Photography News Issue 39

Photography News | Issue 39 | absolutephoto.com

16 Technique

Find out how photographers are using cameras like Kodak’s Pixpro 360 series to produce astonishing new images and immerse virtual reality video... Reality check Part 3: Creative ideas

VR and 360° refresher

While 360° and VR cameras, like Kodak’s Pixpro series can, at first glance seem very much at odds with traditional photography, they’re actually tools which allow greater freedom in shooting than ever before. After all, many photographers love shooting with extreme wide-angle lenses and fisheye optics anyway, so these cameras are the next step, with possibilities way beyond the reach of even the most extreme fisheye optics you’ll find for DSLRs and CSCs. The Pixpro 360 4K, for instance, has a 235° field of view, which is unmatched by traditional lenses. But the real thrill is in how you view the 360° images, allowing you to put the viewer right in your shoes with a fully interactive and immersive version of the scene. Because while camera’s like Kodak’s Pixpro 360 series can shoot regular stills, the spherical images also created can be scrolled around using a mouse, trackpad, or a VR headset, putting you, almost literally, in the photographer’s head. You’ll also find, that, with a few minutes familiarisation, 360° and VR cameras are very easy to use. Sure, there’s no traditional screen and fewer inputs than you’d find on a regular camera, but functions are neatly accessed using combinations and streamlined menus. It’s also easy to connect the Pixpro SP360 and SP360 4K and 4KVR360 models to your smartphone or tablet using a Wi-Fi connection and use that as the screen; which also lets you change modes and trigger the movie or stills functions remotely.

One of the most amazing things about 360° and VR cameras is the number of applications they have; and how the burgeoning technology of these devices can fire your imagination to produce exciting and surprising projects. This month, in the third part of our introductory guide to 360° and VR shooting, we profile two

photographers Kodak’s Pixpro 360 cameras in their work and see how the camera can be with you wherever you want to shoot, thanks to a wealth of easy-to-use accessories. And if you want to read up on the subject, but missed the first two parts, you can check them out online in issues 37 and 38 of PN at issuu.com/brightpublishing. using

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Photographer #1: Asier Arranz on sharing ideas in virtual reality Asier Arranz is a Spanish photographer who’s been working with Kodak’s Pixpro360cameras for some time, andknowshowimportant the technology can be in creating immersive and unusual views of the world. As well as acting as the lead in launching a big project at the IE Business School in Madrid, where he is head of the Technology Lab, he puts his Kodak Pixpro SP360 4K cameras though their paces around Europe, shooting stunningly fresh views of well-known sites, like the Eiffel Tower. “As an emerging technology,” he says, “360° video is growing quickly and VR is an exciting opportunity, allowing new ways of recording that haven’t been tested before. In traditional cinema everything has been done, and a lot of directors have a big prestige; in the 360° shooting there are a lot of empty places for new creative minds.” The project at the IE Business School is called the ‘WOWroom’, and it’s an idea that uses the capabilities of VR cameras like the SP360 4K to facilitate learning and discovery – you can see a video about it here bit.ly/2dsDnyM. In one application, many cameras are used simultaneously to make the biggest immersive videowall in Europe, showing howvirtual reality can aid a working or teaching environment. In another, the VR is used to take the viewer to restricted places that would otherwise be impossible (or at least very difficult), a great example of which is the production line and clean testing facilities for satellites at Airbus. Asier praises the dimensions of the palm-sized Pixpro line and that “using one camera is great for scenes recorded from the viewpoint of the floor or the ceiling of a room, andwhen Iwant toput the camera in themiddle of the air for a full VR effect, it’s easy to mount two SP360 4K cameras in combination. This helps us to create wonderful 360° videos for education at the IE Business School, and although my department has been testing a lot of cameras, for now, the Kodak models deliver the best quality and don’t need any extra time for setting up.”

Asier Arranz on shooting the Eiffel Tower

“For this shot, I found the central point under the Eiffel Tower, and placed the SP360 4K on the ground facing upwards at the structure. I used some exposure compensation to extend the exposure time by +0.3EV, gaining a little bit more detail in the shadows inside the Tower’s legs, without losing the texture in the clouds. Then I took the shoot with the free Pixpro remote app, using a HTC 10 Android device. Easy!

“At home, using Lightroom I fine-tuned the angle to make the picture as symmetrical as possible, and to strengthen the ‘X’ shape. I also rotated the image because I appear in the frame. So putting me upside down means that the focus is the Tower, not myself. Finally, regarding the colour, this picture has a lot of contrast, so monochrome was the best choice, but I also wanted to give it a warmer, smoother feel so added sepia toning.”