Pop Photo’s Monthly Showcase
The month's best, shot by our staff
Atlas Peeked
Dan Bracaglia lay flat on his back and pointed Nikon's new 24–85mm f/3.5–4.5G AF-S ED VR full-frame lens straight up at the Unisphere in Flushing, NY. With the zoom racked out to 85mm on a Nikon D700, our assistant online editor made an exposure of 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400. Later, he slightly increased the clarity and vibrance in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3. For our full lab and field test of this zoom, click here. Dan Bracaglia
Dan Bracaglia lay flat on his back and pointed Nikon's new 24–85mm f/3.5–4.5G AF-S ED VR full-frame lens straight up at the Unisphere in Flushing, NY. With the zoom racked out to 85mm on a Nikon D700, our assistant online editor made an exposure of 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400. Later, he slightly increased the clarity and vibrance in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3. For our full lab and field test of this zoom, click here. Dan Bracaglia
June 2013 Showcase
Technical Editor Philip Ryan captured this detail of an untitled sculpture by American artist Bruce Nauman while visiting the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He used the Fujifilm X100S at ISO 6400 with a shutter speed of 1/40 sec and the lens stopped down to f/5.6. Check out our full lab and field test of this high-end compact here.
May 2013 Showcase
Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia took to the studio with Tamron’s new 90mm f/2.8 DI Macro VC lens to photograph one of his favorite confections. Mounting the lens on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, he lit the jellybeans from above and below with two monolights. His exposure, handheld with the Tamron’s Vibration Compensation engaged: 1/160 sec at f/29, ISO 100. See our full lab and field test of this image-stabilized close-up lens here.
April 2013 Showcase
Highlighting the versatility of the Micro Four Thirds system, our technical editor Philip Ryan took this shot of the carousel in New York City’s Bryant Park with an Olympus 75mm f/1.8 lens mounted on the Panasonic Lumix GH3 body. His exposure: 1/320 sec at f/2.8, ISO 800. He used +0.33 stop of exposure compensation with the metering set to Intelligent Multiple mode and made minor adjustments to color temperature, tint, and saturation when processing from the RAW file. See his test of the GH3 here.
March 2013 Showcase
In the moments following an afternoon rain shower, Technical Editor Philip Ryan captured this image, highlighting both the resolution of Sony’s Cyber-shot RX1 and the creamy bokeh of its fast 35mm f/2 lens. His exposure: 1/100 sec at f/4, ISO 100. He used Adobe Camera Raw to make minor adjustments to the JPEG produced by the camera. For our full lab and field test of this full-frame compact camera, click here.
February 2013 Showcase
Our assistant online editor, Dan Bracaglia, took this candid portrait of his girlfriend Cheyenne Morgan outside of New York City’s Bowery Ballroom using a Leica M Monochrom and a 35mm f/1.4 Leica Summilux-M ASPH lens. His exposure: 1/30 sec at f/1.4, ISO 6400. For our full lab and field test of this full-frame digital rangefinder for black-and-white purists, click here.
January 2013 Showcase
Native to the central coast of California, Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) have become a regional icon. Technical Editor Philip Ryan shot this vista with a Sony Alpha 99, mounted on a Joby GorillaPod Focus and set to ISO 200 and a shutter speed of 6 sec. His lens? A 24–70mm f/2.8 Sony ZA SSM, with a Tiffen circular polarizing filter, racked out to 70mm and stopped down to f/16. For our lab test results of the A99, click here.
December 2012 Showcase
Dan Bracaglia lay flat on his back and pointed Nikon’s new 24–85mm f/3.5–4.5G AF-S ED VR full-frame lens straight up at the Unisphere in Flushing, NY. With the zoom racked out to 85mm on a Nikon D700, our assistant online editor made an exposure of 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400. Later, he slightly increased the clarity and vibrance in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3. For our full lab and field test of this zoom, click here.
November 2012 Showcase
A New York City firefighter from Ladder Company 36 of Inwood ascends toward the window of an apartment building on 207th street in Manhattan. Residents were trapped when a fire raged through a first-floor apartment and blocked the interior stairwell to the street, as well as the fire escape. Popular Photography’s Technical Editor Philip Ryan captured this scene with a Canon EOS-1D X set to ISO 640 and 1/3200 sec. He used an EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS II lens zoomed to 155mm and stopped down to f/8. For our full test of the 1D X, click here.
October 2012 Showcase
After swimming 2.4 miles and cycling 112, sixth-place finisher Michelle Bremer powers through mile 17 of the 2012 Ironman U.S. Championship’s 26.2 mile run. Our Technical Editor Philip Ryan captured the scene with a Canon EOS Rebel T4i set to ISO 200 and 1/800 sec, and a 70–200mm f/2.8L Canon EF lens racked out to 200mm and stopped down to f/4. For our full test of the T4i, click here.
September 2012 Showcase
Catching the action from the sidelines at the 2012 Mountain Bike World Cup, our Web editor Stan Horaczek snapped this shot of overall downhill winner Aaron Gwin as he tore down the course. Panning with a Pentax K-30 and 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 Pentax-DA WR lens as Gwin approached speeds of nearly 40 mph, he froze the action with an exposure of 1/800 sec at f/3.5, ISO 1600.
August 2012 Showcase
While exploring New York’s Chinatown, our intern Samantha Kelly spotted these paper lanterns hanging in a storefront. With Nikon’s 85mm f/1.8G AF-S Nikkor lens on a Nikon D800, she opened up the aperture to f/2.8 for some creamy bokeh and snapped this exposure at 1/160 sec. Back at the office, she added brightness and contrast in Adobe Photoshop CS5.
July 2012 Showcase
To give you a sense of the resolving power of the Nikon D800’s chart-topping 36MP full-frame sensor, Dan Bracaglia, our assistant web editor, attached a 14–24mm f/2.8G Nikkor lens, mounted the camera to a tripod, and shot from a 9th-floor garden terrace in midtown Manhattan. His exposure: 2 sec at f/8, ISO 2000. Back at our offices, he added a little brightness and contrast in Adobe Photoshop CS5. Click here for our full lab and field test of the Nikon D800.
June 2012 Showcase
Technical Editor Philip Ryan does not have a backyard garden in his New York apartment building, but thanks to some green-thumbed neighbors, he was able to capture this tulip in bloom in a nearby flower bed. He shot with a Nikon D4 set to ISO 6400 at 1/160 sec, and a Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX APO macro lens stopped down to f/5.6. He mounted the rig on a Manfrotto tripod equipped with a macro focusing rail. Click here for our lab and field test of the Nikon D4.
May 2012 Showcase
Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia shot this image of Wyldlife performing at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ. With Sigma’s new 12–24mm f/4.5–5.6 full-frame lens on a Nikon D3s, he zoomed the lens out to 12mm and set his exposure to 1/20 sec at f/4.5, ISO 6400. A hotshoe-mounted Nikon Speedlight SB-600—set to 1/4 power—fired straight up and bounced off the ceiling, combining with the slow shutter to give the band some trailing ghosts.
April 2012 Showcase
Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia had just hiked to the top of a ridge at the New Jersey Audubon Society’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville, NJ, when he noticed the sunlight slicing through the thick tree cover. With a Sigma 18–200mm f/3.5–6.3 II DC OS lens mounted on his Nikon D300, he zoomed out to a moderate focal length of 55mm, capturing the scene at 1/320 sec, f/5.6, and ISO 640.
March 2012 Showcase
In New York City’s Chinatown, Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia noticed these colorful fish in a tank in the window display of a restaurant. He came back the next day and spent 20 minutes photographing his new aquatic friends. With Tokina’s 17–35mm f/4 AT-X Pro FX lens mounted on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and zoomed to its widest focal length, he shot a 1/40 sec exposure at f/4, ISO 4000.
February 2012 Shwocase
Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia loves to climb tall structures. For this photo, he balanced Samsung’s new NX200, with the 18–200mm f/3.5–6.3 ED OIS, on the rooftop railing of a midtown Manhattan building. He set the lens to 70mm and the camera to 1/10 sec at f/5.6, ISO 1600, with exposure compensation at –1.6. A little dodging in Adobe Photoshop CS5 brought out detail in the shadows. Click for our full lab and field test of the Samsung NX200.
January 2012 Showcase
December 2011 Showcase
November 2011 Showcase
After watching this cheetah run for a crowd of people at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, our technical editor, Philip Ryan, captured her portrait. He shot with the Sony Alpha 77 at 1/400 sec, ISO 1600, with the Sony 70–400mm f/4–5.6 G SSM lens zoomed to 400mm and wide open at f/5.6. See our lab test of the Alpha 77.
September 2011 Showcase
Dan Bracaglia shot this portrait of his friend Rachel on the Hoboken waterfront using Nikon’s new 50mm f/1.8G on a Nikon D3s, with a stand-mounted Nikon Speedlight SB-600 fired through a Westcott 43-inch umbrella. He left the lens wide open at f/1.8 at 1/160 sec, ISO 200 (flash setting not recorded).
August 2011 Showcase
When dramatic sunlight emerged after a late-afternoon rainshower in Healdsburg, CA, Technical Editor Philip Ryan seized the chance to snap this shot of a vineyard with deep shadows delineating the rows of vines. Shot with the Sony Alpha SLT-A35 with 16–35mm f/2.8 lens set to 16mm; 1/800 sec at f/11, ISO 800. See our full test of the Sony A35 HERE.
July 2011 Showcase
June 2011 Showcase
Thanks to a friend in high places, Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia headed 60 stories up to the rooftop of New York’s 2 Penn Plaza to photograph the corner of 33rd Street and 8th Avenue using Canon’s new 70–200mm f/2.8L IS II at 70mm. He mounted the lens on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II; exposure, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 800.
May 2011 Showcase
Inspired by the photos in this month’s feature, “Tilt/Shift to the Rescue,” Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia decided to train Nikon’s 45mm f/2.8D PC-E.
April 2011 Showcase
Out to prove that the 85mm focal length and low-light capability of f/1.4 isn’t just for bridal portraits, Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia aimed an 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor lens on a Nikon D3s body at Max Bemis, lead singer of the popular rock band Say Anything. He captured this energetic performance at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, at 1/400 sec and f/4, ISO 10,000.
March 2011 Showcase
Technical Editor Philip Ryan found this statue in the Venetian Resort Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Despite the dim light, he shot handheld with the Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 lens mounted on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. With the camera set to ISO 6400, and the lens stopped down to f/2 to show off its incredible bokeh, he used a shutter speed of 1/250 sec.
February 2011 Showcase
Assistant Web Editor Dan Bracaglia was waiting for a train at New Jersey’s Hoboken Terminal when he noticed this peculiar scene: A few hundred seagulls perched upon an array of pilings, the remains of an old pier. Mounting the Canon EOS 60D and 24–70mm f/2.8L Canon EF lens on a tripod, he shot a 20-sec exposure at f/5.6, ISO 400, with the lens zoomed out to 70mm.
January 2011 Showcase
With a vast field of hot-air balloons inflating, and plenty in the sky already, Technical Editor Philip Ryan mounted the 10.5mm f/2.8G ED AF DX Nikkor fisheye lens onto the D3100 for the widest view he could muster of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Shot handheld and manually focused at 1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200.
December 2010 Showcase
Technical Editor Philip Ryan juxtaposed the lines and curves of Frank Gehry’s IAC Building’s warped, fritted glass walls with the distorted reflection of its geometrically patterned neighbor. Shot using the Olympus E-5 at ISO 200, 1/100 sec at f/8, with an Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14–35mm f/2 SWD zoom at 35mm.
November 2010 Showcase
Senior Editor Debbie Grossman photographed these horses outside the Jackson Hole Rodeo in Wyoming, using a preproduction Sony Alpha 55 that was set to automatic HDR mode. Shot handheld with a Sony 28–75mm f/2.8 SAM lens; f/8 at 1/125 sec, ISO 100. Contrast added in Adobe Photoshop CS5.
October 2010 Showcase
With a preproduction sample of Canon’s new EOS 60D mounted on a Benro Travel Angel tripod, Technical Editor Philip Ryan captured the Crested Pool as dawn broke in Yellowstone National Park’s Upper Geyser Basin. He used a 17–55mm f/2.8 Canon EF-S IS USM lens at 17mm; exposure, 1/60 sec at f/8, ISO 400.
September 2010 Showcase
Where better to field-test the Nikon AF-S 16–35mm f/4G ED VR than the Rose Reading Room of the New York Public Library? No tripods allowed, so Senior Editor Peter Kolonia shot handheld. No one heard the near-silent AF motor. And the room’s 52-foot ceiling and 78-foot width easily fit in the frame. Shot on the Nikon D3S, 1/30 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800.
August 2010 Showcase
With the late afternoon sunlight cascading through the trees, Popular Photography Technical Editor Philip Ryan found the perfect opportunity to capture this image of Mac Adam’s sculpture, The Universal Soldier, a memorial in New York City’s Battery Park for the soldiers who served in the Korean War. Shot handheld with a Sony Alpha NEX-3 set to 1/60 sec at f/8, ISO 200, with an 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 kit lens zoomed to 24mm (36mm equivalent).
July 2010 Showcase
A warm April day enticed model Ami Sheth and Senior Editor Peter Kolonia into the lush green of New York City’s Central Park. Their mission: To field-test Sigma’s 50–500mm f/4.5–6.3 DG OS HSM tele zoom. Kolonia mounted our Canon EOS 5D Mark II on a Cullmann Titan tripod, zoomed the lens to 244mm, and set an exposure of 1/200 sec at f/7.1, ISO 500.
June 2010 Showcase
Sometimes you want to capture the flavor of your favorite watering hole. Technical Editor Philip Ryan, took the new Canon EOS Rebel T2i down the street from our New York office to Rattle ‘N’ Hum, braced his elbows on the bar, set the Sigma 10–20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM lens to its widest setting (16mm full-frame equivalent), and fired away. This exposure, 1/25 sec at f/3.5, ISO 3200, gives you a taste of how little noise the newest Rebel produces in low light.
May 2010 Showcase
Though he nearly passed it by, this statuette of dogs playing poker in a shop window stopped our Technical Editor Philip Ryan in his tracks. He quickly doubled back to capture this image with the Pentax K-x set to 1/1000 sec at f/4, ISO 800, with a 17–70mm f/4 Pentax DA SDM lens zoomed to 70mm (105mm equivalent).