a list of Justin’s current kit: Sony Alpha 1 Sony Alpha 7RIV (Recently traded in for Sony Alpha 7RV) Sony Alpha 7RV Sony 12-24mm f2.8 GM II Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM II Sony 600mm f4 GM Sony 2x Teleconverter Take a look at some of Juston’s stunning images! And be sure to give him kudos on your favorite shot in this thread!

Welcome! Can't wait to see what you share with us here!

Niah Aldrich (@niahrosephoto) is a portrait photographer who enjoys pushing colors to the max. She is a creative photographer who gives a luxurious experience that allows people to laugh and have fun in their session. It's our pleasure to announce that Niah will be participating in an AMA right here on the forums on January 8th from 10 AM PST - 12 PM PST. We will be talking about photography, vibrant colors, and ways to interact with clients. If you'd like to ask Niah questions ahead of time, post in this thread and our forum moderators will make sure they get posted during the live event for Niah to answer!

Aisha Akif (@Stories by Aisha) is a professional food and product photographer and a content writer and creator. “2020, the year of the pandemic, ignited the spark to try photography as a hobby…and it turned into a profession within a span of 10 months! Having taken my baby steps with a borrowed Canon DSLR, my shift to Sony happened on Jan 31, 2022 on my husband’s birthday. Honestly speaking, this has been the major game changer or blitzscaling as I would call it, in my career and my timeline as a professional photographer.” We caught up with Aisha to learn more about how she uses her ultrasimple Sony kit for her creative food photography – keep reading as she gives us a look at what’s in her bag. SaveInsta.App - 3228468523331137062_56065184925.mp4 See the full Instagram Reel for Stories by Aisha here. Camera Sony Alpha 7 IV: When contemplating on getting a camera of my own to amp up my food photography career, I had zeroed in on Sony full frame camera as the clear choice. While I have a list of reasons why I chose Sony, the ones that tops my list are lightweight, hybrid, and the amazing resolution! Trust me, watching the first shot I took literally brought tears to my eyes. The colors were simply magic! I have never felt so confident taking photographs! Lens Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G: Soon after buying my camera, I got my 90mm macro and boy, oh boy, my life changed overnight! I’m a hardcore storyteller when it comes to styling my frame and the poise with which the lens allows me to visually capture the vision in my head is unchallengeable! The texture of the food, the highlights, the shadows, the shimmer of the drinks, full marks to the macro for elevating the HERO. I would call it my “magic wand.” My clients and potential clients are always in awe of the final deliverables and this defines the perfect moment of truth for me. SaveInsta.App - 3240250965181299020.mp4 See the full Instagram Reel here Accessories Tripod: I currently use Vanguard Alta Pro 2 263 AB100 Tripod for all of my home shoots and commercial restaurant shoots. It's a sturdy tripod, pretty supportive of my current needs. I am planning to upgrade to an option that would provide a better wavelength when it comes to shooting flatlays. Mouth Freshener, Notepad, Colored Pencils: I’m an old school person when it comes to planning. I literally write down everything I plan to do on a shoot in my personal note (or my phone notes) and color the frame if in mood. Colored pencils make me happy and feed my imagination and the urge to create all the time. See more of Aisha Akif’s work on Instagram @storiesby_Aisha and share your food photos in our current Community Forum Photo challenge!