The Best Budget Lenses For Micro Fours Thirds Photographers

Micro Four Thirds still gets a bad rap in a lot of photographic circles due to its sensor size, but as many are now coming to terms with on the Fujifilm side of the equation. We have hit this sort of wonderful place to where sensor size really doesn't matter as much as it did in the last. Surely, there are things APS-C or FF will do better, but in terms of general photography, Micro Four Thirds cameras are just as capable as their larger format brothers.

So if you have a new Micro Four Thirds camera or you are in the process of deciding on a new kit, you may be wondering about good budget options to fill out your fit. This is exactly the post for you if that is the case.

We have a giant master list of what we feel the best budget lenses are for every system, and you can find that here, but in this post we wanted to highlight our picks for the best budget lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system.

Panasonic & Olympus Brand Lenses

Panasonic 20mm F1.7 II

Though the first version of the lens is quite good and even a tad sharper, the newer update to this lens gives us a significantly better build quality and super quick focusing.

As perhaps the most favorite lens amongst Micro Four Thirds photographers, the original Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f1.7 delivers wonderful results in all types of lighting and also does this in a small pancake type body. It has since been refreshed, and despite it not being as sharp as the previous version, the new version has better construction. Still, if you can find the older one, hold onto it.

(Read Our Review | Check Prices)

Olympus 17mm F2.8

An alternative to the 20mm for those that want a wider field of view, the Olympus 17mm f2.8 Lens is still a great lens for the Micro Four Thirds system due to sharp image quality and wide aperture. It has since been discontinued, but if you can snag it you'll be in for a treat. Olympus's own 17mm f1.8 is a bit too expensive for our liking.

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Olympus 45mm F1.8

Despite the fact that everyone drools over the Olympus 75mm f1.8, this is the lens we recommend more than any others due to the wider field of view and the fast f1.8 aperture. This is the lens you'll want to shoot wide open or just barely stopped down all day and all night. And if you're a Micro Four Thirds users going for a budget friendly option, this is the best you can get.

(Read Our Review | Check Prices)

Olympus 60mm F2.8

The Olympus 60mm f2.8 is another macro lens option–but the killer feature of this lens is the weather sealing. We've tested it out and we approve; it's sharp, contrasty, and really overall quite good. As always though, we recommend using flashes to take advantage of specular highlights.

(Read Our Review | Check Prices)

Olympus 25mm F1.8

While we really enjoyed the 45mm f1.8, we were a bit hesitant and skeptical about how the 25mm f1.8 would perform despite the two lenses have nearly identical construction. And oh man were we wrong. The 25mm f1.8 is one of the best and sharpest offerings that we've tested for the Micro Four Thirds system. That and it's affordable–much more so than Panasonic's 25mm f1.4.

(Read Our Review | Check Prices)

Third Party Lenses

Sigma 19mm F2.8

The image quality of both the first and second versions of these lenses are comparable–but what really changed is the build quality. The newer ones have faster focusing and a sleeker body while the older versions have a bit more grip on them. Still, if you want something fairly wide and sharp, look no further than this offering from Sigma.

(Read our Review | Check Prices)

Tokina 300mm F6.3

Seems like a weird choice, right? We chose this lens because of the serious lack of telephoto lenses here and the creative possibilities that can happen when you have donut shaped bokeh. Sure, it isn't the sharpest lens, but if you get past that and just stick to creating then you'll enjoy the colors and the fact that you can probably see your neighbor bustin' a move to some 90s jams while they think that no one is looking.

(Read our Review)

Looking for more?

These are just our picks for the top budget lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system in general, if you are looking for good lens options with a specific photographic specialty in mind we highly recommend checking out some of our other lens recommendation posts like: After The Kit: 6 Incredible Lens Upgrades For The Micro Four Thirds Photographer, The Best Lenses for your Panasonic Lumix and Olympus OM-D Camera, and 5 Spectacular Portrait Lenses For Micro Four Thirds Cameras.

If you are looking for more budget recommendations for another system make sure and check out our full listing, here.

Source: The Best Budget Lenses For Micro Fours Thirds Photographers

Transform Your Landscape Photos with Dramatic Weather Photography

As you may know if you've attempted landscape photography, not every image you capture is attractive and soul-stirring; even photographs of genuinely beautiful landscapes can end up dull and less than impressive if you can't find the interest in the scene. The problem may be not lie with the place or even your technique. Sometimes it's the fault of boring or overly common shooting conditions. This article proposes a remedy: try some dramatic weather photography. Get out under some dark, cloudy skies, brave the wind and rain, and shoot on the days when you'd normally stay in.

Weather can play a key role in adding depth and interest to a photograph. It can transform your images into more than just pictures of a pretty place—it imbues the place with a sense of drama, a feeling of action, the idea that nature itself is making something happen in the place you're shooting.

Oftentimes, when conditions become 'less than optimal', glorious photographs can be made.

Dramatic weather photography can truly add some spice to your creative stew. Read on for some examples of exactly what we mean.

How to Highlight Dramatic Weather

Dramatic weather doesn't always mean extreme weather (although that is certainly dramatic!)

No, we're just talking about weather conditions that vary from the bright, clear, and mild days that you probably wait for when you want to take landscapes.

Conditions like these enable you to add more contextual information and interest to the frame by incorporating elements of the weather into your photos.

This can mean the difference between 'meh' and 'WOW'. This is especially true when shooting landscapes in highly photographed areas.

When most everyone else's images look the same yours can be truly above the rest just by adding in a little meteorological flair.

There are a number of weather apps that you can install on your smartphone that will help you anticipate cloudy, foggy, rainy, snowy, or otherwise interesting weather days. ExpertPhotography recommends Weather Underground (iOS | Android | Windows Phone), as it's easy to use and gives you updated information of what the weather will be like at very specific times and locations.

Braving the Storm: Thunderstorm Photography Stormy Skies

More often than not, the most common weather-related drama you will encounter is rain-related.

Rain and storm clouds add instant interest to virtually any scene and it's especially true when it comes to landscape photography. They completely change the ambient light in the scene, and add large shapes and textures to what would otherwise be a blank sky.

Instead of having the sky as a blank background, you may well find the subject of your image there in the form of an imposing cumulonimbus cloud (sometimes called a 'thunderhead'). These aren't the most common of subjects (some storm-chasing photographers hunt them like wild game), and when found, they are impressive.

When the sky turns mean, the entire mood of the photograph changes. What was once a cheery and upbeat sunny meadow can become a brooding and dark scene with tons of emotion.

Tips for shooting in stormy weather: 

When large clouds roll in, balance their visual weight with the objects in the frame, and compose your shot so that the clouds add contrast to foreground and background elements.

Try a wide angle lens. Shooting at wider angles (shorter focal length) gives a sense of smallness to the viewer compared to the storm.

Protect your camera and lens! Only take your lens cap off to compose, focus, and make the exposure. Use a quality microfiber lens cloth to dry the lens face of any raindrops and consider a low-cost rain cover.

Wind

Wind can lend a sense of motion and action to your scene. Low- to medium-strength winds are ideal. This will bend and push the elements in the landscape in directions that they wouldn't normally lean towards in calmer weather.

Tip for shooting in windy conditions: 

Depending on the light, try a shutter speed of 1 second or more to add a sense of motion to the image. Use a tripod (make sure to weigh it down at the bottom) or find another stable shooting platform to avoid camera shake!

Lightning: Dangerous Beauty

Nailing an epic picture of lightning is almost a rite of passage for some landscape photographers.

Lightning is one of nature's most impressive magic tricks and the conditions encountered a storm can often produce some really stunning pictures of lightning.

We'll talk about how to photograph lightning in another article but for now, it's simply worth mentioning to be on the watch when making photographs during thunderstorms as you may want to attempt to capture lightning in your thunderstorm images.

Lightning is amazing. Lightning strikes…not so much. Make sure to be safe if you are trying for this type of shot.

Lightning safety tips for shooting during storms:

Judge how far off the lightning strikes are. You'll always see lightning first, then hear the thunder. As a rule of thumb, if the time between when you see lightning and hear thunder is five seconds or less, stop shooting and seek safe shelter.

Avoid being the tallest thing in the area; shooting from inside a car is actually quite safe. It's possible to get a good photo through an open car window; just make sure to steady your camera when trying.

Make sure that there is help nearby in the event that you receive a lightning shock. An assistant or travel companion for the shoot who can administer CPR or otherwise call for help is recommended.

After the Storm

You don't have to be right in the middle of a raging thunderstorm to get great results with your dramatic weather photography.

Sometimes it's the times right before or immediately after a storm which can lend themselves as the most beautiful moments to make a photo.

Reflections after a downpour are plentiful and offer amazing creative opportunities.

Reflective surfaces such as puddles and recently dampened surfaces can add a measure of ambient light or act as a mirror that can help add interest to the composition.

The added moisture from rain usually causes mist and fog (fog photographs are crowd-pleasers) that instantly transform any scene.

Tips for after the storm:

Make sure that there is help nearby in the event that you receive a lightning shock. An assistant or travel companion for the shoot who can administer CPR or otherwise call for help is recommended.

Clouds: A Landscape Photographer's Best Friend

Dramatic weather doesn't necessarily mean storms and gales; the appearance of a variety of different types of clouds can be dramatic in its own right.

It's funny how the grandeur of even the most spectacular of landscapes can be dulled down by a flat and boring sky. The sky has always played a huge role in successful landscape images.

Clouds generally add mood and drama and depending on the type of clouds, your cloud photography can really liven up an otherwise unassuming landscape scene.

Clouds accompany approaching weather fronts and usually the time before a thunderstorm will mean lots of clouds even a day or two before the storm actually hits.

With a variety of clouds in the sky, you'll have more shapes and forms which can draw the eye and add a level of natural beauty to the scene.

If you can time it just right, sunrises and sunsets love clouds and make wonderful light beams and shadows as the golden sun punches its way between the clouds.

If you're photographing landscapes in more mountainous areas, clouds become even more important during the late and early hours of the day as temperatures cool.

The clouds (and their close cousin, fog) generally drop down into valleys and give an almost otherworldly feeling to scenes shot from above.

When you find yourself in the middle of a low cloud or a dense fog, you should know that the water droplets in the air will reduce contrast and colour saturation.

The moisture in the air acts like a natural softbox, diffusing light so that the areas around it are more gently lit. The fog also has the effect of obscuring shapes and forms of objects in the scene, which can be used for dramatic effect.

Even skylines and urban landscapes just seem to get better when the clouds move into the picture.

A normal clear sky can be made more interesting with texture of the clouds and balancing out the composition.

A mackerel sky over Chicago

The graphic below shows the most common types of clouds, their shapes, and their locations in the atmosphere. Different conditions produce different types of clouds and patterns (such as the so-called 'mackerel sky') and with a little research you should be able to figure out what kinds of clouds to expect on a given day.

Tips for Photographing Clouds

Place the sky as the centrepiece of your photo. Compose your image with the foreground in the bottom third of the frame.

Don't be afraid of a long exposure! Five seconds or more works wonders with clouds. Lower your aperture (make the f-number larger) to compensate for the longer exposure. If needed, pick up a quality neutral density filter to help when conditions are too bright.

When post-processing, lower the highlights and boost the contrast in order to give your clouds an instant texture boost.

Final Thoughts

Capturing dramatic weather photography comes down to being aware of how the weather is changing your shooting environment. If you pay attention to the quality of the light and the elements that are being introduced into your frame, you can compose and expose for them in ways that give you some impressive images.

The outing itself has to be a dramatic undertaking either. Always use good judgement. If you don't have the correct gear, supplies (warm clothes, rain gear, etc.), or mindset, don't risk your personal safety or the safety of your precious camera gear.

Always be informed of the weather conditions and make the best of every day you are given to make photographs. Bad weather doesn't have to mean you're stuck indoors. As a photographer, consider it an invitation to make some unique images.

Adam Welch

Adam is a full-time photomaker, author, adventurer, educator, and self-professed bacon addict. You can usually find him on some distant trail making photographs or at his computer writing about all the elegant madness that is photography. Visit his website here.

Source: Transform Your Landscape Photos with Dramatic Weather Photography

West Norriton photographer and Lansdale tattoo artist collaborate on weddings

WEST NORRITON>>The Wedding Tattooer and the tattooed bride photographer: It seemed inevitable that their paths would cross one day.

Mike Allebach's and Rob Fiore's paths didn't just cross. They collided, converged and fused into a partnership as iconoclastic and prolific as the sum of the two men's talents.

Where many conventional photographers might prefer that their inked-up bridal clients go heavy on the concealer and mask their tattoos or simply have them airbrushed into nonexistence, Allebach, who lives in West Norriton, built a reputation as a professional who not only accepted the body art of his clients, but celebrated it in creative ways.

As Allebach was growing his renown, Fiore, a Lansdale resident, had been operating as The Wedding Tattooer, an artist who performed his magic on the bride, groom and anyone else who provided an epidermal canvas.

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"I'd been doing wedding photography and photographing tattooed brides since 2008, and Rob had launched his business doing tattoos at weddings when some mutual friends brought us together not long ago," Allebach explained. "I recorded a video in my studio in North Wales about him and it went viral. Now we're booking weddings together. Collaborating really helped both of our businesses out and it's gone all over the world."

Allebach's work, which has earned him five stars on Yelp, Wedding Wire, Google Local and The Knot, keeps him steadily employed in Montgomery and Lancaster counties, Philadelphia, New Jersey and everywhere in between.

The word he likes to use when describing the bulk of his wedding agenda is "offbeat," focusing on subjects that might feel like the misfits and the disenfranchised of the typical wedding planner's world.

"I have photographed offbeat, gay, trans, straight, straight-edge, roller girl, nerdy, steampunk, punk rock, rockabilly, tattooed, not tattooed, interfaith and couples with disabilities," Allebach notes on his website, Allebachphotography.com.

"Celebrate who you are and who you love," is the essence of his philosophy.

"When we started, there weren't punk rock brides featured in magazines or online ― nobody was featuring LGBT wedding either. And couples boudoir wasn't something anyone was talking about. In 2008 we set out to change that. We put together a tattooed bride photo shoot. The results were unlike anything shown in wedding magazines. Both Offbeat Bride and Rock n Roll Bride picked up the photos," noted Allebach, who, in 2014, produced a calendar with the support of tattoo shops raising money for cancer research through the Eli Seth Matthew Leukemia Fund.

"Some people just have crazy ideas about what they want to do at their wedding. Maybe it's a Halloween masquerade type of wedding. And they know I'm going to be cool with it," Allebach said.

"People hire me because they're looking for something different or they're looking for someone who is sensitive to what they want to do, someone who not only wants to take on the job but who really wants to photograph them. They feel accepted."

Source: West Norriton photographer and Lansdale tattoo artist collaborate on weddings

Photographer finds portrait inspiration on streets of the Triangle

It takes all kinds of people to make a diverse area like the Triangle great. A Raleigh photographer is trying to capture that vibe, telling stories through pictures, stitching together what makes the Triangle area tick.

Like most professional photographers, Christer Berg shoots what the client wants. But as an artist, Berg's passion is all about portraiture.

"I've always loved to tell people's story through a portrait," he said.

His process is unscripted, authentic. He doesn't use a studio or appointments or models.

"I drive around with my car. I don't know where I'm going. They don't know I'm coming," he said. "If I see something interesting, I approach them and see if Ican make their portrait."

He shoots in the moment, street photography style, capturing what he calls the "Fabric of our Community."

Every picture is something personal.

"I think I'm very interested in people, I'm interested in who they are and what they have to say," Berg said.

As a professional photographer, pictures are Berg's product. But as an artist, he captures so much more.

"The photograph is one part of it, but also it's what I get out of it, learning about these people, learning about our community," he said.

Berg has a showing of his photographs opening next week in Raleigh at the Betty Ray McCain Art Gallery in the Duke Energy Performing Arts Center. The show opens on Thursday and runs through Oct. 1.

Source: Photographer finds portrait inspiration on streets of the Triangle

Student photographers capture region’s landscape

CARBONDALE — For recent Southern Illinois University Carbondale cinema graduate Anna Petrelli, the chance to take an intense summer class that allows her to document the region's natural beauty and sharpen her photography skills was one she could not pass up.

"I knew there were a lot of cool places I wanted to photograph," said Petrelli, who is from Park Forest. "There are endless possibilities of things to shoot and build your portfolio with. I'm really into documentation, environmental portraits and landscapes."

Meanwhile, Louis Washkowiak, a senior in cinema and photography from Spring Valley, has been taking landscape photographs since childhood, when he took a camera that his mother gave him and snapped photos at nearby Starved Rock State Park.

"That's where I developed my love for nature and landscape," said Washkowiak, the son of Wayne and Sally Washkowiak. "It's my way of expressing my own vision. I'm not a very vocal person; I'm more of a listener. Photography is my way of showing things -- how I view the world and take in an environment."

Petrelli and Washkowiak are two of 18 students taking a landscape class in a condensed four-week setting that will conclude with the end of the university's summer session on Friday, Aug. 4. The course, taught by Daniel Overturf, a professor in the Department of Cinema and Photography, is similar in many ways to his small town documentary class, a biennial semester-long project that chronicles communities in the region.

The current daily, three-hour landscape class sessions include critiques of prints the students might have shot the previous day, ranging from lakes, fields, mine strip cuts and urban areas. Overturf said one component in this advanced landscape class is that by the end of the first week students were showing their work for portfolios and receiving feedback. Overturf is delighted with interest in the class.

"I think it had a lot to do with people's interest in the landscape and that they could really hit the ground running," he said. "I wasn't challenging them with anything new in terms of technique; it's more about an opportunity to explore."

In class, there are discussions about the essential visual element skills to what Overturf said might be initially confusing as students look for patterns and shapes -- not just "postcard" style shots.

"Maybe it's a new topic, maybe it's a new opportunity for them to concentrate on this topic," he said. "But I have from the very beginning reminded them that basic photographic skills apply in almost every circumstance, including the landscape," he said. "A lot of people, when they photograph the landscape, get caught up in the specific content of what they are photographing. What I try to remind them is to look at trees or rocks as shapes and patterns. The stronger photographs have stronger individual voices."

Washkowiak was among a group of seven students who accompanied Overturf to Scotland in June; the landscape there was much different, he said. Washkowiak typically prints and edits his photos in the morning before attending class and taking in observations from other students. He said he applies those notes when he will shoot more photos later in the evening.

"I pretty much eat, sleep and breathe photography," he said.

Petrelli, the daughter of Holly and Michael Petrelli, earned her bachelor's degree in May and was set to move to Los Angeles, Calif. She is reconsidering that initial plan for now after becoming "too attached" to the region. Petrelli's mother graduated from SIU Carbondale in 1975 and the family would return to the area to camp and hike when Petrelli was younger.

"I love Southern Illinois. It's kind of an extension from home," she said. "We've always come down here. It's another world compared to the suburbs, a better world."

Petrelli was a student in Overturf's small town documentary class in fall 2017 where she concentrated on Grand Chain. That 16-week class provided the opportunity to shoot during the changing seasons.

For her, photography provides an ability to stop time.

"When you take a shot, that moment is over. But you have instilled it time. It's kind of like cheating the system and stopping time so you always have that memory with you," she said.

Source: Student photographers capture region's landscape

Witness Amazing Discoveries by Wyoming’s Best Photographers

Devil's Milky Way, Photo By Tim From Tampa

There is a place where the best photographers in Wyoming gather to talk about what they have seen, pictures they have taken, and discuss techniques for improving their skills.

Wyoming Through The Lens is a FaceBook page the provides a forum for those talented people who see our great landscape in their own unique ways.

These are the folks who get up before dawn to catch a morning mountain sunrise. They stay up all night to catch the Milky Way. over Devil's Tower.

No political or social discussion is allowed. This is a place for beauty, art, landscape, wildlife, and people.

WHOA Big Fella, Photo By Tim From Tampa

If you have lived or even just traveled this state you know how amazingly beautiful it can be. But you've probably never seen it like this. Each member of the community offers the view in a way you have never imagined. They are proud Wyomingites and love to show it off.

Wyoming Gold, Photo By Tim From Tampa

If you have files filled with photos you would love to share Wyoming Through The Lens would love to have you has a member. Don't feel embarrassed if your pictures are not up to the talent you will find there. They will help you grow as an artist.

Source: Witness Amazing Discoveries by Wyoming's Best Photographers

Local Photographers Prepare For Eclipse, Scout Sites For Best Picture

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - In the hot July sun, a group of three photographers trekked a mile of hot pavement to find the best location to photograph the Total Solar Eclipse.

They searched for an area where the sun hangs over the city in such a way they can capture the perfect shot.

It was just after 2:00 in the afternoon, less than a month before the August 21 total solar eclipse. Vinit Modi, Quinn Kananack and Rick Montgomery have all been thinking about the same two minute period for months.

"What we're trying to do here is understand where the sun is at this moment right now," said Modi, a hobbyist photographer who's developed a following of nearly 95,000 followers on the social media app Instagram. "People looking at the solar eclipse from Nashville might expect to find a Nashville element to it. Just capturing that with the eclipse is the really tricky part."

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The other two are both hobbyist photographers at well. Montgomery has a side business shooting real estate and family portraits. Kananack shares Modi's passion for shooting landscapes of Music City. He has a sizable social media following as well.

The trio sauntered over the Cumberland River on Korean Veterans Boulevard, stopping briefly to examine a scenic angle near the northern end of the bridge.

"I don't think the sun is going to come anywhere close to here," said Kananack as he set up his camera.

"Capturing any element of the skyline and the sun together will need us to get real up close to those buildings and get a 180 or 90 degree elevation," added Modi.

As the group captures some images and compares where the sun might be during the eclipse, they talk about challenges they might face the day of the astronomical event. Crowds are expected in the hundreds of thousands and many other photographers will likely be looking for interesting shots when the moon casts its shadow across the city.

"Probably Nashville is one of the biggest cities on the whole trail of this eclipse. People are coming from all over the world to Nashville," said Modi.

Besides scouting locations, all three photographers sought advice from one of Nashville's professional photographer stores. Dury's Camera has pros that are planning on shooting the eclipse as well, such as sales associate Ken Gray.

"I don't have a lot of solar in stock," said Gray. Solar filters are coverings for cameras lenses that protect sensors from light rays when directly photographing the sun. The filters seem to be opaque until held between the sun and the naked eye. "It's such a specialized filter that, if you can't return the ones you sell to the manufacturer, you're stuck with them forever."

The filters are similar to ones used in solar glasses many people will wear the day of the eclipse.

Having moved on from the bridge location, Modi, Kananack and Montgomery all head further North along the riverfront by Titans stadium. The eclipse will be high in the sky at 1:27:17 when the moon will totally cover the sun, shrouding the city in darkness. The three photographers surmise they will need to be Northwest of the city to capture both the cityscape and the solar eclipse in one shot.

"This is probably be a real cool spot for viewing. As you can see, the sun is way up at 90 degrees in terms of the whole skyline. So, it may be difficult for us to guage and get some elements of Nashville," said Modi.

The group expects they will meet at least one more time to finalize a location before the day of the eclipse.

Source: Local Photographers Prepare For Eclipse, Scout Sites For Best Picture