Buds are blooming just about everywhere you look, and it’s time to get out in nature and capture fantastic flower photos. This tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel explains everything you need to know for this annual rite of spring.

The instructional videos we post from German landscape pro Christian Mohrle typically involve Photoshop and Lightroom techniques for enhancing images shot in the great outdoors. This episode does that as expected, but it begins with some expert advice for capturing the best flower photos in the camera.

Mohrle provides a comprehensive discussion on a variety of key topics, including choosing the best camera settings, selecting the proper focal length, framing up the shot, and more. In the Photoshop workflow that follows you’ll learn everything from basic global adjustments, a simple focusing stacking technique, and selective enhancements that provide a stunning final touch.

One appeal of this type of photography is that it isn’t too dependent on weather or prevailing light, so you can capture impressive images under all sorts of conditions. Another plus is that you can often find excellent subjects in the backyard, at a nearby park, or at a local arboretum.

Of course all flowers aren’t created equal, which is why Mohrle kicks off the lesson by explaining how to choose the optimum types of subjects for this approach to nature photography. As he says, “one thing that’s very, very, important is a background without distracting details so the blossom really stands out.”

The vantage point and camera angle are also key considerations when framing a shot, and one method that Mohrle prefers is setting the camera close to the ground when photographing low-lying wildflowers. Taller flowers, of course, require a totally different approach to composition.

Mohrle moves on to selecting the best lenses and focal lengths for the job, and there’s a full list of the equipment he uses in the description beneath the video. He also discusses how to configure your camera to boost the odds of success.

Once you’ve captured the images it’s time to move on to the computer and Mohrle covers it all, from setting up a focus stack, preliminary basic edits, and then masking, color grading, sharpening, and other selective enhancements for achieving a truly spectacular result.

Be sure to visit Mohrle’s popular YouTube channel after watching this lesson so you can take advantage of his other powerful tips and techniques.

Then take a look at the tutorial we posted from another expert, explaining how to fix shooting and editing color mistakes that spoil the impact of your photographs.

Less than one month after announcing their plans to acquire US cinema camera manufacturer RED.com, LLC, Nikon stunned the photographic industry by declaring that they’ve consummated the acquisition of Konica-Minolta, a leading manufacturer of business technology and office products.

A Nikon official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, revealed that the new entity will be reorganized into two divisions.

The MINOLTA division will be responsible for the reestablishment of the Minolta Maxxum, XD and SR-T 35mm film camera lines, along with Rokkor lenses and limited edition Color Enlarger II products for darkroom enthusiasts and Boomers.

The KONICA division will continue to manufacture category-leading office automation equipment and MFPs.

The deal, which become final as of April 1, nearly collapsed when Nikon executives in Japan discovered more than 300,000 units of APS cameras and lenses hidden in a secret closet at a now-closed factory in Sakai, Japan. Complicating the negotiations further, it was subsequently disclosed that there are dozens of stockpiles of Minolta Vectis APS cameras scattered around the Osaka countryside, waiting to be refurbished and returned to the US.

In a related story, NASA announced that it plans to supply all future astronauts with Minolta-branded cameras exclusively. “If Minolta was good enough for John Glenn,” said one thrift-minded NASA engineer, “they’re probably okay for everybody else, too. And they’re a lot cheaper than Nikons or Hasselblads.”

It’s satire, folks. An April Fools’ Day joke. The Minolta 110 Zoom pictured above is a real thing. Sadly, none of the rest is true, except maybe the part about the secret closet in Sakai. And John Glenn did carry a camera manufactured by Minolta into space; however, it bore the Ansco brand name.

—Jon Sienkiewicz

Easter is celebrated differently in different parts of the world. In France, they make a giant omelet out of 15,000 eggs. In Hungary or Slovakia, girls are splashed with cold water or even thrown into a stream. And in the Czech Republic, we traditionally use a decorated “Easter whip” on our loved ones (gently)…

Who can resist the sumptuous appeal of a finely-crafted, genuine leather bag? Combined with elegant styling and superb workmanship, the common camera sling can be elevated to an explicit work of art, an everlasting leather heirloom, even. GRAMS(28), a Hong Kong-based leather goods brand, offers the 172 Camera Sling, a gorgeous and roomy camera shoulder bag that delivers on these potentials. That said, some questionable construction decisions may mar its appeal to ardent photographers. Hear me out…

GRAMS(28) 172 Camera Sling Overview
The 172 Camera Sling comprises the popular configuration that includes a rigid lid, repositionable internal dividers, a pouch for an 11-inch tablet and a zippered compartment on the back. The adjustable shoulder strap is removable but lacks a shoulder pad or slip resistance. There’s a roomy zipped compartment on the front that’s covered by the lid and is ideal for memory cards, batteries and the like. The interior fabric is light khaki color and soft to the touch. On the front, instead of a gaudy logo, there’s a tasteful single line of text that reads, “GRAMS(28) (172 0902 039),” stamped in white.

GRAMS(28) claims that the 172 Camera Sling can hold a full-size camera like a Fujifilm X-H1 and a lens like a Fujifilm 70-200mm lens, which at first I did not believe but assuredly confirmed. It’s much roomier than it appears, probably because of the sleek, roundish design.

Key Features & Dimensions
• Full grain pebbled Italian leather
• Finely crafted in Arzignano, Italy
• Leather tanned by carbon-neutral Gruppo Mastrotto
• Padded interior
• Removeable, adjustable dividers
• Slot for 11-inch tablet
• Pouches for memory cards and other small items
• Apple AirTag pocket
• Measures 12.5 x 8.6 x 4.7 inches (32 W x 22 H x 12 D cm)
• Weighs 1.96 pounds (890g), or 31.4 ounces
• Lifetime warranty & 30-day return option
• Free shipping to US
• Cost is $459 USD

Field Notes
The GRAMS(28) 172 Camera Sling is quite roomy despite its compact size, and comfortable to use. But the lack of slip resistance on the wide 1.5-inch (3.8cm) strap is annoying and, for me, means constantly struggling to keep everything from sliding off my shoulder. If you wear the bag cross-body style, this is not an issue.

It’s a trifle heavy when empty. It weighs nearly 2 pounds (31.4 ounces). In comparison, the $119 Peak Design 6L Everyday Sling Bag weighs 1.72 pounds (780g) (with dividers). Seems small but that’s a difference of more than 12%.

The aluminum latch that fastens the hinged lid is unique and moderately attractive, but it resembles a video game alien with brassy gold ears, wide mouth and a roughly textured tongue. It doesn’t bother me, but it bothers me. Know what I mean?

The galvanic plated zippers blend nicely with the overall design scheme, but frankly I prefer waterproof YKK zippers, the component GRAMS(28) uses on some of their other products. That’s just my personal fussy choice, but it’s based on years of experience with recalcitrant zippers.

The biggest problem—and this is a deal breaker for me—is the very thin pin the connects the shoulder strap to the rotating buckle. It appears to be approximately 2mm in diameter, clearly less than 3mm (roughly 3/64 inches). Being unduly clumsy as I sometimes am, I’m certain I could accidently shear the pin with minimal force and (possibly) drop the bag. Aware of this, I never felt confident about the bag’s security.

Side Note – Identity Crisis?
The company name appears as “GRAMS(28)” with parentheses in multiple places on their website, but in the About Us section and on their official Facebook page the name appears without parentheses.

It gets better. On Instagram we find three variations: GRAMS28, grams28 and GRAMS(28)—all in the same place.

I decided to use the all-caps-plus-parentheses version to be consistent with their official logo. It’s none of my business, but I suggest that their marketing team picks one variation and hammers it home. Consistency is the mainstay of marketplace identity.

Conclusion
I really, really want to love this bag. The leather craftsmanship is superb and the overall design is attractively understated and highly functional. But I can’t love it for one of the reasons I delineated in the Field Notes above: the thin pin that connects the rotating buckle to the camera strap.

If I were to use this sling bag on a regular basis, I’d feel compelled to first replace the strap with something that had sturdier buckles. The lifetime warranty protects you if this component fails, but the bag could crash to the ground and damage its contents. What then?

Price & Availability
The GRAMS(28) 172 Camera Sling is priced at $459 and can be ordered directly from GRAMS(28). Shipping to the US is free and they offer a lifetime limited warranty and a 30-day return window.

—Jon Sienkiewicz