#wide-angle zoom lens

[thephoblographer]

Approved for Video and Photos: Sony 28-135mm F4 G PZ OSS Review

What happens when you use a video lens for photos?

[donatellawritings]

“a’ight, now look directly into this camera and tell us your name, age, and where you’re from,” the cameraman speaks, his gold-ring clad hand carefully adjusting the zoom of the lens on the expensive camera as you sit on the crème colored couch with a cheesy smile, your swollen lips all glossed and glittery.

letting out a nervous giggle, you flip your blown out hair over your shoulder, gently adjusting your barely there skimpy bikini top to cover your hard nipples, “uh, you can call me angel,” you bat your cat-like lashes, before mushing your glossed lips together with a ‘pop’, “m’twenty-one, and i’m from carolina, puerto rico,” you seal with another shaky laugh, swallowing thickly as you steal a quick glance at the man behind the camera, he was a bit older than you, and very handsome — you couldn’t help but be a silly little school girl.

with a feigned-defeated sigh, the cameraman zooms in on your plump breasts, earning a wide grin from you as you playfully shimmy, allowing your perky tits to jiggle, “puerto rico, huh?” he chuckles, licking over his pink lips as you swiftly run your acrylic-nails finger across the pink-heart shaped pendant that dangled from your bellybutton piercing, “so fuckin’ pretty,” he comments, trailing the camera down to your lower half, focusing on the way the plush curves of your thighs and ass swallowed the flimsy fabric of your tiny boy shorts.

with a clearing of his throat, the cameraman brings the camera back up to your pretty little face, “is this y’first time getting fucked on camera, angel?” he asks, his voice heavy in greed as you nod immediately, “fuck — why don’t y’bend over for me and show me that cute little ass of yours,” he beckons, his eyes hanging low as you obediently stand from the couch.

you couldn’t ignore the goosebumps that rose on your skin as you turned away from the camera, before pulling your the thin cloth further up your fat ass cheeks, before bending over with a muffled giggle as you bit down into the chunk of your bottom lip, “look at that,” the cameraman ogled, letting out a throat groan as his warm and calloused hand suddenly cupped your asscheek, gently jiggling the supple skin.

“y’like it?” you questioned, glancing over your shoulder, letting out a surprised gasp as the cameraman’s hand abruptly slapped down onto your ass.

“i love it, angel— m’gonna open you up a bit, yeah?” he informs you, his eyes squinted as he crouches down onto one knee, carefully angling the camera lens at the crease where your puffy pussy and tight asshole met.

your nails slowly dug into the fabric of the couch as the cameraman’s thumb curled into your skin, pulling your asscheek apart, leaving your wet and eager holes exposed to the cold air conditioned environment of the casting room. you failed to hold back a low mewl as the tip of his thumb grazed over your glistening pussy.

“fuuuck, she’s so pretty,” he cooed, jiggling your asscheek once more, before standing firmly on his two feet as he closed the distance between you two, his jean-covered bulged pressed firmly against your ass, “y’gonna be a star, y’know that, angel?” he praises, holding the camera impressively still with one hand as he undoes the button of his jeans with the other, seamlessly slipping his hand under the waistband of his briefs as he releases his firm cock from its confines.

cutely, you wiggled your hips, your pouty lips plagued with a coy smile as your ass brushed against the flushed cameraman’s erect cock. your cute little act quickly came to a halt as he locked his hand around the dip of your waist, pushing his hips closer into you as his dick laid perfectly atop of your ass. a cocky chuckle left the man’s throat as he measured his dick, his mouth watering at how his tip surpassed the top of your ass and rested on your lower back.

your bambi eyes widened at the feeling of his length resting on you, your heart rate increasing as he pulled down your tiny shorts, revealing your bare ass and sweet pussy.

“m’gonna make you a star,” he huffed with a smile, before spitting a glob of warm saliva down the crack of your ass, lowering the camera to catch how it drooled down into your pussy, before tapping his flushed tip against your aching hole.

a squeaky moan left your lips as he slowly pushed into you, your sticky lips parted in pleasure as his flexed arm grips the the couch, your small hand closing over his forearm as the two of you let out satisfied moans. warmed tears were quick to brim around your waterline as he pushed his hips further into yours, the camera now close to your face.

“i love it,” you smiled, your lips stretch into a drunken grin as you pose for the camera, the sounds of the cameraman’s hips slapping into yours now muffled as you focused your fuck-me eyes on the camera.

you knew that you were always meant to be a superstar — no matter what it took, or who you’d meet along the way.

even if it was the eager cameraman who was fucking himself deep inside of you.

[eideticmemory]

ONLY ON CAMERA | MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER

Matthew convinces you to film a sex tape but it really doesn’t take a whole lot of convincing.

Word Count: 2.2k

Warning/Includes: Literal porn 😭 dedicated to and inspired by these gifs.

“Is it on?” you ask, tilting your head to get a good look at the clunky thing. Your eyes follow the camera back and forth, back and forth, only for Matthew to set it down in the exact spot he started.

“Yeah it’s on,” he nods, though he doesn't look at you directly. He steadies the camcorder on its tripod, instead watching you on the tiny screen. You’re wearing this dress that he’s decided must be captured on film. Memorialized. It cuts off at your thighs and the fabric is so thin that your nipples are flashing headlights. It’s off white, sheer. He would marry you in it. He would fuck you in it. And above all, what makes it so intoxicating is that you’re clearly oblivious to just how good you look. Casually propped on his bed, knees bent underneath your body, a small pout on your lips. He can’t help but break a smile, telling you, “You look so beautiful.”

Then suddenly, you’re not so oblivious anymore. Suddenly, you’re very conscious that you’re being recorded. Being watched. And so you blush, your lips curling up a shy smile. “Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah,” Matthew breathes out and he licks his lips like a dog. “Such a pretty little dress.”

“Oh, this old thing?” you giggle and it sends a rush of blood to his dick. “You like it?”

“Mmmhmmm,” he hums, zooming in on your chest, panning down your body. “Show me your legs.”

Your teeth sink into your lower lip as you take a proper seat on the bed, your legs dangling over the edge. Bashful, you watch Matthew focus the lens on your swaying feet, trailing up to your knees, zooming in on your thighs.

“I feel silly,” you tell him.

“No, baby, you’re doing so good,” he whispers, the camera now angled in on your face. Your wide and innocent eyes peering up at him. “You’re a natural.”

You smile and he captures the white in your teeth, the crinkle in your cheeks. He lingers over your collarbones, watches the air move in and out of your chest. Pushing your breasts up and down and up and down.

“Can you pull your dress up a little bit?” he murmurs, the camera slowly panning to your hips.

“Mhm,” you nod and hook your fingers underneath the hem. You push the fabric up your thighs and he stops you.

“Slower,” he watches. “Slower.”

So you slow down, inching the dress up bit by bit. You can feel the cold air pooling between your thighs, circulating over your panties. His breath catches in his throat at the sight and it’s the first time he looks at you. Not through the lens, not pictured on a tiny screen, but directly at you. Your eyes meet and it makes you so nervous that you stop what you’re doing entirely.

“You’re doing good,” he repeats. “You’re doing so good, baby. Take those off for me,” his eyes flicker between your legs. But only for a moment and then he’s looking at your pretty face. He can’t get enough of that pretty, pretty face.

“These?” you take hold of your panties, just to be sure.

“Mhm,” he nods. Again, licking his lips. He can’t help it, staring at you with his jaw agape. It makes his mouth quite dry. “Slowly.”

You duck your head as you push the seamless garment down your thighs, lifting yourself just enough that they move to your legs. “Slow down,” he says as they near your knees. “Oh yes, just like that. That’s perfect.”

They fall from your feet and Matthew pans the camera from the floor to your thighs, which you have spread just enough to leave something to the imagination. You look up at him as he zooms out, centering you in the frame.

“Should I…take my dress off, too?” you ask, so casually push one strap off your shoulder but he reacts like a victorian man who’s just seen an ankle. Sucking in a quick breath, exhaling it slowly.

“No,” he shakes his head. He flips the tiny screen around and finally - finally - he steps from behind the camera. Your heart rate increases quickly, suddenly, your eyes growing wide as he towers over you. “No, let’s keep the dress on.”

You nod. You say, “Okay,”and watch aimlessly as he kneels down in front of you. “Oh my,” you smile down at him.

He chuckles quietly, his hands planted at your side. “Give me a kiss,” he whispers to you and his mouth is already open and waiting. Begging.

So you ease your hands into his hair and lean in, gently planting your lips on his. His moan is almost immediate, vibrating against your teeth. “Come closer,” he says into your mouth and you submissively scoot down the bed, your knees locked under his arms. “Mhm,” he hums, sliding his tongue into your mouth. “Right there, that’s where I want you,” and his hands find their way underneath your dress, his clammy palms against your thighs.

You shudder, you don’t mean to, but you shudder under his touch and it’s so visceral that you have to laugh at yourself. You feel his smile mirrored against your lips.

“What are you being so shy for, hm?” Still, those hands underneath your dress. His teeth grazing your neck. Sinking into your collarbone.

“I’m not,” you run your hands down his chest. “I’m not,” you insist but you’re anxious as you undo the buttons on his shirt. You can feel his eyes lingering on your face and you avoid making contact, exhale a shaky breath as you push the clothing from his shoulders. Your hands run over his bare skin and his eyes roll to the back of his head, his neck croning back as you grab at his throat.

His mouth lands on yours as if pulled by a magnetic force, open and slimy, his hands gripping your waist. You take a strong hold of his face, etching fingerprints into his jaw, clawing at him just to keep him close. Your hands travel over his shoulders and down his back. You can feel the goosebumps on his spine. He releases the softest moan into your mouth and when he pulls himself away from you, your lips are soaked and dripping, begging to stay connected. He drops his jaw so you can spit in his mouth and you’re shy about it, but not too shy to do it. He swallows it and he smiles up at you because he knows that looked good on camera.

He sits back and it all happens so fast that when he grips onto your thighs, pulls you towards his face, all you can say is, “Oh!” And when he puts your pussy in the warmth of his mouth, it’s more like an “Ohhh.”

You nearly collapse on the bed but you brace yourself with your arm, your other hand grabbing a fistful of his hair. Matthew’s not holding back. A little bit of spit and a few swipes of his tongue and then he’s sucking on your clit, burying his face in you, starving. You squeal, the pleasure pulsing through your entire body, kicking out at the tip of your toes. You thrash against him, your legs wrap almost completely around his head but his grip on you is so tight. You’re not going anywhere.

And it’s the sounds you make that urge him on, the helplessness in your voice as he devours you, works his tongue on you, holds your firm against his mouth. You can’t stop your body from twitching. One jolt and you worry you’ll pull his hair out from the scalp but he doesn’t mind. Your hand lands on his shoulder quite harshly, a loud slap echoing throughout the room and he actually moans, grips onto you tighter as you dig your nails into his skin.

You tap him, quickly, harder than you mean to, his skin turning bright red at the force. Quivering, you whimper, “M-Matthew…fuck. Matthew.”

“Mhmmmm,” he responds, grunting as your thighs latch around his face, the sudden and deadly grip you take of his hair. The pitch in your voice rises. The subtle arch in your back rises. You call out to him again and again. And he pulls away.

You feel the loss immediately. You whine, looking down to meet his eyes and he’s grinning at you, drooling all over your thighs. He holds your wrist in his fist, planting sloppy kisses up your arm. “Should I stop?” he asks.

And you giggle. You giggle and lean into him and it’s so infectious that the both of you descend into giddy laughter. He smiles into another kiss with you, exhaling slowly as you taste yourself on his lips. You lean back, spread your legs, and watch him take hold of your thighs once again.

“I thought so,” he says and then he’s back at it.

Your body has no more fight left in it. Once Matthew starts, just slowly moving his tongue in circles, you feel the pressure building immediately. You bite down on your lip, give him a quiet, “Mhm,” and throw your head back. As you straighten yourself back up, you come face to face with the camera. You remember its presence in the room. You can see yourself trapped in the little screen in front of you. And once you see yourself, you can’t stop watching.

You run your hands down Matthew’s back, watching. Your jaw drops and your eyes get hooded but still, you’re watching. Directly to the camera, you say, “I’m gonna come.” It’s weird watching the words form in your mouth but you can’t stop them. Weird that Matthew has no idea you’re doing it, but you know it’s exactly what he’d want. “I’m gonna come, baby.”

He digs his nails into the flesh of your hips, his tongue quickening in pace, his mouth open and ready. Underneath your constant noise, he’s humming in delight, sending vibrations through your spine. You watch yourself come undone, watch the life leave your body, the way your arms struggle to hold you up any longer. And when you finally reach your peak, you give Matthew one big, loud moan as you collapse on the mattress, squeezing his head between your thighs.

Your legs get tangled and twisted, thrashing against his face but he pins your hips down, sucks you dry. You whimper, you push at his head, pull at his hair. But he doesn’t stop until he’s ready and he kisses all over your limp body. Kisses your belly through the fabric of your dress. Gropes your breasts, feels the sweat all over your skin. When he finally reaches your lips, you kiss him back as much as you can through your heavy breathing and you punctuate it with a smile.

“You still with me?” he touches your face.

You sigh softly, melting into his palm, poking your tongue out to lick his thumb. “I’m with you.”

“Good,” he kisses you. “Good. That’s my girl.” He stands up and begins to undo his pants, your eyes shamelessly focused on his crotch. His eyes are targeting your pretty, pretty face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m not,” you avert your eyes, chuckling. “I’m not looking at you,” you tell him, looking away while he climbs in bed beside you. “I’m not-ah!” you exclaim, suddenly pulled into his arms.

He perches you in his lap, your legs hanging off the bed, your hands planted on his thighs to keep you in place. His arm is wrapped tight around your waist, his other hand holding your face, turning you towards him so he can kiss you. And kiss you and kiss you. Nibbling softly on his shoulder, your eyes meet on screen and he gives you a smile. “Look at you up there,” he cooes and you chuckle, innocently grinding your hips on his cock. His breath hitches in his throat, his hand slowly running down your chest and your tummy. “God, look at you.”

He releases you just enough so you can sit properly, his cock sliding into you, stretching you out so perfectly that your head falls back on his shoulder. Still, he watches you, he drinks you in, breathing heavily into your ear. “You alright?” he whispers.

“Yes,” you breathe out, slowly rocking your hips. “Oh god, yes.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm,” you squeak. “F-fuck.”

“Oh, baby,” he moans. “That’s it,” his hand wraps around your throat. “Look at the camera,” he orders and you can see him smiling the moment you do.

“There she is,” he whispers, cut off by a deep groan. “There’s my pretty girl. Hi.”

“Hi,” you pant, your hips increasing in speed, your legs buckling underneath you. You dig your nails into his skin, your strength depleting by the second. Still, you pick up the pace, watching how the ecstasy spreads across his face.

“Mhm,” he nods, tightening his hand around your throat, just a bit. “Mhm,” he whimpers. “Mhm, mhm. Oh, fuck.”

You reach back and take hold of his hair, the sweat sealing your bodies together so closely that you think you may never separate. You never want to. Your back arches against his body and he pulls you back in, bucks his hips into yours without much thought.

“Oh, baby, you’re amazing. You’re so fucking incredible. Fuck,” the praises flow out of him like he just can’t stop. He nibbles on your face and the bass of his moans sends shivers down your spine. Almost as casually, he starts to rub your clit. You cry out, instantly overstimulated, trembling so hard that you nearly fall from his lap but his arm is locked around you. “Mm-mm, you’re okay,” he rubs you softly. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Give me a kiss.”

You try. You do, but your mouth is wide open so instead his tongue wrestles with yours, he chews on your bottom lip. You grip onto his wrist, whimpering into his mouth. He takes the opportunity to rub you faster, harder, putting pressure on that one spot that makes you clamp your thighs shut. You grind your teeth together but the force is too much and all the air in your lungs is coming out in cries. Loud and uncontrollable, punctuated with a weak, “M-Matthew…mm, Matthew…”

“Yeah, baby?” and he laughs when your head rolls back. He kisses your shoulder, “You gonna come for me again?”

“Mhm. Yes. Yes,” it comes out like a mantra. “Yes, yes, yes.”

“Show me,” he begs. “Show the camera. C’mon, show that pretty face.”

You sit up, making eye contact with him very briefly before you look into the camera lense, keeping the rhythm in your hips, grinding yourself against his hand. “Mm…” you whine. “Oh…I-I’m…”

“I know,” he says, cradling your face, concentrating on stimulating your clit. Watching you fall apart on screen. “I know, it’s okay. Let it out.”

You claw at his wrist, you do your best to maintain eye contact with the camera, encouraged by the way he’s watching you. Rubbing you, holding you by your throat. He feels your thighs tighten around his hand and he grunts, “Almost, baby. C’mon. Mhm, c’mon.”

Your moans come out through gritted teeth, your eyes screwed shut, your hips on autopilot. When your legs scrunch up into your body, he keeps you steady, he keeps the motion going, watching, waiting. And he keeps talking to you, “Mhm, that’s it. Just like that. Oh, let it out, baby. Give it to me,” he pleads. “Give it to me.”

You would’ve said his name again but he touches you just right, plunges into you just right and you come so hard that you forget how to speak. Nothing but a loud and deep cry, accompanied by the uncontrollable tremors that thrash through your body. Your legs kicking and kicking, your thighs crushing his hand that continues to rub you. He only stops because you fall back, out of his arms, onto the bed and then he’s laughing.

“Always drama with you, pretty lady,” he chuckles, letting you fall onto the mattress. This angle simply just won’t work so he grabs you and pulls you towards him, your side profile now fully displayed in front of the camera. “You okay?” he asks, his thumb touching your lips.

“Mhm,” you nod with two of his fingers in your mouth. You grab his wrist and then his elbow and taking the hint, he climbs on top of you with a messy kiss. He hooks your legs over his shoulders and when you put your hands on his face, refusing to let him break away, he puts his cock inside of you and the pressure makes you gasp. “Oh, fuck. You feel so good,” and it’s evident in the way he starts to pound you. Like it’s consuming him. “Oh my god.”

He buries his face in your neck and you have a good view of your feets flying around in the air. The headboard smacking into the wall. As he begins to kiss all over your jaw, you moan and look over at the camera. You flash it with a great big smile, your arms wrapped tight around Matthew’s shoulders, the dirty sounds of his echoing around your skull.

“Fuck, baby, I’m so close.”

“Yeah, my love?” you run your hand through his hair.

He props himself up, boxing you in between his arms so he can stare at you. You touch his chest and you can feel his breathing nearly stop. “Mhm,” he whimpers, nuzzling his nose into yours. “Just keep looking at me. Look at me, baby.”

And you give him the same smile you’d given the camera, so big and bright that he can’t help but smile in return. “Yes, pretty girl. Just like that,” and he inches closer to you, the rough movement in his hips getting sloppier, jagged. “Oh [y/n], baby,” he moans. “I’m gonna come. Oh, you’re so good. You’re so good. Fuck.”

You reach for him, you want to hold him but he pulls back, pulls his cock out of you and looks you in the eye as he makes a big mess on your stomach. You can’t tear your eyes away from him but you feel the warmth soaking through your rumpled clothes and your jaw drops in shock. Panting, you watch his head roll back and his mouth wide open while he groans, his hand tugging at his leaky cock.

You huff and look down at your body, exclaiming, “My dress!”

His face, beating bright red, looks you up and down and all he has to say for himself is, “Oopsie?”

You kick him gently and he cackles, pushing your leg out of the way so he can lay on top of you, kiss you. And kiss you. And kiss you. He grins as he turns his attention back to the camera, “Well. Take a bow.”

You giggle and, as much as you can while trapped underneath him, you sway your arm dramatically. That’s all the bow you can muster. He kisses your cheek and the camera keeps rolling. It captures at least another fifteen minutes of nothing but you, Matthew, your dress and your mouths. Constantly connected.

[rottin6]

mdni. 18+ | pornstar jegulus.

“m’gonna make you a star.”

james adjusts the lens of his camera, zooming in on the new boy’s lips, catching the way he darts his tongue out to taste the gloss. the younger boy nervously giggles underneath him, resting back on the bed on his elbows, batting his eyelashes. james’ eyes are wide above him, a wide grin on his face. “gonna make you a real fuckin’ star.” he repeats, his knee lowering down on the bed as he positions the camera right, grabbing the other boy by his jaw. “look here, sweets, ‘n’ tell us your name and age, hm?”

regulus bites down on his lower lip, his eyes low as he looks into the camera, taking a sneaking glance at the man behind the camera. he runs his hands over his body, his fingers rubbing at his nipples, “well, uh, you can call me baby.” he licks his lips once more, relishing under the camera and the eyes of the man behind. “and i’m nineteen.” he seals with a little kiss at the camera, gulping nervously.

“nineteen, is that right?” james mutters with a light shake of his head. “just a fuckin’ baby, aren’t you?” he kneels further down on the bed, his hand coming into the view of the camera as his fingers reach out for regulus’ throat, wrapping around and pushing him down off his elbows. the camera zooms in on his nipples, following his fingers that play with the piercings then move to the silver pendant that hangs off a chain around his neck. “so goddamn pretty.” james comments, not knowing if it’s for the camera or himself. 

the camera’s back on his face soon enough, james removing the grip he has on regulus’ throat and reaching up to stroke his cheek softly. he plunges his thumb into his mouth then, no warning given, and regulus takes it in. he sucks on it, his tongue licking all around for the camera but his eyes are on james. “good boy.” james murmurs before pulling his thumb out and lightly hitting the side of his face. “bend over f’me, yeah? show everyone what you’re hiding under these little shorts.”

regulus brings his finger to his mouth, wiping off the saliva with a slow nod. he turns over on the bed, hands reaching behind him to pull the thin fabric higher up his ass. he shows off the curve, his head buried in the pillow below him as he lets out a slight giggle. he hears a tut from behind him and james sucks in a breath, his hand slapping down on the flesh. “look how pretty he is.” he murmurs, his rough hand stroking over regulus’ shorts before pushing the fabric aside. “y’doing so good, baby, just gonna open you up, yeah?”

james angles the camera lens down at himself, his hand reaching into the waistband of his jeans while he balances the camera on his shoulder. he pulls out his thick cock and it makes a sloppy sound when it springs out. regulus releases a shaky breath, his back arching, preparing himself. “this your first time getting fucked on camera, pretty?” james murmurs, his hand slicking over his cock, pumping it a few times as he aligns it with regulus’ dripping hole. the younger boy nods, his nails digging into the bedsheets. “fuck—just, hold on, baby.” 

james holds the camera up, the only sound being the shitty air conditioning of the casting room and his heavy breathing. he bends slightly, spreading regulus’ asscheeks before grazing the tip of his thumb over the hole, not yet shoving it inside. instead, he circles over the area, rubbing it softly and then some more. he curses when the cloth of his shorts falls back and gets in the way so he pulls them off, prepping his cock now. he rubs over it a couple times, a coy smile on his lips when he sees regulus wiggle his hips for the camera. he lifts his cock, resting it on regulus’ back almost like a measurement to see how deep he’ll fit inside and he lets out a throaty chuckle. he holds the tip of his dick, watching through the lens, skimming over the boy’s dripping hole before forcing it inside. he lets out a low grunt when he hears regulus moan softly, watching the way his head falls further into the pillow, muffling his noises. 

“gonna make you a fuckin’ star, baby.” james huffs out, his thrusts increasing in pace as he lifts the camera when regulus looks behind, lips stretching into a teasing smile with his eyes all glossy.

[sepdet]

First light from ESA's new Euclid space telescope with an ultra high-res, wide-angle lens to map the structures of the universe, helping astronomers study dark matter/energy.

Perseus Cluster of Galaxies

This Moon-sized patch of sky looks back ten billion light-years and shows about 100,000 galaxies, plus some stars from our own galaxy (points with diffraction spikes).

The cluster's Y shape reveals the gravitational influence of dark matter filaments, the web of the universe which until now was too big to fit in any telescope's view.

The Hidden Galaxy (IC 342)

Euclid took only 5 hours to peer through the thickest part of our own galaxy edge-on and capture this galaxy hidden behind it.

Its spiral shape gives us an idea what the Milky Way would look like from above. The image is false color: red has been shifted towards blue so infrared can be shifted up to red we can see.

Irregular Dwarf Galaxy NGC 6822

Just 1.6 million light-years from Earth, this little companion to the Milky Way is so close that until now it could only be captured in low res by ground telescopes or zoomed in to just one small part by Webb or Hubble.

It has a lot of old, low-metal, first-generation stars that can help astronomers study the universe's history.

Globular Star Cluster NGC 6397

It looks similar to a dwarf galaxy, but is much smaller and closer at just 7800 light-years away, and it's within the Milky Way. Perturbations of its outer stars in streaks and waves give clues about gravitational interactions within the Milky Way.

Again, other telescopes can't see the whole cluster in any detail, both because of its size and the high contrast between the bright center and faint outer stars, which would take Hubble hours to capture. Euclid imaged both in just an hour.

The Horsehead Nebula

This smear of dust lies in the larger star-forming region of the Orion Nebula just below Orion's belt. It's one of the most busy star nurseries in our vicinity, just 1375 light-years away.

Euclid's resolution is such that close study of this one-hour exposure should reveal many baby stars, brown dwarfs, and young Jupiter-mass planets.

[michaelnordeman]

would you mind giving info about your camera gear? I very much enjoy your pictures and was wondering what you use.

Thank you!

My go-to camera, especially during the summer, is a Canon EOS 80D. I also own a Canon 6D Mark II, which I tend to use more during winter and on dark, cloudy, or rainy days. As for lenses, I use a zoom lens, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, for distant shots. Additionally, I frequently use a 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens for capturing close-up shots of flowers, plants, and insects. I've been using these cameras and lenses for many years, and I know them very well. Like family, I tend to argue with them from time to time ("Focus!", "No, it's NOT too dark!", "Why don’t you learn to communicate like a normal person?!" etc.), but I always love them no matter what.

I also have a wide-angle lens. Unfortunately, my zoom lens is beyond repair, and I'll have to replace it eventually, but I just can't afford it right now. I can still use it, but the quality of the pictures is not as good as it used to be (at least not in every situation). I find myself arguing with it even more than before, but it won't listen to reason.

All the best, Michael

[thoughtfulchaos773]

The truth is through the lens

Just another scene analysis. Right now, I'm obsessed with this scene for the close shot placed on Carmy when Sydney says, Tell Claire I said thank you then. From there, we zoom in on Carmy's face. Remember how close shots can heighten the anxiety?

I love the close shots with Carmy because we catch every nuance in his facial expressions, revealing how he feels whenever he disagrees with Sydney and/or showing us exactly what he feels for Claire.

Usually, Syd and Carmy's disagreements are evenly placed(best I can describe). It's usually a wide shot where Sydney and Carmy are on camera at the same time (ex., the 1x06 argument, the 2x03 argument, and even 1x07).

But this particular camera angle switches between Sydney and Carmy, signaling that their argument has two different sides.

Another similar choice with switching sides and a close-up shot for Carmy and Sydney is 2x10 (refire the sets). Now, what do these arguments have in common? The focus of their disagreement is Claire.

Perhaps this choice in angles shows that Carmy gets anxious when the thought of Claire shows up. Example? A zoom-in on Carmy when Richie and Mikey say they saw Claire. It's the difference between Claire and Sydney, telling us how he feels about both of them.

Another close-up shot regarding claire? The kitchen scene.

This is what pro-Claire/Carmy fans can't get. It's the subtext in the sweet nothings Carmy has to say to her. The contrast in their scenes with zoom-ins and heartbreaking songs elicits a cold and anxious response regarding their relationship (that's the feeling we should get if you're really watching) Ex. of the opposite? The love scene that should have the same sparks flying as 2x05, but instead, we get a song about death and blue lighting.

But I digress.

Here's another thing in common between this argument and 2x10 besides the central focus being Claire and Carmy getting anxious about her? Sydney calms him each time.

Notice it goes back to a wide shot when the argument stops.

Why would the writers contrast how Carmy feels for Sydney vs Claire if this is a strict work relationship between Sydney and Carmy?

This show touches all angles to tell us how Sydney makes him feel.

In a show that mostly tells us of Carmy's emotions through contrast, Sydney plays not just the woman who calms Carmy, but she calms the viewers as we go through this rollercoaster. Sydney's character gets to the heart of the matter, and with her, we hear Carmy's true thoughts even if he is suffering from a panic attack. There's a serenity with Sydney.

The heart of this scene? Since the main obstacle with Carmy is anxiousness, the show tells us Carmy is beating this obstacle with Sydney, the same silence he felt when he focused on cooking in the past and got away from his family. When he focuses on Sydney, everything else fades away and they've told us this through dialogue, cinematography, and sound.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Because I had headcanon that Color is Autistic and has developed special interests in things such as photography, travel, maybe even things like social advocacy.

Maybe even philosophy and psychology. For now, in this posts, I’ll focus on the big two: photography and traveling. (I will also touch on how Color’s physical disability, chronic fatigue, his autism, and perhaps his ptsd/ separation anxiety from Killer also effect his ability to engage in his interests in another post.)

I think he’d develop some decent if not above average technical knowledge, such as camera types and functions. Detailed understanding of different types of cameras (DSLR, mirrorless, point-and-shoot, medium format, etc.) and their specific functions.

Knowledge about various lenses (prime, zoom, wide-angle, telephoto, macro) and their applications. Mastery of camera settings like ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and how to manipulate them for different lighting conditions and artistic effects.

In-depth understanding of how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO interact to create a properly exposed photograph. Proficiency in using software like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or other photo editing tools for post-processing and enhancing images.

He’d learn about artistic elements such as composition techniques, lighten and color theory. Develop a familiarity with compositional rules like the rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, symmetry, and how to creatively break these rules.

Knowledge about natural and artificial lighting, how to use light to create mood and depth, and techniques like backlighting, side lighting, and using reflectors. Understanding of how colors interact, complementary colors, and how to use color to convey emotion and direct viewer attention.

Awareness of different photography styles (portrait, landscape, macro, street, documentary, astrophotography, etc.) and genres, and what makes each unique.

Knowledge about influential photographers and their work, such as Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Annie Leibovitz, and contemporary photographers.

Understanding the evolution of photography, from daguerreotypes to digital photography, and significant milestones in the field. Awareness of current trends in photography, popular styles, and emerging technologies.

And, of course, he’d develop and grow practical experiences and hands on practice. Experience with on-location shoots, managing different weather conditions, and adapting to various shooting environments.

Knowledge about how to properly maintain and clean camera equipment to ensure longevity and optimal performance. Skills in troubleshooting common issues like lens flare, sensor dust, or focus problems.

He’d have a deep enthusiasm for specific techniques or subjects he enjoys photographing, whichever or whatever you all think those could be exactly.

Likely to have personal photography projects, well-organized portfolios, and possibly an online presence showcasing their work. Extensive collection of books, articles, videos, and tutorials related to photography.

A special interest in traveling, in addition to photography, would manifest in the character in several ways, showcasing their passion and extensive knowledge about various aspects of travel. Here are some specific aspects:

For his interest in travel, he’d be very well versed in the planning and research process. Color might create comprehensive travel itineraries, meticulously planning each day's activities, routes, and schedules.

He might gradually develop an extensive knowledge about various travel destinations, including historical sites, natural landmarks, cultural attractions, and lesser-known gems.

He’d display a proficiency in booking flights, accommodations, and transportation, as well as understanding visa requirements, travel insurance, and local regulations.

An expertise in packing efficiently, knowing what to bring for different climates and activities, and how to pack photography gear safely for travel. Color is likely to show a very deep and profound appreciation for different cultures, learning basic phrases or even fluency in multiple languages to better communicate while traveling.

He’d definitely show a deep interest in trying and understanding local cuisines, knowing popular dishes, and even recipes from various regions. He’d have at least some knowledge about local customs, traditions, festivals, and etiquette to respect and immerse themselves in different cultures.

He’d certainly develop some geographical and historical knowledge, with a detailed understanding of world geography, maps, and the ability to navigate using traditional maps as well as digital tools.

Knowledge about the history of the places he visits, including significant events, historical figures, and the cultural evolution of the region.

He might maintain detailed travel logs or journals documenting his experiences, including photos, notes, and personal reflections. He’d definitely collect souvenirs, postcards, or other memorabilia from his travels; often gifting them to beloved friends.

He’d probably engage with travel communities, forums, and social media groups to share experiences and gain insights.

This special interest would possibly lead to him gaining a lot of practical skills, such as in budget management. Expertise in budgeting for travel, finding deals, and managing expenses effectively.

He might display an ability to adapt to different environments, handle unexpected situations, and problem-solve while on the go.

Although it’d probably be harder for him than most, particularly if he has a harder time handling and dealing with change—especially if the change is unexpected and unplanned.

Knowledge about staying healthy while traveling, such as understanding local healthcare options, vaccinations, and travel safety tips.

He’d like combine both interests by using his photography skills to capture stunning images of the places he visits, creating travel blogs or photo albums to document his journeys.

He might create photo essays or visual stories that capture the essence of the cultures and places he explores. Share his travel experiences and recommendations with others, possibly through writing travel guides, blogs, or social media content.

All this is to say that Killer would definitely encourage Color to come with him to explore abandoned places and ghost towns, and Color’s going to be so overjoyed he starts hand flapping. He’s going to take so many pictures, he’s going to remember it forever.

[hiskillingjar]

ugh your kinktober fics ruled so hard!!! Also, if you were up for taking requests, could I request some fox streaming mc with humiliation/general nastiness. I really loved the parts that touched on that for day 29

thank youuuuu and i gotcha ✌

1000+ words, fox/mc, third person. is it humiliation if you're too dumb to be embarrassed? the world may never know. cw for coerced consent :P

"You know what happens, folks! If we get to three hundred tokens in the next hour, I'll turn up the Sybian another notch!"

Fox grinned widely as he watched the subject writhe helplessly on top of the heavy-duty toy, their thick, parted thighs trembling wildly as their hips bucked against the vibrating rubber, desperate and hungry for more.

Thick chains and shackles around their wrists kept their arms held high above their head, and a metal ring between their teeth reduced any pleas or beggings for mercy into mindless mumbles and spittle down their chin and their heaving chest, ample breasts bouncing and moving in time with each of their erratic thrusts.

His own private porno, that he was being so gracious and sharing with hundreds, if not thousands of happily paying viewers.

Seeing such a mindless display of desperation would have been humiliating for anyone, especially when it was played back in real-time in front of their wide, waiting eyes on three full-size computer screens, each screen fixated on a different angle of their naked, shaking body, not an inch of skin left behind or not scrutinised over.

But not for this subject,

Their dead, thoughtless eyes were fixed on a fourth, smaller screen on Fox's computer desk, which was playing their favourite loop of endless VHS static, keeping them in a blissful haze of conditioned thoughtlessness and ignorance, no longer a mind but a body, a body built for service and submission, a vessel for pleasure and delicious pain.

Speaking of which…

"Ah, there we are, three hundred tokens already." Fox mused to himself, turning his attention onto the computer screen with a hidden grin, smiling even wider when the number of tokens kept ticking upwards, showing him just how eager his audience were. "My, my, we're an eager bunch today, aren't we? Of course, I had no doubt we'd get there with plenty of time to spare. I have total faith in my lovely audience!"

Fox let out a playful huff through his nose as he approached the subject, tilting his head as an involuntary spasm shot through their body, making it still and shiver mindlessly on top of the buzzing toy.

"Well, you know what comes next, darling," He crooned, pushing a hand through the subject's hair (for the sake of the camera more than anything else, since they were past the point of feeling any sensation other than the toy between their legs) as he crouched down at their side and turned up the notch on the toy. "Up we go!"

The subject squealed helplessly as their writhing body thrashed on top of the toy, the rumbling vibrations getting louder and louder as they were gradually inched up, vibrating against and stimulating their sopping wet cunt even more.

"God, I hope you can all see that," Fox mumbled hungrily (mostly to himself), hurrying to stand to his feet and take a smaller camera from its tripod, bringing the lens down to his level at the subject's side and zooming in on the wet mound of their slit. The wet sheen of pre-cum totally covered the short fuzz of pubic hair over their mound, their thighs, and the rubber top of the Sybian. "Just look at that, would you?" He said, indulgently running his tongue over his jaws under his metal mask, getting all the more hungry himself. "And not a single thought behind those eyes but getting their cunt wet. Fuck."

He idly palmed himself under his trousers, squeezing as his cock grew harder and harder at the sight of the subject as the camera panned up to their sweaty face.

Their eyes (empty, expressionless, like glass eyes embedded in porcelain or plastic, a doll's eyes) were still glued ahead and fixed on the static, dazed and totally thoughtless, giving away not even an inch of interest towards their audience (or towards Fox) as they huffed desperate little whimpers and whines against the metal ring gag, still drooling thick strings of spittle down their chest.

It was utterly pornographic, but Fox didn't mind that at all. In fact, he'd found that he enjoyed the nature of these streams, even a little more than his last ones.

At least, the clientele wasn't as pushy.

"They don't even have the good grace to be embarrassed about what they're doing," Fox then rasped as he set the camera down on the ground (what would one fucked up angle do, really?) and reached forward to hungrily grope the subject's chest, indulging in their luxuriously smooth skin and the heavy weight of their breast in his palm. "Too dumb, too stupid to even be humiliated. God…" He dragged a claw over the blooming bud of their freshly pierced nipple, giving it a little squeeze. "Can you even imagine how good it would feel sinking your cock into a dumb, little doll like this, that doesn't even have the brain to fight back?"

"Upmff-NNF!"

The subject whined loudly again as another vicious spasm overtook their body, the muscles in their soft thighs tensing up and their thoughtless eyes squeezing shut suddenly, as a sudden gush of liquid shot from their cunt and covered the rubber surface of the Sybian, marking another orgasm earned from their endless torture.

"HA!"

Fox brought his head up with a bark-like laugh, looking over his shoulder to see an explosion of excitement and emojis in the chat, message after message coming in, barely seconds after each other.

"Oh, wow! How impressive! Tell me, was that the third time they came or am I miscounting?" He asked them, ever the attentive showman for his audience, standing back up to his feet and approaching the computer, where the chat was confirming a third orgasm from the subject (and their obvious enjoyment of the display). "Well, well. How sweet, they can't even hold back for a second, can they?" He let out an airy titter as he started to palm his cock again.

"So, you all certainly know what comes next, don't you? If we get to FIVE hundred tokens in the next hour, I'll turn up the Sybian another notch!~"

[thefrogman]

Hey there,

I'm interested in getting involved into a hobby level of natural photography. I was wondering what a good intermediate camera, and what top 3 lens (if any) you'd recommend. I love using my cellphone but some shots, like birds riding thermals or looking at a specific spot for a long time to get a good shot just isn't as easy with a phone. I intend to shop around and see if I can play with different things, but getting an entry level start point would be great.

Thanks!!

I'm going to assume you mean nature photography due to you mentioning birds. That does cover a lot of different things so it's hard to give you a great recommendation without more details. Your budget range and some more examples of what you'd like to photograph can help me help you a little better.

That said, I can give you an example of a general nature setup that I might suggest. I can't say if this exact system is a good fit for you without more information, but it can get you started in your research.

The big problem with nature is distance. A lot of the critters you may want to photograph are skittish and it is hard to get close enough to them and the big telephoto lenses can get quite expensive. There are superzooms that will technically work, but a lot of times their optical quality is not good enough to get artistic-quality shots. They would be more for documenting that you saw a thing rather than capturing a pretty shot of the thing. So if you see a zoom lens that goes from 100-600mm or 80-400mm... just anything with an extensive range... typically those are going to be low quality optics.

A trick to get a bit more range is to get a slightly smaller sensor. If you get an APS-C camera, it will essentially give you 1.5x additional zoom with every lens. But you sacrifice some dynamic range and low light ability. So dark scenes or scenes that are both very bright and very dark could be a challenge.

A very popular wildlife camera body is the Canon 7D mark II. It has a pretty advanced focusing system for a DSLR and can be found for a decent price on the used market.

You could get a 24-70mm f/4 lens for your general purpose photography. This can get wide angle shots for vistas and forests and also zoom in if you need to.

Perhaps a 100mm macro lens for taking pictures of bugs and flowers and mushrooms. But it is also slightly telephoto so you can capture some birds, larger mammals, and even take portraits of people too.

And then the Canon 400mm f/5.6 prime is a classic bird lens that is fairly telephoto, has good optics, and won't explode your budget.

And just because it is so dang inexpensive for what you get, the 50mm f/1.8 "Nifty Fifty" is always a good idea to get just so you have something that can work in very low light.

That would cover a pretty large swath of subject matter if you were to head into the wilderness to capture what you saw.

[sirfrogsworth]

This might sound like a weird question, but have you ever come across a camera with a Bird Watching setting? I have an Olympus SP-800UZ and one of the modes it comes programmed with is literally called that, for taking pictures of birds in the wild.

As someone whose special interest is birds, I love this setting and use it a LOT, but I've never been able to find another camera with a setting like it, and at some point I told myself I didn't want to replace the camera until I could find one with a similar setting.

The reason I ask is because I've been following for a while, and I've come to respect your opinions on photography.

I tried researching your camera and figuring out what exactly the bird watching mode does and even the official manual did not say. If I were to guess, it just sets the camera up with certain parameters that are usually ideal for photographing birds, but I don't think it does anything special that other cameras can't do. You would just have to set a different camera up to those parameters rather than the camera doing it for you.

If I were to guess, it probably enables a certain autofocus mode for small subjects and limits how slow the shutter speed can go so you don't get motion blur when very zoomed in.

However, I know exactly which features are important to get good bird photos, so as long as the camera has the following features, you don't really need a dedicated bird mode. Though if a camera has a "pet mode" it would probably work similarly to the bird mode you are used to.

Most important bird photography features...

Good autofocus

Good zoom range

Image stabilization (Either optical or sensor, not digital)

Autofocus has come a long way in the last few years. It's difficult to assess the autofocus from specifications alone, so you will probably need to rely on reviews to know if the camera locks in on subjects well. Some cameras have pet and wildlife autofocus features that can be very helpful in tracking smaller subjects like birds. So I would look out for any camera that has a pet autofocus mode or a review that says it locks onto smaller subjects well—even if they don't mention birds. If it can lock onto a chihuahua, it can usually do so with a bird too.

Birds and wildlife in general tend to get spooked easily and it is often difficult to get close without them running or flying away. So having a longer zoom range can really help you keep your distance and not startle your subject. I would say the minimum focal length for getting good bird shots is around 300mm (on a full frame camera). Some cameras only quantify their zoom by magnification (20x, 30x, 40x, etc.) and don't really say what that is in relation to. So focal length is a better metric to assess how zoomy a lens is. 10-35mm would be wide angle. 50mm is about like our eyes. 100mm is slightly telephoto. And 300mm and above would be very telephoto.

You may need to google the focal range equivalent to a full frame 35mm camera. So you would search "[camera model] 35mm equivalent focal range" to figure that out. And as long as it goes past 300mm, it might be a good candidate for birding.

When you have a camera that zooms in that far, any movement will be exaggerated—especially if you have naturally shaky hands. Not only can that introduce motion blur into your images, but it can make it very difficult to track your subject. Looking through the viewfinder will result in a wiggly mess and you won't know what you are pointing the camera at.

Image stabilization helps negate that exaggerated movement.

There are 3 kinds of stabilization. First is optical, which is built into the lens with a floating glass element. Then there is sensor stabilization (often called IBIS for "in-body image stabilization") which allows the sensor to shift and move to counteract any motion introduced by your hands. And the last form is digital stabilization which is done using the camera's software.

The first two are physical solutions that can adjust on the fly much like a chicken's head.

The digital solution is mostly just fancy image cropping. It zooms in a tiny bit on your image and then aligns a continuous crop to give the appearance of a stable image.

The lens and the sensor are still a jiggling mess, but this constant cropping allows you to see the illusion of a stable image in your viewfinder and in the videos you take. And while this is very helpful for tracking subjects and capturing video footage, it will not help you negate motion blur—which is why the other two methods are preferred for still photography.

Bigger cameras can often forego stabilization because the zoom lenses are bigger and heavier and don't shake as much and they let in a lot more light so you can raise your shutter speed to freeze motion. It's still nice to have, and if you have IBIS and optical stabilization combined on a big camera you can almost take pictures in the dark without camera shake, but all of those conveniences can get costly.

The camera you have now is called a "bridge" camera or a "superzoom". These are (relatively) inexpensive cameras that use a smaller smartphone-style sensor but with a more classic camera body surrounding it and a non-changeable lens. Small sensors have one big advantage where if you put a zoom lens in front of them, they can see from Alaska to Russia.

For instance, your camera has an 840mm equivalent lens. That is near telescopic.

For reference, this is what an 800mm lens looks like for a full frame professional camera.

It weighs 10 pounds and costs about $13,000.

Granted the image quality of that lens is in another universe compared to your superzoom, but if you are mostly interested in documenting the birds you are encountering, a superzoom is a neat tool to have. It's like digital binoculars.

So I guess the question is, do you just want to document your bird adventures or do you want to delve into artistic bird photography?

You can upgrade to a nicer superzoom and get some improved clarity and ease-of-use features, which is totally valid. You could even get a "premium" superzoom that can do artistic bird photography in ideal lighting conditions.

Or if you go with a more professional interchangeable lens camera system (ILC), you can achieve some stunning artistic photos like these...

Freezing a bird midflight while catching a fish is just not really feasible with a basic superzoom.

Let's talk about the advantages and disadvantages of a superzoom bridge camera as compared to a more professional ILC setup.

Superzoom Pros

No learning curve. These cameras are designed for novice photographers and have very good automatic functions. You can pretty much pull them out of the box and start taking pictures without knowing the fundamentals of photography.

Incredible zoominess. You can get amazing zoom power for a fraction of the price.

Budget friendly. The top of the line superzoom camera is still only about $1500 as compared to the top of the line mirrorless ILC (for wildlife) which is $6500 *without* a lens. And the lower to mid range superzooms are even more affordable, especially if you consider used options.

Superzoom Cons

Noisy images in low light. These cameras are mostly suited for bright sunny days. The small sensors and cheaper lenses do not capture very much light. In more challenging lighting situations you will tend to get very noisy images due to using a high ISO to compensate.

Inconsistent image quality. Under the best of circumstances, you can get some really beautiful photographs. But when you push the camera to its extremes, the image quality can start to deteriorate. Low light causes noise. The more you zoom in, the softer your images will get. Low megapixels limit your options to crop in on far away subjects—which is often an issue with wildlife.

Deep depth of field. A lot of bird photographers like using shallow depth of field to blur the background so the bird really stands out in the photo. Small sensors can have a very hard time blurring the background unless the subject is quite far away and you are zoomed all the way in. But when you are all the way zoomed in, the image can get soft and lack detail. So you trade image quality for a blurry background.

Lack of professional features and accessories. There are many advanced features that can make bird photography much easier. Some cameras have advanced motion tracking that can allow you to capture birds in flight. The latest generation can even track a tiny bird's eye. There are also accessories that are only made for ILCs. Like motion activated shutter triggers that will take a picture of a bird automatically if you set up a camera near a feeder. There are flashes that work at very long distances. You can get camouflage skins for your lenses so the birds can't see you. Stuff like that.

ILC Pros

Lower image noise. With a bigger sensor and better lenses you can shoot with a very low ISO in good light and get incredibly clean noise-less images.

Better high ISO performance. If you are in low light, you can increase the ISO and still get a very good image. The noise on an ILC is much less distracting and easier to deal with—especially with advanced noise reduction software.

Background blur is easy. Due to the much larger sensor and telephoto lenses, almost every telephoto image will have beautiful blurry backgrounds no matter how small the aperture is.

Sharper, faster lenses. The lenses are much sharper and let in a lot more light. The quality of the image does not decrease as you zoom in. And the sharp optics allow a lot of leeway for cropping. So even if a bird was super far away, you can crop the image after the fact and it will still be quite detailed.

More megapixels. A lot of bird photography needs to be cropped in due to subject distance. Having more megapixels allows for more cropping. (I know I keep talking about cropping, but it really is a huge aspect of most bird photography.)

Advanced autofocus. This is the big game changer, especially on the new mirrorless cameras. The latest Canon and Sony cameras have eye detect autofocus for animals. You can literally lock onto a bird's eye while it is in flight and get perfect focus. It's bonkers.

ILC Cons

Steep learning curve. A lot of people think they'll get a big ILC and immediately get better pictures than their smartphone. They are often disappointed when that isn't the case. You really need to learn the fundamentals of photography to get good photos out of an ILC (free course here). They do have automatic modes, but without learning about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (the exposure triangle) and how to balance them and when to prioritize what, you might end up with *worse* photos than a smartphone.

Wildlife photography can get very expensive. Big lenses with a lot of zoom are some of the priciest available. There are some budget options, but you will have to sacrifice quite a bit of zoom and light-gathering capabilities. The quality of the photos is usually worth it, but you may have to learn how to get closer to birds to photograph them.

Heavy as heck. Superzooms are very light and portable. A wildlife ILC configuration is very unwieldy. The camera is heavier. The lens is long and heavy. Carrying all of that gear into the wilderness can be quite a hassle.

Some camera suggestions...

Superzoom Options

If I'm being honest, in the sub $300 range, I don't think you'll be able to drastically improve over what you already have. All of the cameras in this range are quite similar and while a few might have some features that are helpful, the image quality is going to be roughly the same.

You are probably going to need to spend at least $400-700 to get a meaningful upgrade from what you have.

The top-of-the-line superzoom would be the Sony RX10 Mark IV at $1100 used. You can get the previous model, the Mark III, for about $900 used. It's a wonderful camera and the image quality and features rival or even surpass some ILC options. If you don't have the time to learn an ILC system but want the best possible quality, this might be an option. But an ILC will still give you better results if you are willing to put in the time.

For more mid-tier superzooms, you might look into the Panasonic Lumix models. They use slightly larger sensors than most superzooms and are known for their lens optical quality along with their stabilization.

The FZ1000 is getting very old, but it is still a powerful camera at a good price. The only downside is the focusing system isn't as advanced as newer cameras. But it will be better than what you have and you can find one used for around $400.

The newer FZ1000 II or the FZ2500 would be great options that have more modern autofocus and a lot more bells and whistles. They are fairly similar and can both be found for around $650 used. They do great video as well.

These are not the only options, but they are ones I know of and models I have heard positive things about. If you want to see what else is out there I would google "bridge superzoom cameras" and then maybe add your price range as well. Read reviews and watch YouTube videos to get a sense of the cameras you are interested in. As long as the camera has decent autofocus, I don't think you need a specific bird feature—so I wouldn't limit yourself in that regard.

ILC Options

When trying to come up with a good bird photography setup for interchangeable lens cameras, there is basically an easy, medium, and hard mode depending on how much you spend.

As I mentioned, the top-of-the-line mirrorless cameras have autofocus tracking that can lock onto a bird's eye while in flight. They have both IBIS and lenses with optical stabilization. They have burst modes that let you take 30 photos per second. They have 50 megapixel sensors that allow you to crop to your heart's content and still have megapixels left over.

It's quite dreamy if you have the money.

But I'm guessing if you are coming from an Olympus bridge camera that is probably a bit more of an upgrade than you were thinking.

So if easy mode is not viable, let's talk about medium and hard mode.

If you still want the bird detecting autofocus, in body image stabilization, and a pretty zoomy lens, Canon has some newer mirrorless cameras that would take amazing artistic bird shots. It's still spendy, but not $9000 spendy.

The Canon R7 is a great APS-C mirrorless camera with IBIS that can be found used for about $1300. It has 32 megapixels and due to having a slightly smaller sensor, you even get some bonus zoom out of all your lenses at about 1.6x. It's still a much larger sensor than a superzoom, just not quite the size of the Alpha 1.

Alpha 1 is Full Frame. R7 is APS-C. And Superzooms don't get any bigger than the 1" sensor.

Pair the R7 with the RF 100-400mm lens ($600 used) with optical stabilization, and you would have a stellar bird photography setup for about $1900. (It would be a 160-640mm equivalent lens on the R7 due to the 1.6x crop factor.)

Which is probably still way more than you want to spend.

So we have the hard mode option.

No bird eye autofocus. No stabilization. You have to learn the fundamentals and practice in order to get good shots. However, wildlife photographers have been getting AMAZING photos with the gear I'm about to suggest. In fact, all of these photos were captured with the hard mode ILC combo.

The Canon 7D Mark II has been a beloved camera body for wildlife photography for many years. Many pros still use it to great effect to this day. It doesn't have bird autofocus, but it still has one of the best DSLR autofocus systems that was ever developed. It can even track moving subjects, it just doesn't know it is tracking a bird so it is more prone to error on occasion. It can be found used for $500-600.

The Canon 400mm F/5.6 telephoto lens is one of the most affordable lenses Canon ever made for wildlife. It is an old lens, but it is sharp and takes beautiful images. No stabilization, but it is big and heavy so that isn't a huge deal. You can also carry a monopod rest it on. And on the 7D II, it is the equivalent of a 640mm lens. It costs around $650 used, which is very inexpensive compared to other telephoto lenses.

So you are looking at around $1200 for the combo. But the photos you can achieve with these two items will blow pretty much any superzoom out of the water.

To sum up...

ILC photography is always going to have a steep learning curve and expensive barrier for entry, but you can achieve some truly stunning results.

Superzooms are getting better and some of the newer ones can still take excellent pictures of birds under the right circumstances. They are lightweight and hassle free and allow you to get incredible zooms for a low cost.

If you mostly take photos of stationary birds outside on bright sunny days, you will be fairly happy with a superzoom.

If you want to take photos during darker times like sunrise or sunset or in a dense forest... or if you want to take photos of birds mid-flight, you will probably have to get an ILC.

I hope that was helpful. I know I overdo these answers, but I try to help as many people as I can by giving a broad overview of the topic and the myriad ways to go about things.

[websterss]

A/N: Hope you enjoy it! MASTERLIST

“Hey everyone, welcome back.” Charlie smiled into the camera. He blew a kiss at the lens.

“What’s going on today?” Paul laughed as Charlie began looking down at his phone.

“So the guys, Madi and I have decided to make a competition. The competition will be who can get the most pictures of Y/n sleeping…she’s actually sleeping right over there right now.” Charlie gestured with the point of his index finger. Paul panned the camera around. The camera zooming in on your sleeping figure curled up on the sofa prop used for scenes in the garage. Charlie’s fur jean coat draped over you as a blanket. He had put it over you earlier during the break of dawn. You and the guys worked on an all night shoot that led up until the morning. Kenny suggested letting you get some sleep in before continuing with scenes for later in the day. The camera went back onto Charlie who was pouting at you. “Yeah she’s pretty tired. Let’s let her sleep.” Charlie chuckled lightly. “But…not before I get a picture first.” Charlie bit his lip, opening his phone to the camera app. He walked over with light steps and angled his phone and snapped a picture. He then leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to your temple removing your hair from your face. He backed up slowly but almost tripped over the mini table prop, but gained his balance.

He held a hand to his chest, thanking the universe he didn’t make a noise. He smiled back at the camera and walked back over to Paul.

“Oh my god that was close!” He shook his head.

“Who do you think has the most photos?” Paul asked.

Charlie looked up at him. “Umm. I-I’m not sure. I think Mads and I are tied, but I caught Owen in here early so he might be catching up to us. As for Jeremy I honestly have no clue, I think Savannah and Tori are helping him though.”

“How many do you have now?”

Charlie opened his phone and went into his camera roll. “I now have 17…plus six polaroids of her, so 23? Yeah 23.” Charlie squinted his eyes counting up the numbers in his head. 

“That’s a lot!”

“I know.” Charlie laughed. “Madison has a couple polaroid ones too.” He smiled glancing over his shoulder at you. “Y/n sleeps a lot.” He whispered into the camera. “I could have had more, but they considered it cheating since we shared a trailer together.” He complained while shrugging. “So I can only take one when we’re on set…I’m totally winning though.” He threw a wink at the camera lens. “Alright let’s get out of here, she needs to rest.” He began walking out of the fake garage.

-

“Oh my gosh. She's sleeping! Me too Y/n, me too.” Madison awed as she saw you sleeping in the Molina living room. “She’s so amazing, guys. You guys don’t realize just how hardworking she is. I think she did an all night shoot again with no sleep. Charlie said she had barely gone to sleep like an hour ago.” She praised you. The sofa in there is occupied by your figure. She turned around to face the camera pouting. “Awe guys I’m so scared, I don’t want to wake her.” Madison whispered. “Oh gosh, okay, here I go guys.” She grinned, her teeth showing, implicating how nervous she was. She walked over to you and pulled out her phone, and turned it around so that the frame showed you.

She hit the white little circle, and right as she snapped the picture she scrambled to stop the flash from going off, but it was too late. She saw you shift in your sleep slightly and stood up immediately. The one rule about the competition was that no one could wake you up, via Charlie’s conditions. He wanted you to get your rest when you could, and if one of them did wake you then it’d be an automatic disqualification. Madison was not about to lose this competition. Madison ran off back to where Paul was with wide eyes.

“Abort, abort, abort!” She ushered him out of the house. Luckily you remained asleep and Madison got her 25th picture of you. She giggled as they were in the clear and away from the house set.

She turned to the camera and did the Debby Ryan hair gesture. “We do not speak of this.” She put her hands together. “We do not tell Charlie. Okay.”

“Oh mah gawd.” She closed her eyes and cupped a hand over her mouth. “That was so close, oh my gosh…From now on no more flash, too risky. Okay back to the scoreboard.” Madison pointed off in a random direction and started walking away. “Charlie doesn’t know this, but I’m actually winning. Jeremy barely has 20 and I’m pretty sure Owen is cheating soo…Next!” Madison did a swipe over the lens.

-

“Have you seen a girl sleeping…no you haven’t…okay thanks.” Owen walked away from one of the crew members. He turned to the camera. “We gotta find her guys. Where the hell could she be.” He let his arms flap as he circled around the set. “Hey, have you seen Charlie’s wifey!” Owen shouted at Kenny. Who chuckled at the grown man before him.

“They’re not engaged Owen, and have you tried Julie’s bedroom?” Kenny furrowed his brows. “Charlie had mentioned he was going to take a nap with her. They were shooting the confrontation scene last night, remember?”

“No Kenny I don’t know. I wasn’t on call yesterday.” He said sarcastically. “To Julie’s bedroom it is!” He side eyed the camera. “Hither this way folks.” Owen made his way over to the house set, and walked in. The lights were dimmed, which is why everyone liked to take naps in between takes here. He climbed up the stairs then made his way to the only bedroom that was built on the second floor. He opened and pushed the door open. Kenny’s words were confirmed as he saw you and Charlie cuddled up on top of the blankets. Charlie’s arm under your head. Your body turned into his chest. You two looked so peaceful. “Awe…” He faked his interest. “Okay let’s get this over with.” He gave the camera lens one more glance then walked over to your side of the bed. Not noticing a prop used to decorate the bedroom on the floor, Owen ended up tripping over it and fell with a thud. He immediately cringed and closed his eyes shut. As soon as he thought he was safe, he heard rustling on the bed. You groaned, rubbing your eyes. A big yawn coming out of your mouth as you slowly peaked over the bed. Charlie stirred slightly too as he felt you move.

“Owen…” You croaked out. You sounded exhausted

“No…it’s your conscience speaking. You’re dreaming, it’s a dream.” He hushed you.

“W-Why would I be dreaming of you?” You rub the side of your head.

“I don’t know Y/n, it’s your dream, you control it…now shut up and go back to sleep.” He whispered out harshly. Charlie this time stirring awake and sitting up next to you as you watched Owen with half opened eyes.

“Owen? What the hell man…” He lifted a hand in question and annoyance. Charlie looked over at you. “I specifically told you not to wake her up, dumbass.” He groaned and tilted his head to the side.

“It’s okay Char.” You reassured him. You rubbed the tired out of your eyes. Another big yawn escaping.

“Come on, get some more sleep.” Charlie tiredly gestured you over to his side. As he laid back down. You didn’t argue and fell into his side again. Charlie wrapping both his arms over you. “Sorry.” Owen called out pathetically and stood up. In a last attempt to redeem himself, Owen stopped at the foot of the bed snapping a picture. The flash and sound both on. He looked down at his phone and smiled at the picture.

“Out.” Charlie lifted his left hand in a sleepy manner and pointed to the door.

“Going.” Owen then walked out with Paul.

“Close the door!” Charlie called out. Owen then shut it completely. He then rushed down the steps. Once he was downstairs he paused and sighed looking off into the distance. “Well shit I guess I’m out…”

-

“There’s our star.” Jeremy exclaimed quietly as he watched you sleep. After hearing that Owen was out of the competition, Jeremy was doing everything to get as many pictures of you. “I’ve never been so happy to see someone sleep.” He chuckled. He looked at the camera getting his phone ready. “I promise you I have not seen her awake as much as I have been sleeping. It’s insane, it’s like she hibernates.” He shook his head. “Anyway here I go.” Jeremy stepped forward and snapped the picture. Only for the flash to give away. 

The sudden flash of light wakes you suddenly. Jeremy froze as you stirred and awake. You stared at him with half lidded eyes. Already aware of the competition that was going on. You had to thank Savannah and Tori for informing you, yet you could have cared less about it, you just wanted your sleep. 

“I won’t tell you if you won’t…” You croaked out.

“Sweet dreams, Y/n.” Jeremy waved you back to sleep. You slightly shook your head and turned around to face the back of the sofa from the garage set. You were about to doze off but not before saying. “Get my good side, please.” You said drowsy. Already feeling sleep takes over your body.

“Always.” Jeremy scoffed as he retook the picture of you sleeping. He had forgotten that the camera and Paul were there and slowly put his index finger up to his lips. “Shhh.” 

-

“Okay guys this is the moment you all have been waiting for. Drum roll please.” Madison exclaimed. “It was Jeremy. Jeremy won, guys.” She shook her head as the guys smiled and rolled their eyes. Owen was not having it.

“How is that fair!” Owen lifted a hand in question.

“Owen, not you talking? You woke her up, sit back down.” Madison fired back.

“I was this close!” Owen pinched his thumb and index finger together.

“No you weren’t.” Charlie, You and Madison said.

“Jeremy cheated!”

“He played by the rules.” You defended him.

“Only because you let him have a free pass.” Owen gave you a look.

You gasped at the accusation but then you squinted your eyes. “Who told you?” You questioned.

Savannah and Tori both averted their gazes as you gave them a playful glare.

“Wait, say how many pictures you all had.” Savannah pointed out the one thing this whole video was being made for.

“Okay so Madi had 31, Jeremy with 34, Charlie had 29, and Owen had…18.” You laughed reading off the scoreboard. “How did you only get 18?”

The camera panned to Owen who sat with an ‘I’m over it’ expression. He shrugged, not caring anymore. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I only had 29? I thought I had more?” Charlie frowned.

“Well, you clearly can’t count.” Madi jokes. “Okay but no seriously can we talk about Y/n being able to sleep for long periods of time.” Madison praised you for your sleeping talent. “She gets tired so quickly.”

“It’s a gift.” You played along.

“Tell us your secrets, Sensei.” Madi bowed down before you. Everyone laughed at her.

“Charlie after he works out.” You threw a playful wink at the camera. The insinuation behind your words not being missed by the cast.

“What?” Madi did not believe the words that just came out of your mouth.

“What?” Charlie laughed.

“What?” You deadpanned stared into the camera. “Anyway this has been the cast of Julie and the Phantoms, make sure to subscribe to Paul’s channel and stay tuned for more behind the scenes videos. See you later, I am going to be incredibly busy with sleeping.” You waved off the camera.

“Yeah with Char-” Owen said bluntly causing the cast to laugh out loud. Your eyes went wide.

“-K bye!” You placed your hand over the lens. The screen then went dark.

[cryley]

Petrichor - Part 5

matty healy x reader (fluff) word count: 2.3k warnings: mention of cigarettes A/N: (moved from @cryley-fics where it was originally posted) Hey besties! ♡ AHH it's the last chapter! I had so much fun writing this fic and I hope you all enjoyed it. Will I continue this series with a sequel? Who knows ♡ ▹ masterlist ▹ part 1 ▹ part 2 ▹ part 3 ▹ part 4 ▹ part 5

“Sorry about the slight mess.”

I locked the door behind us and placed my bags on the couch. 

My place was small, but it was mine. I was proud of myself for getting a place of my own even if it was just a small 1 bedroom apartment. 

Matty chuckled as he looked around, “What mess? You should see how the studio back home gets when we’re all in there.” 

“Well I typically try to keep everything as tidy as possible, but I’ve been busy with work lately.”

He scanned the artwork that littered my walls. I tend to impulse purchase every piece of art I enjoy before forgetting I don’t have wall space to display the art, so my decor style looks a bit maximalist. He was silent as he walked through my living room as if it were some sort of museum. I watched him as his feet were almost rhythmic until he stopped in front of a particular piece. 

“Oh, uhm.” I started to become a bit embarrassed, “I used to photograph shows a while ago while in college.” 

He looked back at me with a smile. I froze a bit as my mind seemingly zoomed out to view my tiny apartment in a wide-angle lens. Matty Healy standing in my living room. Me standing awkwardly in my kitchen. Matty looking at a photo of himself on stage. A photo that I took and hung up in my living room.

“When was this?” He turned back to the photo. 

“I’m pretty sure it was 2015.” I moved a bit closer to him and the photo. 

In the print, Matty stood center stage in front of the classic neon box. The lights hit him so perfectly that I didn’t have to do much editing for this shot. Only a bit of his features were visible as it was mostly a silhouette. 

“This is pretty good. Do you still photograph shows?”

“I mostly do portraits now.” I moved next to him, “I think I’d like to revisit shows again, but for now I’m enjoying my current projects.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell that he wasn’t staring at the photo anymore. His eyes were planted on me. I tried my hardest to pretend I didn’t notice. 

There were little moments when he looked like he was interested in me, but I knew that wasn’t the case. I was probably just reading things wrong and didn’t want to make a fool of myself. I tried to ignore things the best I could to keep myself from getting delusional or excited about what I knew wasn’t possible. Matty Healy, a famous musician, could have any model he ever wanted, interested in me? Even him asking me on a date in London was probably just him being nice in a friendship kind of way. Returning the favour for me showing him a cool record store and keeping him company while he’s bored on tour. 

“So, uh, I’m going to shower while we’re here if that’s okay.” I turned to transition to my bedroom door, “I’ll only be a bit, but there should be drinks in the fridge, and feel free to peek through my vinyls or tv.”

He gave a thumbs-up accompanied with a smile. 

I did the same with a chuckle before closing my bedroom door behind me. I sat on my bed silently for a minute just to try to process the last day and a half. His footsteps echoed as he was slowly walking around and stopping every once in a while. 

I later emerged from my bathroom now fully feeling clean. I pulled on a long-sleeve dress I quickly picked out. It wasn’t too formal, but definitely nicer than my typical jeans. 

I could hear through my door that a Cure album was lightly playing. He must have taken me up on the idea to search through my vinyl. 

I light knock tapped on my door just as I sat down at my vanity. 

“You can come in.”

My door opened to reveal Matty, now in just his white undershirt. 

“Hey, can I possibly also shower really quick?”

“Definitely!” I nodded and stood up to go fetch him some towels from my linen closet. 

He smiled as I handed him the towels, “Thank you. I didn’t get the chance to this morning and I probably smell horrendous.”

He didn’t smell horrendous at all. Somehow he still smelled perfect. 

I giggled to play along, “You can use any of the bottles in the shower. I don’t know if they’ll work great for your curls, but they’ll manage.” 

I continued back to my vanity to start my makeup ritual as I listened to the sound of the shower mixed with the Cure lightly in the background. Every once in a while, I thought I could hear Matty lightly singing something, but couldn’t be too sure of what he was singing or if I was just imagining things. 

I pulled on my shoes and jewelry as my last step of getting ready as I heard the door slowly open. 

“You look nice.” 

My eyes couldn’t help but pan up and down in awe as he re-entered my bedroom now shirtless and damp. I could feel my heart thump through my chest. 

“Thank you.” I leaned against my wall. 

He looked into my eyes for a long moment before his voice cracked a bit. 

“So, I’ve been wanting to do something, but have been a bit hesitant to just out of misunderstanding and time and place and all that nonsense.” he walked a bit closer to me until he was close enough to touch.

His eyes looked less tired but deep in thought. I wish I could peer inside his mind. 

He stepped one step closer, “I don’t want you to think that you’re just another fan I pull onto stage or that I’m doing anything purely to add a number to an imaginary list I have hidden somewhere to create some high score.”

I allowed my eyes to meet his. All of my thoughts spilled out of my brain and onto my floor. Was I wrong this whole time?

He was incredibly close to me. He still had a slight smell of sweet tobacco lingering on his skin. His longing eyes shifted down. My eyes did a similar switch from staring into his deep brown eyes to moving my gaze down to his smooth lips. 

Before I could question what he meant, his lips pressed into mine. The kiss was soft like his lips. I could feel my heart speed up with every second that went by. His hand found its way to my hip as he shifted his body closer to mine, gently pushing me closer to my bedroom wall. 

I was waiting for this. 

I smiled into the kiss and his mirrored soon after. I didn’t want this to end. 

His other hand moved up to cup the side of my jaw as he resumed the kiss, deepening it even more. The taste of tobacco lingered on his lips. I could sense that he was trying his hardest to keep the kiss soft and sweet, but the grip of his hand on my waist was telling me he wanted more. 

I took that as a sign to softly bite down on his bottom lip. An unexpected, and probably unintentional, moan escaped him. I smiled into the kiss again. 

His breathing became a bit shaky as my hands moved from his waist up to his neck and then up to tug lightly at his curls. Our lips moved perfectly in sync. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Without removing his lips from mine, he pulled me away from the wall and over to the edge of my bed. Our kiss broke for only a second as he sat on the edge and softly pulled me onto him. I gladly followed his directions, causing my dress to bunch up from placing my legs on either side of his lap. 

My hands settled into comfortable spots on his bare chest while his settled on my hips. He returned the light nibble I teased him with before. I returned the unintentional slight moan. I wanted nothing more than this. 

The kiss continued for some time before he broke it to rest his forehead on mine. 

“As much as I want to continue this, we’re going to be late for dinner.” he smirked, “Also, I wouldn’t want to move too quickly and spoil what I had planned for our date in London.”

I chuckled and kissed the tip of his nose. 

This caused him to smile a bit bigger than he expected. Sometimes I could catch him off guard enough for him to give a goofy smile instead of the kind of smile he probably practiced in the mirror. While both genuine, the unrehearsed one made me feel more accomplished in a way. Like I made him smile so much that he forgot about his whole act of trying to look handsome. As if anything he did made him look less handsome. 

With a quick peck, I reluctantly maneuvered off of his lap. I straightened my dress in the mirror as he pulled his sweater back over his head. 

“You look beautiful Y/N.”

His arms slid around me from behind as he placed his head on my shoulder. I smiled as I looked in the mirror at the both of us. We looked good together. 

“You look beautiful too, Matty.”

He craned his neck around to kiss my cheek before letting go. I moved to the living room to turn off my record player and put away the record. 

“Good choice by the way.”

Matty appeared in my doorway, “Thank you. It was hard to choose from your collection. All good choices.”

I grabbed my jacket from the coat rack and slid it on over my dress, “Ready to go?”

“One second.” His gaze was back on me as he moved next to me. 

He smirked and leaned down to place a peck on my lips.

“Okay, now I’m ready.” 

I playfully rolled my eyes as we exited my apartment. I wasn’t going to complain at all about the spontaneous kisses, but how he got them was very cheeky and he knew it. I often stole some extra glances while with him. I wanted to take in every single moment and remember everything. I never wanted to forget how he cocked his head to the side as he smiled. The way his lips curled up ever so slightly as he chuckled, forming small smile lines in the crease of his cheeks. I didn’t want to forget the way his hair smelled of shampoo with the lingering hint of cigarette smoke in the morning. The way his curls draped over his forehead and that some of them were speckled grey. 

“Y/N, are you coming?” Matty waved at me from the street, snapping me out of my thoughts. 

I nodded and joined him in my car. We had to drive back to the venue to meet the boys for dinner. I wasn’t sure where we were going yet, but I assumed it was going to be a nice place due to the boys talking about what they were going to order this morning. 

“So,” my fingers drummed on my steering wheel, “When do I have to request off work for London?” 

He scrolled through the calendar on his phone, “I’ll fly you out on December 31st. Be prepared to stay for around a week, I’d assume.”

“A week? I don’t know if I can take that much time off work, Matty.” 

“Don’t worry about it. I can cover your paycheck.”

“Matty - “

“Don’t worry about it Y/N!” He playfully threw his arms in the air. 

I smiled even though I was a little embarrassed about not being able to pay for my flight or felt insecure about taking that much time away from work. I’m sure he wasn’t used to having someone like me in his life. He surrounded himself with successful musicians and models that could pay their own way I’m sure. 

I was interrupted by Matty’s hand placed on my thigh, “You’re in your head again Y/N.”

I was surprised that he was able to tell when I was distracted or in my head about things. I think he knows from experience. 

Sooner than I had expected, I parked my car on the road near the buses. I dreaded him and the rest of the boys leaving tonight after dinner. Yeah, Matty promised to fly me out to London to see him again, but for some reason, I feared that he would change his mind in the time between now and the end of the year. What if he met someone else while on the rest of the tour? What if I don’t hear from him after he leaves? 

“I’m excited to show you around my city.” He smiled over at me in my passenger seat. 

I couldn’t help but to smile. His reassuring words made some of my worries go away. 

“Me too. You haven’t even left and I’m excited to get to see you again.”

His hand gave a light squeeze of my thigh. 

My eyes gazed forward out of the windscreen, “Promise you won’t change your mind?”

His eyes changed and his smile dropped its shape. The side of my face was met with his cupped hand. 

His lips were my favourite part of him. They pressed against mine. Soft and passionate. Longing and sweet. I could sit here in the front seat of my car for hours with my lips against his. Our mouths moved slowly in unison. It was a sweet kiss where neither of us were wanting dominance. It just was. 

“I promise, Y/N.”

[jace-snaps]

Life and Pictures: Entry #1

Starting as a Beginner: Exploring Photography Gear

In our first entry, we’re focusing on a crucial aspect for beginners: choosing and using the right gear. Whether you’re intrigued by the convenience of smartphones or the versatility of a DSLR, understanding your options can help you get started on the right foot. Let’s break down some popular choices and tips for getting the most out of your equipment.

1. Smartphones: Your Everyday Camera

Description:

Type: Point-and-shoot camera Characteristics: Light, convenient, user-friendly Suitable for: Casual users, beginners, and anyone who wants to capture spontaneous moments without carrying additional equipment.

Why Start with a Smartphone?

Always With You: Smartphones are incredibly convenient, making it easy to capture moments on the go. User-Friendly: Modern smartphones come with automatic settings that adjust for lighting and focus, making them perfect for beginners. Built-In Editing Tools: Many smartphones have robust editing features and apps, allowing you to tweak your photos directly on your device.

Tips for Smartphone Photography:

Use Grid Lines: Enable grid lines on your camera app to help you apply the rule of thirds, enhancing the composition of your shots. Tap to Focus: Tap the screen to focus on your subject. You can also adjust the exposure by sliding your finger up or down. Explore Apps: Play around with different photography apps to enhance your photos. Apps like Snapseed, VSCO, or Adobe Lightroom Mobile offer powerful editing tools.

Smartphones are equipped with built-in cameras that are perfect for everyday use. They are designed to be simple and intuitive, making them ideal for capturing quick and spontaneous shots. With the added benefit of editing apps, you can enhance your photos directly on your device.

Beginner Guide to Smartphone Photography:

2. Compact Cameras: Simple and Versatile

Description:

Type: Point-and-shoot camera Characteristics: Light, versatile, higher image quality than smartphones, better zoom capabilities Suitable for: Beginners and enthusiasts who want better image quality and more control over settings without the bulk of larger cameras.

Why Choose a Compact Camera?

Better Quality: Higher resolution and image quality than most smartphones. Zoom Capabilities: Optical zoom allows for better quality images than digital zoom. Manual Controls: More control over settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Getting Started with Compact Cameras:

Learn the Basics: Familiarize yourself with aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Use Auto Mode: Start with auto mode and gradually experiment with manual settings. Keep It Simple: Begin with the built-in lens; as you gain experience, you can explore more advanced settings.

Compact cameras, also known as point-and-shoot cameras, are lightweight and easy to carry. They offer better image quality than smartphones and come with manual control options, making them a great choice for those looking to improve their photography skills.

Beginner Guide to Compact Camera Photography:

3. DSLR Cameras: A Step Up in Quality

Description:

Type: Professional camera Characteristics: Larger, heavier, interchangeable lenses, superior image quality, advanced features Suitable for: Serious enthusiasts and professional photographers who require high performance, versatility, and superior image quality.

Why Choose a DSLR?

Exceptional Image Quality: DSLRs feature larger sensors, resulting in superior image quality, especially in low light. Interchangeable Lenses: The ability to switch lenses allows you to tailor your gear to your specific needs, from wide-angle shots to macro photography. Advanced Features: DSLRs offer advanced features like fast autofocus, multiple focus points, and high burst rates, making them ideal for capturing fast-moving subjects.

Tips for DSLR Beginners:

Learn Your Camera: Take time to understand the different settings and how they affect your photos. Manuals and online tutorials can be incredibly helpful. Practice with Different Lenses: Start with the standard kit lens, but explore other lenses as you become more comfortable. A prime lens can be a great way to experiment with depth of field. Join a Photography Community: Engaging with other photographers can provide valuable insights and feedback. Consider joining local clubs or online forums to share your work and learn from others.

DSLR cameras are known for their excellent image quality and flexibility due to their interchangeable lenses. They offer a wide range of manual controls and advanced features, making them suitable for various types of photography, from portraits to landscapes.

Beginner Guide to DSLR Camera Photography:

4. Mirrorless Cameras: The Modern Alternative

Description:

Type: Professional camera Characteristics: Light, compact, interchangeable lenses, electronic viewfinder, silent shooting Suitable for: Enthusiasts and professionals who want high performance and quality in a more portable package compared to DSLRs.

Why Go for a Mirrorless Camera?

Compact and Lightweight: Mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter than DSLRs, making them more portable without sacrificing performance. High-Quality Images: They offer similar image quality to DSLRs, thanks to their large sensors and advanced technology. Electronic Viewfinder: Many mirrorless cameras feature an electronic viewfinder that displays your settings in real time, helping you visualize the final image.

Tips for Using Mirrorless Cameras:

Explore the Features: Mirrorless cameras often come with innovative features like 4K video recording and high-speed continuous shooting. Take time to explore these functions. Invest in Good Lenses: The quality of your lenses significantly impacts your photos. Start with a versatile zoom lens and consider adding prime lenses as you progress. Stay Updated: The technology in mirrorless cameras is continually evolving. Keep an eye on new models and firmware updates to make the most of your gear.

Mirrorless cameras combine the image quality and flexibility of DSLRs with a more compact and lightweight design. They use electronic viewfinders, allowing you to see exposure adjustments in real-time, and are known for their silent shooting capabilities.

Beginner Guide to Mirrorless Camera Photography:

5. Vintage Film Cameras: The Nostalgic Touch

Description:

Type: Professional camera (vintage/analog) Characteristics: Heavy, manual settings, unique aesthetic, requires film Suitable for: Enthusiasts and professionals who appreciate the classic film photography process and aesthetic, and those who want to learn the fundamentals of photography.

Why Try a Vintage Film Camera?

Unique Aesthetic: Film cameras offer a distinct look and feel, with a unique color rendition and grain structure that digital cameras often lack. Learning Experience: Shooting with film encourages a deeper understanding of exposure and composition, as you have fewer chances to correct mistakes. Tactile Experience: The process of loading film, taking pictures, and developing prints adds a tactile, hands-on dimension to photography.

Tips for Shooting with Film Cameras:

Choose the Right Film: Different films have different characteristics. Start with a versatile ISO 400 film, and explore different types as you gain experience. Develop Your Own Film: If you’re up for a challenge, try developing your own film at home. It’s a rewarding process that enhances your connection to the art. Embrace the Learning Curve: Film photography has a steeper learning curve, but the rewards are worth it. Take your time and enjoy the process of discovering what works best for you.

Vintage film cameras offer a nostalgic feel and a unique aesthetic that digital cameras can’t replicate. They require manual settings and film, which teaches discipline and a deeper understanding of photography basics. These cameras are appreciated by those who enjoy the tactile process and classic look of film photography.

Beginner Guide to Using Vintage Film Cameras:

Starting with photography gear can be both exciting and daunting, but remember, the best camera is the one you have with you. Whether you begin with a smartphone, compact digital camera, DSLR camera, mirrorless camera, or vintage film camera, the key is to explore, experiment, and find what inspires you.

Happy shooting, and may your journey through the world of photography be as fulfilling and creative as possible!

[mehlsbells]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shot Zero (@_shotzero)

I wrote about this scene from Brokeback Mountain, and how shot choices tell you what Ang Lee feels about 'people like this'

Film techniques such as jump cuts, crash zooms, closeups, etc are all a language, and sometimes what a scene doesn't 'say' is also interesting, especially when the audience may expect it to. In this scene from Brokeback Mountain, Jack's mom gives Ennis a paper bag and a bit of compassion, while Jack's dad sits and glowers. Twice the scene cuts to mum in the foreground and dad out-of-focus in the background, and when dad speaks we may expect to cut to a closeup of him or at least a rack focus when he's talking; but we never get it. By choosing blocking and depth of field which keep dad backgrounded, and never prioritising him in the scene, it's as though Ang Lee is saying we can't avoid him entirely, his prejudice still exists and hurts, but we can not focus on that hatred, and refuse to acknowledge him as important.

and as my co-Shot-Zero-er Stu points out:

"I like that it’s a wide angle lens brought close to defocus the dad rather than a long lens cause the wide angle pushes him away in the space."

[andmaybegayer]

This trip has been very good but I haven't traveled without some form of dedicated camera in years and I am feeling it. I need to like, 3D-print a basic cap for the busted lens cover on my pocket camera so I can start carrying that again, just basic optical zoom goes so far. I don't have a camera bag at the moment so hauling my DSLR around on a long trip like this is untenable.

Phone camera angles are just way too wide to do mid-range detailed scenes. Before I started using bigger cameras I always felt like 50mm equivalent was too tight for street scenes and group portraits, but it lets you focus in on interesting detail way better than the super wide angles.

Saw a guy with a well appointed Canon R5 and was wracked by longing. Man. Someday.