Donald Scarinci

Lenses Do Nikon Owners Need a Nikkor 400mm Lens Refresh that Sells for Over $11,000?

June 30, 2014 Donald Scarinci

Nikon recently unveiled the Nikkor AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens. While it is considerably lighter than its predecessor, it comes with a hefty price tag of $11,999.95. In its product release, Nikon touted the new lens as the natural companion for its new Nikon AF-S TC-14E III teleconverter. It retails for $499.95 and will also be available in August. “The new AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR has been evolved to meet the needs of today’s sports, wildlife and multi-media photographers, well beyond the premier precision optics; it is much lighter, and has well thought-out controls and…

Exhibitions Roe Ethridge Over the “Deep End”

June 16, 2014 Donald Scarinci

The most recent work of Roe Ethridge contains none of his photographs. Instead it contains a collection of photographic art and other work by new photographers from Yale University in an exhibit that Ethridge curated. Curation as art was the theme of the Whitney Biennial this year. The selection of the work of several artists and its placement within the exhibit space create an artistic effect determined by the curator. Ethridge creates his own expression by using the work of new artists in DEEP END: Yale MFA Photography Thesis Exhibition, currently featured at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York…

Lenses Nikon Lens Announcements Should be Annual

June 2, 2014 Donald Scarinci

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Nikon would announce the lenses they plan to make for the year at one time? That would certainly remove the anxiety from some purchase decisions and allow photographers to budget and plan their expenses for the year. Now that Sigma and Tamron are making lenses competitive to Nikon in quality, perhaps Nikon should revisit its marketing strategy. An annual announcement of all new lenses for the year might cause sales of older model lenses to decline, but it would certainly help keep Nikon lenses with Nikon cameras and help prevent Nikon owners from straying. The…

Exhibitions Charles Marville Exhibit Highlights Beauty of Photography in Its Most Basic Form

May 19, 2014 Donald Scarinci

The Charles Marville exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art highlights the beauty and artistry of photography in its most basic form. Marville was commissioned by the city of Paris to capture the streets, gardens, and architecture of his rapidly transforming native city. Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris features approximately 100 of his stunning and incredibly detailed photographs. As highlighted by the New York Observer, “Marville was an incredible printer, producing true black-blacks and creamy eggshell whites and bringing seemingly infinite, informative depth to his scenes. You can count every brick on a city street and read the text of…

Lenses The Sigma 50mm f./1.4 Might End “Sigma Stigma” for Nikon Owners

May 5, 2014 Donald Scarinci

Sigma did it again! On the heels of its success with the Sigma 35mm f./1.4 lens, the early reviews place the Sigma 50mm f./1.4 in a lofty category as a first class optic suitable for any professional or serious amateur use. Early reviews seem to support Sigma’s claims that its new 50mm f/1.4 lens surpass Nikon and Canon as competitors and take on the incontrovertibly outstanding $4000 ZEISS 55mm f/1.4 Otus lens. The only question now is whether brand conscious photographers will buy the Sigma over the Otus lens or the Nikon lens. To view the specs of the Sigma…

Exhibitions Composition and Contrast in the Work of Carrie Mae Weems

April 21, 2014 Donald Scarinci

Winding your way through the corridors featuring Italian Futurism to the second floor at the Guggenheim, a treasure of Carrie Mae Weems photographs is exhibited in a thought provoking and moving arrangement. Photographers seeking inspiration for their own work and an illustration of how composition and contrast make images with power and punch should visit the Guggenheim to see this. So too should those seeking insight about how to display their work or their collections. The individual photographs are masterpieces of composition, staging and technique. Even Weems photojournalism and her documentary photographs demonstrate her mastery of composition and the use…

Software Imagenomic Introduces Noiseware for iOS

April 7, 2014 Donald Scarinci

Imagenomic introduced Noiseware for iOS in January. The app allows iPhone and iPad users to reduce or eliminate the noise in their images right from their devices. “Noise” in a picture is those tiny dots that make it look grainy. It most commonly occurs in pictures that are taken at night or in dimly lit area areas. Sometimes “noise” is hard to notice on the small iPhone screen, but when the pictures is posted on the web or copied to your computer, those tiny dots look like you took the picture in snow storm or like you lost resolution on…

Exhibitions Chuck Close’s Artistry Transcends Physical Limitations

March 24, 2014 Donald Scarinci

Upon viewing Chuck Close’s work, you would never know that the renowned painter and photographer was paralyzed from the neck down in 1988, after suffering a spinal arterial collapse. From February 28 through March 29, 2014, his impressive body of work will be displayed at the Pace Gallery in New York City. Chuck Close: Nudes 1967–2014 features Polaroids, daguerreotypes, and an acrylic on canvas painting. The exhibition reflects both the preferred body types and grooming preferences covering a span of nearly five decades. The premiere piece is the 10-by-21-foot Big Nude, which has never been displayed publicly in New York…

Lenses Three Nikon Lenses That Need a Refresh

March 10, 2014 Donald Scarinci

The three Nikkor FX lenses that need a refresh the most include two of Nikon’s biggest sellers and an old Nikkor lens that competes with a better Sigma alternative. Probably Nikon’s best selling lens is the second of what is known as the “holy trinity” of lenses for professional photographers, the Nikkor 24-70 f./2.8G ED. This lens was first produced in 2007 and is priced at about $1900. It is remains a great lens and a favorite “standard” lens for professionals, but it does not offer vibration reduction. Tamron introduced a strong competitor with its SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC…

Exhibitions Edward Steichen Exhibit at the Whitney Museum Should Not Be Missed

February 24, 2014 Donald Scarinci

The Edward Steichen in the 1920s and 1930s: A Recent Acquisition exhibition just closed to make more room for the 2014 Whitney Biennial. Since three floors of the museum were closed, it was a rare pleasure to spend time with Steichen’s work without the crowds Edward Steichen, who has been referred to as the godfather of modern fashion photography, had a long career prior to taking his most well known position as head photographer for Condé Naste. He first entered the art world at the age of fifteen when he began a lithography apprenticeship with the American Fine Art Company…