Donald Scarinci Archives - Fine Art Photography Studio

Exhibitions Don’t Miss NYC Fall Art Shows: “Eugene Richards: The Run-On of Time”

November 5, 2018 Donald Scarinci

With cooler temperatures and fewer tourists, fall is a great time to explore New York City’s art scene. Starting September 27, 2018, the International Center of Photography (ICP) will be hosting the first museum retrospective dedicated to photographer Eugene Richards. Larry D. Moore [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons“Eugene Richards: The Run-On of Time” features 140 photographs and short films produced by Richards over his 50-year career. Part artist and part social activist, Richards’ work has documented the strife of sharecroppers living in the Arkansas Delta (Few Comforts or Surprises: The…

Law A Monkey’s Right to Bring a Copyright Lawsuit

October 8, 2018 Donald Scarinci

The long legal battle over a monkey’s rights to a “selfie” is now over. A federal court of appeals ruled in April that the monkey lacks statutory standing to bring a copyright infringement lawsuit. British photographer David Slater traveled to Indonesia to capture the crested black macaque. While he was shooting, one of the primates hijacked his camera and took over 100 selfies. Not surprisingly, one of the photos that Naruto took of herself went viral after Slater posted it online. Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, posted the “selfie” in its online database of public domain images. Upon discovering the…

Software The Uncertain Future of DxO Labs and Nik Collection

August 14, 2018 Donald Scarinci

For dedicated users of Nik Collection, the fate of the photo editing software is again uncertain. After purchasing Nik Collection from Google, DxO Labs recently announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Photo by Melinda Gimpel on Unsplash For those who aren’t familiar with Nik Collection, it is popular among photographers for its easy-to-use editing tools. The Nik Collection includes seven desktop image editing plug-ins that are popular with both professional and amateur photographers. The software suite includes color-correcting, image sharpening, and retouching tools. Silver Efex Pro is a great app for creating stunning…

Camera & Lenses Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Lens: Good Image Quality at Affordable Price

July 30, 2018 Donald Scarinci

The Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR ultra-wide lens is a bargain at around $300. The lens, which debuted last year, is designed for DX-format F-mount DSLRs where it provides a 15-30mm equivalent focal length range. Overall, the lens performs surprisingly well given the price point. It far surpasses any kit lens. To start, it includes Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilization, a feature that is often absent in lower-priced lenses and can prove invaluable when shooting handheld and in low light. The Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR also features a pulse stepping motor AF system, which benefits both video and…

Camera & Lenses Sigma Goes Mirrorless With 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens

July 2, 2018 Donald Scarinci

Sigma continues to expand its offering of mirrorless lenses. Its latest entry is the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens. Photo from Mirrorless Comparison The high performance prime lens is designed for APS-C Mirrorless cameras, including Sony E mount and Micro Four Thirds. On a Sony E-mount APS-C format camera, it is equivalent to 24mm, while on a Micro Four Thirds ILC it functions as a 32mm medium-wide. It also fully accommodates Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF. With a fast, bright f/1.4 aperture, the mirrorless lens excels in low-light conditions. While intended for nature and event…

Canvas Meural Digital Canvas Photo Frame Is Revolutionary

May 21, 2018 Donald Scarinci

Most digital picture frames feature low quality digital displays and painfully unsophisticated software programs. The Meural Digital Canvas Photo Frame is the exception. The images it displays look like real art. Digital connected canvases are the natural evolution of digital picture frames, yet Meural’s product far surpasses anything else on the market. As described by the tech startup, “Meural started from a very basic premise: we should all be able to change the art on our walls—whenever we want. Digital frames aren’t a new concept, but no one had created one that truly reproduces the experience of art. We spent…

Lenses Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Lens

May 7, 2018 Donald Scarinci

Sigma continues to deliver with its heralded ART lens line. The 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Lens is a superb portrait lens, delivering amazing compression and smooth bokeh. For photographers considering an upgrade, the lens is an excellent choice. The Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Lens is ideally suited for studio photography, portrait photography, and event photography. Below are several key features: Bright f/1.8 maximum aperture is ideal for shooting in low-light conditions and also provides greater control over the focus position when using shallow depth of field techniques. Two F Low Dispersion (FLD) and two Special Low Dispersion…

Exhibitions The Photography Show Takes Over NYC’s Pier 94

April 16, 2018 Donald Scarinci

The 38th edition of The Photography Show was held April 5-8, 2018 at New York City’s Pier 94. Organized by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), the show is the longest-running exhibition dedicated to the photographic medium. It offers a wide range of museum-quality work, including contemporary, modern, and 19th-century photographs as well as photo-based art, video, and new media. This year’s edition of The Photography Show featured 96 fine art photography galleries, over 30 book sellers, 15 AIPAD talks, three special exhibitions, and one screening room. Works were presented by AIPAD members as well as new exhibitors including younger…

Gear Nikon Debuts AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR at CES

April 2, 2018 Donald Scarinci

Nikon used the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) to announced its first new lens of 2018 — the AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR. The new 180-400 lens features a built-in teleconverter, which is a first for Nikon. This is an FX, professional quality lens designed to replace the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 VR2 lens that was released in 2010. It is the first time NIKON designed a lens with a built in teleconverter. “Pros who spend time behind a super-telephoto lens know a hard truth: when you need a teleconverter, you often need it in a hurry,” Nikon highlights….

Uncategorized Flickr Unveils Top Photos of 2017

February 20, 2018 Donald Scarinci

As the year draws to a close, Flickr has released the top 25 photos of 2017. According to the photo-sharing website, the images were determined with an engagement algorithm and with Flickr staff curation. As the website explained: To reach this final list, we started with an algorithm that calculated the top photos based on a number of social and engagement metrics, for example, how many times the photo was viewed, faved, or shared. Flickr staff curated that raw data to avoid the results being a complete popularity contest. We also limited selections to one photo per photographer who placed…