In-camera Composites Using Creative Shooting Modes

Pentax DSLR Shooting Modes Explained: Part 2

By K David in Articles and Tips on Feb 3, 2015

Since the launch of the K-7 back in 2009, Pentax has included composite image modes such as interval shooting in their DSLRs. The newest flagship bodies— the K-3 and 645Z— have the composite modes placed in the drive menu. This improvement over having them buried within the menu system makes composite image generation significantly easier and will help improve in-camera creative photography. This article looks at the subjectively titled "Creative Modes" in the Pentax K-3: multiple-exposure, interval shooting, and interval composite.

Photo Challenge Roundup - 2/1

By K David in Photo Contests on Feb 1, 2015

In the Northern Hemisphere, spring is approaching quickly. In the Southern Hemisphere, autumn will arrive sooner than you realize. This is a great time to get those end-of-season photos. To help spur your photographic creativity, here are some of the the many contests and events currently happening on PF. You can find them all (and hundreds upon hundreds of photos) in our Monthly Photo Contest,  Weekly Photo Challenges, and Mini-challenges forums.

Long-Exposure Composite Photography

An advanced guide to interval shooting

By K David in Articles and Tips on Jan 29, 2015

This article presents a method to simulate long-exposure images using your DSLR's interval shooting mode. This method is geared toward advanced-level DSLRs such as the K-3 and 645Z, but other bodies have this functionality in menus (such as the K-7 and K-5) though the functionality is limited compared to the K-3 and 645Z. If you don't have a Pentax with the proper interval shooting modes, this technique can be reproduced in Photoshop, too. This article presents the methods to perform long-exposure simulation in-camera as well as in post.

Tell Us About Your Photo, Stephen Hampshire

Backlit Beauty

By K David in Columns on Jan 18, 2015

We're kicking off a new monthly homepage feature: each month, we will pick a forum member who posted a stand-apart photo in a non-contest thread.  This will give each member an opportunity to tell us a bit about the photo and about him or her self, providing a larger context to the image.

Stephen Hamshire submitted some stunning photos in the November 23 to December 6 Picture of the Week thread. We asked, and Stephen agreed, to be the first Pentax Forums photographer interviewed for this monthly series. Here is Stephen Hampshire's photo Backlit Beauty.

Venus Optics 60mm F2.8 2:1 Macro Lens

New lens with double life-size magnification

By K David in Third-Party Announcements on Jan 9, 2015

A brand new and previously unknown lens maker has released a new ultra-macro lens in Pentax mount. The manual-focus Venus Optics 60mm F2.8 2:1 Extreme Macro Lens reaches a 2:1 (twice life size) magnification with infinity focus— a first for any lens maker on a 35mm mount.