Every day we see stunning photos from our peers in the 500px community, but not often do we turn the lens back upon the photographer. The Portrait series focuses on remarkable 500px users who may have something to teach us about their field of photography. This week's feature is Hans Findling.

Tell us a little about yourself, Hans.

I'm a 15-year-old student and photographer living in Constance, Germany, which is situated at the lake of Constance at the very south of Germany, at the border to Switzerland. In my free time I practice photography as my most important hobby, but I'm also earning a bit of money by doing little jobs and selling prints. The money is just nice to have on the side; I shoot because it's fun to me and that's the most important thing.

How did you get into photography? What kind of photography do you shoot?

I've been interested in art and I've been creative for almost as far as I can think back. My grandma is an artist too, so it's in the family. I became interested in photography early 2010 when I was using my friend's DSLR (Canon Rebel XT, 350D). I loved the feeling of such a ”professional” camera because I'd only used little pocket cameras until then, and so I bought myself a Canon 450D with a standard kit lens.

I never read the user manual or books about the camera so I was my own teacher and found out how to use the camera by myself. I think this is priceless because in my opinion learning by doing was a very good way to develop fast.

Today I mostly shoot architecture, landscapes and objects in the studio. I'm perfectly situated for shooting landscape and nature; Lake Constance is beautiful and the alps are very close.

I think it's important to shoot a variety of things; that's what makes a photographer individual. I often get bored looking at portfolios with hundreds of photos always showing the same subject.

What gear do you shoot with, and what other materials do you need? What's your setup like for the exploding light bulb and egg shots?

After selling my 450D early this year I switched to the 7D. I really like this camera with its solid weatherproof body and a great sensor which allows cropping sometimes. I'm also using the movie mode from time to time, creating little clips. I use my Sigma 10-20mm lens most of the time, which has an awesome wide angle for architecture and wide landscape shots.

For the rest of my photography I use the lens everyone should own: the Canon 50mm 1.4. In my opinion a good standard lens is just a must-have. It's great for portraits, studio and street. It's not too long with the 1.6 crop. For my next addition to my gear, I'm thinking of buying some filters (Lee) and a telephoto lens (70-200).

For interior shots I also use a 430 EX II flash unit; outside I use mostly natural light. I also use a tripod. And of course there's the most important thing: my eyes.

For the high-speed shoots like the exploding bulbs and eggs, the setup was like this:



I took those shots together with a friend who is also a photographer. We used some different setups but this one was my favorite. It's not possible to shoot alone because it's difficult to shoot the object and capture the perfect moment at the same time. So my tip for those wanting to try this too is to look for somebody to help you.

What, in your opinion, makes your work different from anyone else's?

In my opinion my work is special because it's so eclectic, showing many different subjects. There are lots of things various photographers shoot, like waterdrops. Everything has already been done, so you are never the first one shooting something, but you could be the best. Being better is the thing that makes you different.

What challenges do you experience as such a young photographer?

Being so young is often a problem—it starts with signing into Internet sharing platforms. They are often only for people in the age of majority. It's also difficult selling prints, but I just found a solution so you can order them here now.

Another problem is that you can't drive a car so it's difficult to reach a location or plan a photo trip alone.

I've never had financial problems. I'm mostly happy with my equipment and if I want to own a new lens or something I just have to save money for a while. Recently I had the chance to earn some money by shooting for a commercial website. Nobody has ever told me to stop what I do or thought it's wrong. Most of the people looking at my photos are just amazed at my age and what I do.

Which photographers or artists inspire you the most?

Today the Internet brings many advantages. Most of my inspiration is taken from websites and photo streams. You can find everything there, and it inspires awesome ideas. There are some photographers I really like but no one in particular inspires me. There are hundreds of good photographers on 500px or other platforms.

What do you want to achieve with your photography? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

For sure it's a dream to get popular and earn money with photography, but there are so many great photographers in the world so it won't be easy to reach this. Many people looking at my photos tell me that I'm going to be a good photographer one day. I'm proud to hear this, but I've only been taking photos for about 1.5 years now. So I can still learn, travel, experiment and shoot a lot. It's important to finish school first.

In 10 years? Ask me again in 9 years. :)

What advice do you have for other young photographers?

The most important thing is to be different and to create a unique style. In the beginning it's not easy, so don't worry if your photos don't look like they should. The post-processing is important too, but if you don't have the money to buy expensive programs, freeware isn't that bad. There are also many useful do-it-yourself solutions for building things like light formers, etc.

You also shouldn't be shy taking out your camera and shooting. People might wonder about your age, but who cares?

The last thing is, show your work! The web is the best place to be seen.

For more of Hans' photography, check out his 500px page and his website.

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Our newest theme for Awesome users, Mist, displays your photography in a clean, thumbnail-based layout that gives users an inviting preview of each of the images in your portfolio. Viewers can hover over each thumbnail to see the photo's title. Clicking on the thumbnail enlarges the photo into a lightbox, and clicking on the lightbox photo takes viewers forward through your portfolio. If a viewer wants to go back to the thumbnail view, it's as easy as clicking off the photo.

If you're an Awesome user, try it out yourself under the portfolio themes menu. Or, you can preview the layout in a portfolio of our Creative Director.

In other portfolio news, our Space II theme for Awesome users is now available in both light and dark. To toggle either setting, scroll to the bottom of your portfolio and click either the Light or Dark button.

Feeling left out of all the portfolio news and other great perks? You can be Awesome too—just visit your account settings page and make the upgrade for just $50 a year.

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The annual Photographic, Video & Digital Imaging show by Henry's in Toronto has been entirely revamped with a new look, feel, and name—Exposure: Photo & Video Imaging Expo. With over 150 free seminar presentations, keynote speakers, a ProCentre with live demonstrations, and all the newest imaging products and accessories for sale, this expo is sure to be a great learning experience and a fun time for photographers of all skill levels.

More than 50 exhibitors will be a part of the show, and the 500px team is excited to be one of them. We've included your free ticket above, so bring your fellow photographer friends and come chat with us, ask questions, or just say hi to us at our booth!

What: Exposure: Photo & Video Imaging Expo
When: Oct. 14 - 16 (10 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Fri. and Sat.; 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sun.)
Wbere: International Centre, Hall 5. 6900 Airport Rd Mississauga, Ontario. Map here.

We look forward to seeing you there.

EDIT: To use your ticket, simply print out this page and bring it to the show!

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In an age dominated by digital, sometimes you want to relive the charm and imperfections of film. Now you can display your 500px photography in a nostalgic way with our newest horizontal portfolio theme for Awesome account users: Vintage. Thin white borders around your photos give them a fresh-from-the-darkroom feel. Viewers can use the clickable arrows to scroll, giving a cleaner overall appearance than a second scroll bar. Whatever your medium, your photos will look timeless. We're loving it!

Preview a working example here.

Also, two themes previously only available for Awesome account members are now free for everyone: Organizer and Black Space. Be sure to try them out under Portfolio > Themes.

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The results from the 500px Photo Party at the CNE are in! Congratulations to Charlie Man for winning a Manfrotto tripod from Henry's. Please send an email to jen@500px.com to arrange a day to pick up your prize.

Below are the blog posts submitted by attendees of the Party:

Carlos Bolivar, Charlie Man, Phil Edmondson, Sonsahne, and Brad Shaw.

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Owl T-Shirts Update

Those of you who ordered 500px owl t-shirts—don't worry! Your order has been shipped, but it may take 4-5 weeks to arrive. Thanks for supporting us and for being patient!

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What makes a great photographer? Besides a good pair of eyes, great intuition, some technical know-how, and sometimes sheer luck, no great photog can do what they do without their gear. And the contents of a gear bag can say a little, or a lot about a person.

The What's in Your Bag series features remarkable photographers from the 500px community and gives us a peek into what they consider their essential tools on the go. This week's feature is Alisdair Miller.

Who are you, Alisdair?

I am a semi pro photographer working in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. My background is in advertising so visuals/digital darkroom/photo shoots/tv commercials are a part of my everyday life. It was six years ago I thought I would give photography a go and bought my first camera, a Canon 350D. I have never looked back and cannot go anywhere without my kit. Photography for me is escapism and the adventure of looking for the next shot. Being all excited about processing it later in the digital darkroom really gets me excited. I love to try and create drama within my images, whether it be the location, the angle or various creative processing techniques.

What do you shoot?

I love to shoot architecture, landscape and industrial settings. I also like venturing out into the world of creative digital manipulation.

What's in your bag?

A lot of the time I don’t have all of my gear with me, but I do make sure I have a variety of lenses as I hate finding a location and not having the right lens. If I'm doing any commercial work, I will have the two cameras in my bag.

1. Lowepro Pro Trekker 300. I use this bag if I’m out all day, especially if I’m in the desert, as it has a great hydration system built in as well as being really comfortable.

2. Lee Filters wide-angle filter hood. This is a great piece of kit as it reduces the amount of lens flare on the filters when using a wide-angle lens.

3. Benro tripod with a Manfrotto ball head. This is a rock solid tripod and ball head. I much prefer stability than lightness.

4. Marlboro Ultra Lights. Not the best thing in my bag, but they are in there. ;-)

5. Canon 24-70mm, f/2.8 L. This is my workhorse lens. Solid, fast and sharp.

6. Canon 17mm TSE f/4 L. This is the best lens I have ever bought—expensive but worth every cent. I use this lens for most of my architectural shots due to the tilt and shift mechanism (correcting the verticals). This lens opens up a whole new world of creativity.


Stranded 3 by Alisdair Miller

This image was three shots merged together. Using the shift mechanism, I was able to cover three areas of the scene: bottom, middle and top. So you end up with a super wide shot.

7. Pocket Wizard Mini TT & Flex. Intelligent little things! I use these with my Canon Speedlights as well as my Bowens studio lights.

8. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L. This is not on my camera a lot, but it’s a magical lens. Great for portraits, landscapes, and sports.

9. Energizer Ultimate batteries. I always carry these as back-ups for my Speedlights.

10. Hama CF card holder. Got this as I keep losing my CF cards.

11. Canon 24mm TSE f/3.5 L. Another great lens for architectural photography. Endless creativity with these TSE lenses. This shot was taken using this lens:


Arrival by Alisdair Miller

12. Canon Speedlights 580EX II. Compact and powerful and great to have in the bag for when you need them.

13. Canon 1Ds Mark III. Built like a tank. I have dropped this body in the sea and it is still going strong.

14. Canon 15mm fisheye. This is a wild lens and has to be used carefully due to the massive distortion it creates. But when you have the right location it does wonders, like this shot taken from the top of the Burj Khalifa:


Vertigo Dubai by Alisdair Miller

15. Canon remote release TC-80N3. This remote has four primary functions: self timer, interval timer, long exposure, and exposure count setting. So it is great for time lapse photography, low light, and long exposure photography.

16. Canon 14mm f/2.8 II L. A super wide-angle lens that is tack sharp. I used this lens for this lightning strike in Dubai:


Desert Storm by Alisdair Miller

17. Canon 17-40mm f/4. Not as expensive as the Canon16-35mm but just as sharp. I use this lens for a lot of my landscape shots.

18. Canon 85mm f/1.2L II. This is a lens sent from the gods. Super sharp and creates dreamlike bokeh. I photographed my daughter with this lens:


Glow by Alisdair Miller

19. Canon 5D Mark II (with battery pack). I use this camera as a back-up and for any footage I want to capture. Sometimes If I need to take shots and not get that much attention from any security guards, I will use this without the battery pack and pretend I am a tourist.

For more of Alisdair's photography, check out his 500px page.

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