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Jul 2, 2024 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
The Olympus 8-25mm f/4 Pro lens is a wide-angle zoom lens built for the Micro Four Thirds format. With an impressive 16-50mm full-frame equivalent focal length, the Olympus 8-25mm f/4 Pro lens covers most landscape photography needs. It even acts as a nifty fifty when zoomed in, giving it an unusually wide range for everyday photography. With a maximum aperture of just f/4, it’s not the fastest lens in my bag, though. Do the pros outweigh the cons?
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Jun 21, 2024 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
Light is the basis of all photography, and the quality of light in your photo can make or break the image. Understanding the characteristics of light and how it interacts with your subject is essential for capturing captivating photographs. In this article, I will delve into the realm of soft and hard light, both for flash photography and natural light.
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Feb 17, 2024 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
Thousands of miles from their nearest iguanid relatives, and across the Pacific Ocean, live the marvelous, critically-endangered Fijian iguanas. I was fortunate to find and photograph two of these species during my time in Fiji. With their extreme rarity and remote populations, almost no high-quality photographs of wild specimens are published. In this trip report, I will share the adventure behind capturing these rare images, some of which the first of their kind.
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Dec 1, 2023 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
Utilizing a flash can be one of the best ways to take your photography to the next level. That said, I often see new photographers with a lot of potential become discouraged by the initial challenges of flash photography. Even experienced photographers make many of the same mistakes. That’s why I wrote this article – to share nine of the most common mistakes that I see photographers make when doing flash photography.
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Nov 3, 2023 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
Well, perhaps a better title for this article would be “when the Sun, the Moon, and some clouds align” as I will be sharing my experience photographing the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse! It’s a story of luck and coincidence, but also a story of being prepared for anything as a photographer. Some photos require months of planning, years of experience mastering the camera, learning the ins and outs of the subject, and the quick thinking under pressure.
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Sep 26, 2023 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
Is Milky Way photography possible with a Micro Four Thirds camera? I can confidently say yes – it is absolutely doable with a Micro Four Thirds camera. Is it ideal, or is it better than other formats? No, I definitely wouldn’t say so. However, it is absolutely worth shooting the Milky Way if you have a Micro Four Thirds camera! In this tutorial, I’ll show you how it’s done, from choosing your lens to making the most of post-processing software. What is Micro Four Thirds?
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Sep 4, 2023 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
Scientific photography bridges the intersection between art and science. It combines what I love about photography with the process of discovery, truth-seeking, and documentation. The end goal is not just to understand the world around us but to depict our discoveries in an inspirational way. Photography as a whole is incredibly vast. Photographers have the power to capture the essence of their surroundings through realism, or to take more artistic liberties with abstract photography.
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Aug 22, 2023 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
“How did you make that photo look like an x-ray?” It’s one of the questions I get asked most frequently, usually referring to one of the images below. The answer is that I get this x-ray effect by using fluorescent lighting while photographing some species of amphibian! Here’s a quick behind-the-scenes look into my process of shooting fluorescent, “x-ray” photos in the field. What Is Fluorescence?
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Aug 1, 2023 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
If you’ve considered starting underwater photography for the first time, maybe you were put off by how expensive and gear-intensive it can be. And it’s true – transitioning from taking photos on dry land to capturing stunning underwater images isn’t easy! It requires careful planning and strategic gear investments. That’s where this article will help.
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Jul 19, 2023 | 
photographylife.com | Nicholas J Hess
The Panasonic Lumix G9 is top-of-the-line Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera. It’s hard to think of another Micro Four Thirds camera that compares for still photography at under $1000. Even looking beyond Micro Four Thirds, the Panasonic Lumix G9 has a lot to offer for both enthusiasts and professionals in a compact size and price range. In this review, we will share our thoughts on this trusty camera on this trusty camera after years of use.
