Photographer, producer and Senior Photo Editor at National Geographic, Pamela Chen first picked up a camera at around 9 months old. Although she was pointing the camera the wrong way, as children often do, the photo that Chen shares with us in this video is a sweet memento. During the video, which is sponsored by Microsoft OneDrive, Chen tells the story of how capturing one blurry photograph when she was a college student changed the course of her life. She also explains why photography is a natural fit for her and provides a glimpse into one of her first National Geographic assignments.
As a senior photo editor, Chen is tasked with reviewing each frame that comes in for a story. She says that's around 10,000-60,000 images per story. You can find out more about Chen on her website.
Can you remember the moment or photograph that inspired you to pursue photography?
Can you remember the moment or photograph that inspired you to pursue photography? .................... I started more than half a cetury ago with my mama's Roleiflex & on first photo was ... mother, ofcourse. :o)
A dolly zoom is a cinematographic technique that involves moving the camera forward while zooming out, or moving the camera back while zooming in. This doesn't explain how a still photograph can be given the effect of a dolly zoom.
"Can you remember the moment or photograph that inspired you to pursue photography? "
Sure. Mine was back in 2004, almost 10 yrs exactly from now, when I was in the woods with my father. At the time I had a simple Pentax MZ-60 QD and 28-80 standard zoom mounted. At a certain point I took this picture and for the first time I had some kind of background separation and - to a certain extent, also some kind of 3d effect on my father's hands because of the way the light fell on him. For the first time I had a picture where the main subject was separated from the background.. and I liked it a lot, SO much that I started trying and learning how to improve.
nice, mine was discovering I had manual settings on an old 2005 Kodac fixed zoom and learning how to take pictures of stars with it. As soon as I got the photo that lit up a dark sky I just wanted to know everything. I realised photography is super expensive as a hobby though so one day (hopefully soon) I find a decent deal on something that can take photos to my liking.
It depends what place you are in....the changed in your life would be better or much, much better or just right at the right moment in time and place on that moment...just like a photo.
Much appreciated: her life-long quest with photography; and a very well-done, intimate video. Vivacious and interesting lady, and and co-incidentally also reflects my own journey and photograhic interests. Tony Webster, Barbados
Yah I thought it was going to be about National Geographic but it turned into a Microsoft ad which killed the story and mood completely. I bet she didn't even own that tablet.
Thanks. I still wonder how they could do the hitchcock zoom effect in post processing though. It's not like she uses a special camera t take the photos...
You have to cut out the people (foreground) from the pictures to separate it from the background through layering (you have to either scale a bit the foreground or the background to cover up the cuts when animating) then animate separately both foreground and background to create a zooming effect.. These can be done using a software like the Adobe After Effects..
When the Fujifilm X-T2 arrived, it was more than just a modest upgrade to the already impressive X-T1. While the new X-T3 hasn't changed the overall design of the camera, this model is way more than an upgrade; rather, it's a quantum leap.
The Movie Maker is a compact, motorized slider designed for phones, action cams and small mirrorless cameras. We think it's a fun little kit and a good value proposition for the cost, provided you can work around a few of its weak points.
Nikon's Z7 is the first camera to use the all-new Z-mount, the company's first new full-frame mount since 1959. We've put together our first impressions based on quality shooting time with a pre-production camera - check out what we've found.
We got some hands-on time with a pre-production LX100 II to get a better feel for the improvements Panasonic's brought to the table. Here's a rundown of what's new – and what we think.
The instant camera market is heating up, and with four formats and 15+ cameras to choose from, we felt it was high time to examine them all and pick our favorite.
Whether you're hitting the beach in the Northern Hemisphere or the ski slopes in the Southern, a rugged compact camera makes a great companion. In this buying guide we've taken a look at seven current models and chosen our favorites.
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What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.
What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best.
Canon has announced its latest superzoom camera, the PowerShot SX70 HS. Compared to the SX60 that came before it, the SX70 has a longer lens, higher resolution EVF, 4K video capture and support for Canon's new CR3 Raw format.
Sony has taken the wraps off of its new 24mm F1.4 GM full-frame lens, which the company claims is the lightest in its class. Despite its fast aperture, the 24mm F1.4 is remarkably light, weighing just 445 grams (15.7 ounces). The lens will set you back $1400 when it ships next month.
In this episode of DPReview TV we take a look at Sony's brand new 24mm F1.4 GM lens, a desirable focal length for many photographers. How does it perform? Chris and Jordan give us their first impressions.
We've had a little time to shoot with Sony's new wide/fast prime, both close to home and on the water in San Francisco. Check out our initial sample images.
Fujifilm released a firmware upgrade for its X-T3 mirrorless camera that addresses issues with distortion compensation and the mechanical lock on SD cards.
British photographic engineer MTF Services is claiming the world’s first third-party lens adapters for the new Nikon Z system with a collection of four units designed to allow cinema lenses to be mounted on the mirrorless full frame bodies.
The X-T3 is our first opportunity to analyze what's likely to be Fujifilm's next generation image sensor. Take a look at how it performs next to the competition in our studio test scene.
Nikon will cease offering Brazil-based customer service and technical support, though the company stresses that it will still offer technical assistance and warranty repairs for valid warranties.
Two years ago, CatLABS of JP announced a plan to save Packfilm from the dead. Now, it's announced it's giving up its efforts to better focus its resources elsewhere.
The GoPro Fusion is designed to make it easy to capture 360-degree video and stills. We took it out recently on a typically hot Seattle summer day to see what it can do.
Canon and Nikon finally entered the full-frame mirrorless market this summer with the brand-new RF and Z mounts. Now that we've had some time with the cameras, we wanted to revisit our earlier predictions and take stock.
Blackmagic Design has announced the public beta of its new Blackmagic RAW video codec. The company says the new format combines the benefits of shooting Raw video with the ease of use and smaller file sizes usually associated with non-Raw video files.
The Atomos Ninja V external video recorder and monitor will be ready to ship at the end of this month. The 5.2in Ninja V is designed to provide a smaller option, while still offering many of the features of the larger 7-inch models.
Having shot with the camera, spoken to Canon and read the tea leaves, here's what DPR Technical Editor Richard Butler thinks the EOS R tells us about Canon and the RF's mount's future.
After last week's teaser, lighting manufacturer Profoto has announced its 'small big' new product. The B10 is designed to be used as studio flash head but in a very small body, and has a powerful continuous light source for videographers as well.
Manfrotto has introduced a new two-in-one tripod to its Befree lineup. Called the Befree 2N1, this new addition is both a tripod and monopod in one and is available with both of Manfrotto's locking mechanisms.
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