Glass and Acrylic Sheets for Picture Framing

April 30, 2018April 28, 2018Kevin

Photo/picture frames bought from a retail store often include a sheet of clear plastic. This may be the cheapest material possible and you may want to replace it with higher quality glazing.

In photo/picture framing, “glazing” is a generic term meaning a clear sheet protecting the artwork. It may be glass or acrylic, but I have never heard of clear plastic referred to as glazing.

When preparing a photo exhibit last year, some of the frames I purchased included clear plastic sheets and I opted to replace them with non-glare acrylic. However, at the last minute, I ran short of acrylic sheets and shipped two pieces with just the plastic that came with the picture frames.

If you try to buy glazing from a local frame shop or art-supply frame shop, be prepared for sticker shock; it can be very expensive. I buy clear acrylic sheets on-line.

The introductory photo here shows a recent delivery that included some Acrylite P99 and Acrylite OP3 P99. The shipping packages were ruggedly constructed with solid wood edges and built to the exact sizes for the sheets that I ordered.

Glass

Glass can be great, but has limitations. It typically offers the highest level of light transmission and the best resistance to scratches. However, it is both heavy and famously brittle – likely to break if dropped. Shipping framed artwork with glass is quite problematic.

Your local hardware store may sell sheet glass; some stores will cut it to any size you need. But this is typically thin glass for windows. Hardware stores do not generally sell non-glare or UV-resistant varieties intended for framing.

Anti-reflection (non-glare) glass

To reduce reflections/glare, AR glass may either have a surface coating or be laser-etched. Single-sided AR glass is conditioned on one side only. You place that side outward toward the room, while the smooth size faces your artwork. Therein lies the possibility of internal reflections, the artwork reflecting off the glass. Double-sided AR glass is conditioned on both sides; it is typically very expensive.

I have used double-sided etched glass, which was superb; but I later abandoned it because of the expense. For a single-sided AR glass, the brand name I trust is Tru Vue. (Tru Vue offers both glass and acrylic glazing products.)

UV-resistant glass

This protects your art from fading and discoloration due to UV light. This can be important if you intend to display the art in a location exposed to sunlight. It may also be important to protect old documents; it is commonly used in museum displays.

Clear Acrylic

Compared to plastic, acrylic will not turn yellow or brittle with age. Compared to glass, acrylic is less weight and very resistant to breaking. Acrylic is often sold as trade names such as Plexiglass, Lucite, Perpex, and Acrylite. (The technical name is PMMA … polymethyl 2-methylpropenoate or polymethyl methacrylate.)

Each acrylic sheet (weather purchased individually or as part of a complete frame) is typically coated on both sides with a thin protective skin that you must peel off. As this protective skin may be transparent, you may not initially know that it is present. Be sure to remove it before final assembly of your photo/picture frame; if you forget until after the sheet is in the frame, you will have to disassemble everything in order to peel the skin off.

As with glass, your local hardware store may sell clear acrylic sheets, but not non-glare and not UV-resistant varieties.

Clear acrylic sheets are available in different thicknesses. I’ve used 0.098” (1/10^th inch) and 0.080”. The latter works perfectly well for sizes up to 20×30. I don’t really see the need for 1/10 inch.

Anti-reflection (non-glare) acrylic

Under the Acrylite brand, the anti-reflection version is called P99.

UV-resistant acrylic

Under the Acrylite brand, anti-reflective sheet products include FF3, UV3 and OP3. FF3 is manufactured with a casting process (not extruded) that is less expensive than the other two. OP3 filters out a bit more UV light than does UV3. Some third-party vendors neglect to inform you which specific product they are selling.

For a combination of both anti-reflection and UV-resistance – that is OP3 P99. I believe FF3 is only available with high-gloss surface, not non-glare.

Acrylic photo prints

A photograph can be directly printed onto a sheet of clear acrylic. This requires a unique sheet product with adhesion properties. Under the Acrylite brand, this is DP MR1.

The Latest Drone – DJI Does It Again

January 23, 2018April 6, 2018Kevin

January 23, 2018 – DJI officially announced the new Mavic Air, which again raises the bar for ease of use and safety for aerial drones. Having watched the announcement live this morning, here are the essential details I have noted (somewhat filtered according to what I find most interesting). So, for those interested in aerial drones or aerial photo/video with drones, here is what you need to know in 60 seconds.

Physical

Half the size of Mavic Pro and 41% lighter
Antennas concealed within the landing legs (away from the body)
8GB internal storage + SD card slot
USB type C port
Controller is pocketable, removable control sticks
Available in black, white, or red

Camera

1/2.3″ image sensor (same size as Mavic Pro and Phantom 3 Pro)
4K video
12MP still photos
HDR capture mode
360-degree panorama, auto stitching up to 25 images
New 3-axis gimbal, improved vibration dampening, better image stabilization

Flight control

Intelligent flight modes, including improved auto-tracking moving subject and two new quick-shot modes
Controllable with hand gestures (up to 19 feet)
Advanced pilot assist can automatically go around obstacles
More stable, can withstand wind speeds up to 22 mph
Fly Safe geo system – information about airspace restrictions

Pricing

$799 complete
$999 with accessories (extra battery, extra propellers, carrying case, etc)

Availability

Shipping Jan.29, 2018.

(I am guessing that demand will be high for this product and it will take some time for DJI to fulfill all the orders.)

Tulips at Boston Public Garden

May 14, 2017May 15, 2017Kevin

The tulips at Boston Public Garden. are an annual rite of spring. They are fun to photograph and I wanted to share some techniques with you.

This first image was shot at 7am on a Saturday morning. Early morning may be the only time when the garden isn’t swarming with people. To visually compress the distance, I used a 200mm lens.

This next image is different for several reasons. Of course, this is a closer view. Using a 100mm macro lens at an aperture of f/7, the depth of field is shallow. I chose to fill the frame with flowers and exclude the surrounding environment. Also note that the light is very different. I shot this image after 6pm with the evening sun directly shining on the flowers from the side.

Getting even closer, the image becomes more abstract. The image is about color and texture; the concept of “tulip” begins to disappear. I specifically chose to use an evergreen shrub for the background, knowing it would fall away to black because this side of the shrub is in shadow. (You can dimly see a green tulip stem rising along the left side of the image.)

Taking a step back, not as close as the previous image, this is more obviously a tulip. Still working with the dark background, I’ve repositioned myself to achieve back-lighting from the setting sun.

Additionally, I chose to break a couple photography “rules”. Intentionally photographing through a foreground tulip creates a highlight in the bottom left. It was a gamble that I think paid off quite well. A viewer will naturally be drawn to the lower highlight and the upper highlight. After bouncing back and forth a few times, you eventually find the beautiful color and texture in between. I find that my mind dwells on this image longer than the others.

A combination of backlighting, dark background, and close-up abstract shape.

Upon thinking “how can I look at this subject with a different perspective?” I finished up the evening by looking down on the flowers from a steep angle, as the sun was soon to fall behind the buildings of Boston. I chose a more narrow aperture here, f 16, because I wanted to hold some depth of focus from foreground to background. And because a smaller aperture means less light entering the camera, I increased the ISO. Aperture priority, f/16, 1/160 sec, ISO 800, 100mm macro lens.

A Flying Camera – DJI Mavic Pro

January 3, 2017April 6, 2018Kevin

If you are a photographer or videographer and you are interested in the Mavic Pro drone primarily as a flying camera, then this article is for you. This is a run-down of camera controls and options, without discussing flight controls.
Documentation included with the Mavic Pro is minimal and help for the DJI Go app is non-existent.

First of all, let’s point out the obvious. The Mavic Pro has unmatched portability; it folds to a size that can fit in a large coat pocket. The gimbal that stabilizes the camera is probably the smallest in the world.

This drone can be flown using using the hand-held controller alone, or in conjunction wtih a smart-phone and the DJI Go app. You do need the Go app for access to numerous configurable options, but after configuring what you need, it is possible to fly with just the controller and no app. During flight, the Go app gives you a live video feed and camera exposure information, but you may not need to interact with the app except maybe to set the focus.

Not all available features shown here. These are just some features I wish to point out.

The Remote Controller

The hand-held controller includes quite a few camera controls, independent of any smartphone app.

Photo trigger (shutter button)
Start/stop video recording
Camera tilt
Exposure compensation
Custom button left (e.g. center focus)
Custom button right (e.g. AE lock)
5D button – up, down, left, right each has a different meaning that is configurable.
(For example, zoom in/out. It is a 2x digital zoom; there is no optical zoom.)

DJI GO app

The app shows real-time video and provides in-flight camera exposure information.

Real-time image view
Exposure histogram
Current exposure compensation setting (1/3 ev increments)
Over-exposure zebra stripes during video recording
Camera: ISO, shutter speed, white balance, remaining SD card number of photos
Video: resolution, FPS, remaining SD card recording time

The app provides extensive camera configuration options.

auto/manual exposure
ISO (100 to 6400)
shutter (up to 1/8000)
AE lock
touch screen for AF spot
touch screen for exposure spot

video menu ___

NTSC or PAL
size&fps (e.g. 720p @ 120fps, 4K @24fps)
White balance (auto, sun, cloud, custom, etc)
Style (brightness, contrast, tint)
Color (none, D-cinelike, D-log, Art, Vivid, etc)

photo menu ___

Aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9)
Image format (jpeg, raw, jpeg+raw)
Photo drive (single shot, AEB-3, AEB-5, HDR, interval)
White balance (auto, sun, cloud, custom, etc)
Style (sharpness, contrast, saturation)

options menu ___

show real-time histogram
orientation (portrait/landscape)
lock gimbal when capture
over exposure warning
anti-flicker (50Hz, 60Hz, auto)
format SD card

The app alerts you if a firmware update is available. The update can be applied with a simple touch; the download comes via your wi-fi, through the phone, down to the drone. The time to complete the upgrade was more than ten minutes and consumed about 18% of the drone battery charge.

Photo Quality

For photos, you can shoot RAW, JPEG, or RAW+JPEG. Of course, I recommend either RAW or RAW+JPEG.

I shot the photo above (Bearskin Neck, Rockport MA) recently with the Mavic Pro set to record both JPEG and RAW. The second photo is a 200% crop from the center, comparing the original JPEG to the RAW file processed as I normally would in Adobe Lightroom. Overall, the JPEG is good. I think it is a bit green, looking at the short stone wall. Signs on the buildings are not legible in either case, but the JPEG is slightly worse than RAW.

With only a half dozen flights thus far, I have observed a couple specific image quality problems. For still photos, the very small image sensor is no match for a larger DSLR or MFT camera. I have read that the image sensor is Sony Exmore (wikipedia.org/wiki/Exmor), but I cannot confirm that. The maximum resolution is a respectable 12 megapixels, in 4×3 aspect ratio (4000×3000). You can choose to capture 16×9 ratio, but that is a crop down to 9 megapixels (I personally tested that just now; that’s real, not a guess.).

Photos can exhibit some amount of digital image noise at just about any ISO. Images shot during the low-light of dusk, around ISO 1600, exhibit a high amount of chroma noise. Samples are shown here below. For stills, Adobe Lightroom has the best noise reduction I know. While the JPEG processing in the Mavic does a reasonably good job of smoothing large areas, there is loss of detail inside the bridge. The Topaz Denoise plugin for Adobe is similar. Processing via Lighroom’s built-in noise reduction allows better control and retains better detail inside the bridge.

Video Quality

In good light, the video quality is probably on par with a GoPro Hero 3 or 4. Moire problems may occur when scenery includes detailed patterns, but I have not tested this with different capture resolutions. As with still photos, low light and high ISO exhibits a high amount of chroma noise. A product called Neat Video can do a good job of mitigating noise.

The video clip of the snowy mill (at the beginning of this article) was captured at 1080 without a problem. However, on a separate shoot, I did see a problem. Several people contributing to on-line forums have reported that 1080 does have problems, including a “pastel effect” which seems an apt description of the problem I saw. People experiencing problems at 1080 also report that the problem does not occur at higher 2.7K or 4K resolution. I have switched to shooting 2.7K and subsequently downsample to 1080 in post processing. However, the higher resolution does not support a frame rate faster than 30 fps; and downsampling does require additional compute time.

For video, I’ve been shooting the “None” color profile, modified with sharpness set to -1. Some pros are recommending two of the color profiles, DLOG (very flat) and ART (not as flat). Alternatively, some people have suggested color profile D-Cinelike and then customized to -2, -1, -1 (sharpness, contrast, saturation). All those suggestions create an intentionally flat result that necessitates some post-processing.

A clear plastic dome can optionally be used to protect the camera. Very first time I captured video with the Mavic Pro, I could see glare due to the plastic dome. Since then, I never fly with the dome attached. Potentially, I might use it if there some risk of water or dust in the air, for example, flying near a waterfall.

Pre-flight

Each time you fly, here’s the basic pre-flight steps:

1) Unfold the propeller arms and propellers
(Obviously, attach any propellers that you detached for transport/storage.)

2) Remove the camera gimbal clip

3) Optionally, connect your smart-phone to the hand-held controller

4) Turn on the controller and start the DJI Go app

5) Turn the antennae upwards, which is typically a 45-degree angle

6) Turn on the drone

7) To connect your phone with the drone, touch the “Camera” button on the DJI Go app

8) Check the aircraft status information, including available battery charge

9) If this is a different location than previous flight, calibrate the compass

10) Obviously, check your environment for obstacles or hazzards.
Make sure you are not in restricted airspace.

DJI includes a plastic clip to secure the camera gimbal when not in use. Always remove this clip BEFORE turning on the drone. If you fail to do so, the app warns of gimbal overload.

Initially, the Go app will display the “Aircraft Status”. Tap the “X” to close this display.

Overall status … Latest Firmware
IME … normal
Compass … normal
Motor ESC status … normal
Radio Channel Quality … good
Flight Mode
Remote Controller mode
Aircraft battery
Remote Controller battery
Remaining SD card capacity

Wildflower Photography

May 24, 2016July 19, 2016Kevin

One of the most important aspects of wildflower photography is controlling the background. Finding a clean background, that is not distracting, can be challenging.

Controlling the background can sometimes be easy and sometimes difficult. Thinking about it just now, here are some considerations just off the top of my head.

Inspect around the flower to understand what will appear behind the flower
Choose if you want additional flowers in background or foreground
Watch out for distracting twigs or blades of grass; you can push them out of the frame
If the flowers are on long stems, you may be able to nudge the stem, either to achieve a better background or to place the flower in a more flattering light.
To fix a problematic background, consider placing some object behind the flower.
Consider placing the camera near the ground and shoot upwards at the flower
Consider filling the entire frame with the flower – no background
If you can’t achieve a good background, look for a different flower nearby

One more thing … In your zeal, try not to trample the flowers. Leave them for someone else to enjoy.

The Next Phantom Quadcopter Drone – Phantom 3

April 10, 2015April 10, 2015Kevin

Last October, I listed Drones for Under $2000. A week later, DJI announced a new quadcopter drone, Inspire 1, which was notable, but far above the $2000 price point. This week, DJI announced the third incarnation of it’s original Phantom, which now incorporates some features from Inspire but retains the more affordable price tag of the Phantom line. Here are the broad brush strokes.

Phantom 3

Improved camera system supports video and stills. Phantom 3 “pro” supports 4K video resolution.
3-axis gimbal, similar to Phanom 2 Vision
The new gimbal seems to pan, unlike its predecessor on the Phantom 2 Vision+
Digital video downlink sends live video feed to your mobile device on the ground (up to 720p)
Downward-facing visual and ultrasonic sensors allow position hold without GPS (indoors), like the Inspire 1
Improvements in motors and motor control provide better stability and longer battery life.

Phantom 3 vs Inspire 1

Inspire 1 is larger than Phantom and can fly faster
Inspire 1 allows unobstructed 360 degree camera rotation – retracting landing struts will not obstruct the view.
Inspire 1 supports dual pilot operation.
Phantom is theoretically much more durable than Inspire
Phantom costs far less than Inspire
Phantom provides a slightly longer flight time.

Not to be left behind, 3D Robotics will soon release their new quadcopter, currently known as SOLO.

Drones for Aerial Photography, under $2000

October 27, 2014October 27, 2014Kevin

The term “drone” is commonly used in pop media, more common than alternative terminology UAS (unmanned aircraft system) or UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). To my mind, a drone implies an automated military device – I prefer the term quadcopter.

As far as you or I are concerned, we serve as the remote pilots while standing on terra firma. We operate a radio transmitter while the copter is equipped with a matching radio receiver. Different radio systems are available and they are not all compatible. For example, some communicate via a 2.4 GHz radio frequency, while others utilize a 5.8 GHz. The differences are not limited to radio frequency alone.

Anything that is labeled as Ready-To-Fly (RTF) will include a radio transmitter that is compatible with the drone. If the product is not advertised as RTF, it may not include a transmitter, which is preferable for anyone who intends to re-use an existing transmitter they already have.

3D Robotics Iris+ … $750
3D Robotics RTF X8 … $1,350
Blade 350 QX – $470
DJI Phantom I … $400
DJI Phantom II Vison+ … $1,300
Gaui … 330X … $400
Gaui … 500X … $1,150
Gaui … 540H / hexcopter (6 rotors) … $600 does not include transmitter
Parrot AR drone … $300
Quantum Nova … $320
Quantum Venture … $400
TurboAce Matrix … $900
HUBSAN X4 H107C-HD
SteadiDrone QU4D … $1700
Walkera QR X350 … $400
Walkera QR 800 … $1,700
Walkera TALI h500 / hexcopter (6 rotors) … $1900

For aerial photography purposes, you need a stable device that is easy to control – consider electric copters only. Gas-powered machines are loud, extremely fast, and potentially very dangerous.

The rotational force of a single-rotor will tend to rotate the entire machine; this is why traditional helicopters have a small tail rotor, to counteract the rotational force. Coaxial dual-rotor designs solve the rotational force problem by spinning two rotors in opposite directions, but this reduces the total lifting force. Multi-rotor copters, with four or more independent rotors, solve the rotational problem by spinning half the rotors in a clockwise rotation and the other rotors in counter-clockwise rotation.

I expect (but have not verified) that all of the copters listed above are capable of lifting a small camera. In the cases of some smaller copters, I had doubts and so did not include those in this list.

Please note that most of these copters will rely upon rechargeable LiPo batteries, for which I offer two tips. A single battery might give you eight minutes of flight or twenty minutes of flight – so do have more than one battery. These batteries are relatively high power devices and there have been stories of such batteries causing fire, sometimes during the charging process. Do use protective LiPo storage bags such as LiPo Safe.

The most commonly used camera for these copters is a GoPro 3 or newer (e.g. Go Pro 3, Go Pro 3+, or GoPro 4). Personally, I have used the Hero 3+ Black Edition; while I find that it captures great video, I am not impressed by the still image JPEGs. Listed here are some of the available small “action cameras”, all of which I expect are primarily intended for video.

CamOne Infinity
Contour+2
ContourROAM3
Drift Ghost-S
Garmin VIRB Elite
Gear-Pro HD Sport Action Camera
GoPro HERO3+
GoPro HERO4
Ion Air Pro 3
JVC GC-XA2
Mobius Action Camera Pro
Polaroid XS100i
Polaroid Cube
Replay XD Prime X
Sony AS20
Sony HS100V

The last component for aerial photography is perhaps the first component to select when building a new system. A motorized/computerized gimbal is necessary for aerial video, to remove the unwanted effects of aircraft movement. The gimbal holds the camera, detects aircraft movement, and automatically moves the camera to counteract the aircraft movement. Without one of these devices, your level horizon will be ruined anytime the copter moves left or right. Gimbals are often designed to match the size and weight of specific cameras. So, if you are thinking of using a specific camera, you need to be sure that you can get a gimbal that accommodates that camera.

Forest Service fee for any photography in national parks ?

September 25, 2014September 25, 2014Kevin

The National Forest Service wants to charge you a large fee to make photographs on national lands (national forests or national parks). The proposal covers “still photography and commercial filming” … without any further clarification, that seems to include you making a photo with your camera phone.

The proposal, an iterative evolution of past interim proposals because past efforts have been unclear.

>> Federal proposal regarding still photography and commercial filming

Do check it out ASAP. The Forest Service is accepting public comments until November 3^rd. You can easily provide your input on-line at the link above. I did.

New DSLR designed for Wildlife Photography

April 1, 2014April 1, 2014Kevin

TheDigitalPicture.com breaks news of a top-of-the-line DSLR for wildlife photographers.
Reading some of the features, I arrived at … Birds in-flight focusing mode!? Wow! Animal Eye Tracking!? Amazing. A built-in sound generator to produce animal calls. Incredible … maybe literally, not credible.

But of course, today is April Fools day. Well played, Sean and Bryan.

Announcement: New Canon DSLR for wildlife photography

Wildlife Photography Workshop

July 25, 2013August 14, 2013Kevin

When I heard about this photography opportunity, I could not ignore it. Everyone loves baby animals! A 3-day workshop with leader Jeff Wendorff, to photograph baby animals at a game ranch in Montana.

Wolf cubs, Red Fox cubs, Bobcat kits, a 4-month-old Tiger, and more. The cuteness factor is very high.

I discovered limitations of my camera equipment that I had known before; particularly, my ability to quickly select a focus point. In this regard, I have never considered the Canon 5D2 to be cumbersome, but I found here that the controls are not quite agile enough. The common technique of focus, then recompose, takes 2 seconds and that’s not fast enough. The wolf cubs were particularly difficult; they are very energetic and very fast.

All totaled, I shot somewhere around 3400 photos. By comparison to some other folks, that’s not a lot.

After editing, I had fewer than 1000 images. (I should probably do another round of editing and cut that number in half.) Images were rejected for a variety of reasons. Maybe my composition cut off the tip of a tail. Maybe the animal’s ears were pointing in an odd way. Sometimes there is nothing particularly wrong with the image, but I have a similar image that is slightly better. Delete the weaker image because there is no point in keeping both images.

[ Click on either image to see a larger view. ]

The workshop included a 4^th day, just in case foul weather might interfere with the workshop, though this wasn’t necessary the week we were there. So we had the option to photograph some other animals, including adult animals and a 1.5-year-old Grizzly Bear.

Of the 3.5 days, two days are jam-packed busy. The other 1.5 days are still busy but not as exhausting.

Not only is Jeff Wendorff (jeffwendorff.com) an expert at photographing wildlife, but he also has an excellent relationship with the staff at the game ranch.