Projects

Ben Mikha: Embracing New Zealand’s Winter Beauty

Posted on October 28, 2019

After avoiding New Zealand’s winter for four years in a row by heading to the Northern Hemisphere and summer climates, filmmaker and photographer Ben Mikha decided it was time to stick it out and experience a New Zealand winter for a change. But he didn’t just stay at home with the heat pump on — he took his Kiwi winter experience to the next level. Ben and two of his friends (Ron and Rob) packed up and took to the roads exploring stunning landscapes from Aoraki and Mount Cook to Canterbury and Napier.

During the trip, Ben shot 45 timelapses, two hyperlapses, more than 1000GB of footage and more than 50,000 photos. He incorporated a lot of this to create a stunning video of winter in New Zealand.

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Reviews

Tom Ang: Sony FE 135mm F1.8 G Master

Posted on October 24, 2019

Have you ever wondered why we have the 135mm focal length at all?

It’s not a nice round number like 50 or 200. In function, you could say it’s a bit long to be an all-rounder for portraiture where 75mm to 90mm is more comfortable. At the same time, you might complain that it’s a little short as a telephoto for travel, where 180mm to 210mm is more useful. So why do we have it?

First, the fact is that 135mm is standard repertoire. You will find it in every 35mm camera system since its introduction in 1960. The reason is simple: it’s extremely versatile. It works fine for portraits, it works very well for photojournalism and it’s excellent for travel and scenery.
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News

Sony Announces Alpha 9 II with Enhanced Connectivity

Posted on October 4, 2019

Sony Electronics today announced Alpha 9 II (model ILCE-9M2). The latest model from Sony’s acclaimed line-up of α (Alpha) full-frame interchangeable lens cameras, the new model has been created to support working professionals in the fields of sports photography and photojournalism.

The new Alpha 9 II builds on the impressive legacy of the original Alpha 9, maintaining groundbreaking speed performance, including blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 20 frames per second with Auto Focus and Auto Exposure tracking at 60 calculations per second. Updates include significantly enhanced connectivity and file delivery, continuous shooting at up to 10 fps with mechanical shutter, and evolved AF performance with newly optimized algorithms, re-designed build to enhance durability and operability.

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News

NZ Photographer Wins Grand Prize at 2019 Sony Alpha Awards

Posted on September 26, 2019

© James Muir

Today marks the fourth year of the Sony Alpha Awards, Sony’s annual competition to showcase the greatest in Australian and New Zealand photography using the Sony Alpha camera range. Over 4,000 stunning images were submitted from professional and amateur photographers alike, for the chance to be recognised for their talents and win some great prizes.

James Muir from the Coromandel in New Zealand took the top award as the overall Grand Prize Winner for his breath-taking iceberg image, entitled Fresh Ice, Liquid Salt. A producer and cinematographer specialising in natural history and environmental documentary, James is the third consecutive New Zealander to win the Grand Prize and receives Sony camera gear to the value of AUD $10,000.

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News

Sony Strengthens APS-C Line-up with Launch of Two New Cameras

Posted on August 30, 2019

Sony has announced two new additions to its Alpha APS-C series of mirrorless cameras with the launch of the Alpha 6600 (model ILCE-6600) and Alpha 6100 (model ILCE-6100). These new additions to the range integrate Sony’s advanced full-frame technologies into compact and lightweight bodies including leading-edge autofocus performance, superb image quality and the very latest video technologies. The new Alpha 6600 has been designed to address the needs of the most demanding photographers and videographers with its versatility making it suitable for multiple types of shooting scenarios and users. The Alpha 6100 is targeted at users who are looking to make the step-up to shooting with interchangeable lens cameras and wish to shoot high-quality photos and videos in a variety of different situations.

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Profiles

Sarah Caldwell: Structure and Form

Posted on August 12, 2019

© Sarah Caldwell

Sarah Caldwell has photographed a remarkable number of incredible buildings around the world. This has been possible as a result of her job as a Boeing 777 captain for Air New Zealand, which sees her traversing the world at any given date or time. Over the past few years Sarah has built an exceptional portfolio of architectural imagery, and recently her photographic skill in this sphere was recognised at the 2019 NZIPP Iris Awards when she won the Commercial category.

Sarah has always had an interest in architecture, and having an uncle who was an architect helped foster her awareness of well designed buildings and structures. But it was a creative workshop Sarah attended in the United States that really got her into architectural photography. “I went on holiday in the United States — Los Angeles and New York — and then on to a creative workshop in Maine. We had to share a portfolio and I showed both landscape work and some architecture from Los Angeles and New York. I was encouraged to explore architecture,” she explains.

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