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How to: 8 Tips for Photographing Comets

How to take stunning pictures of comets – from beginner to pro.

There are few things as fascinating and awe-inspiring as the sight of a comet in the sky. But what is the best way to capture this special moment? In this article, we will share 8 important tips for photographing comets with you. These tips are suitable for both beginners and experienced photographers and will help you capture stunning shots of comets.

Comets are a rare and fascinating phenomenon that always attract avid nature watchers and photographers. However, there are some challenges to consider when photographing comets:

  1. Choose the right time: The best time to photograph a comet is usually just before sunrise or just after sunset, when the sky is still dark and the comet is most visible.
  2. Tripod is key: A comet moves relatively fast in the sky, so it is essential to use a tripod to keep your camera stable and avoid camera shake.
  3. Use a long exposure time: To get a clear and sharp image of the comet and its tail, you should use a long exposure time. Try exposure times between 10 and 20 seconds.
  4. Apply a high ISO sensitivity: To enable a long exposure time, consider using a high ISO sensitivity. Try ISO sensitivities between 800 and 1600.
  5. Take advantage of a large aperture: A large aperture, such as f/2.8 or f/4, will help to block out the sky behind the comet and make it stand out more clearly.
  6. Use a wide-angle lens: A wide-angle lens helps to capture the sky and the comet in a single image. We recommend a focal length between 14 and 24 mm.
  7. Opt for a remote control or self-timer: To avoid camera shake, use either a remote control or a self-timer to trigger your camera.
  8. Experiment with different settings: Comets are unpredictable and difficult to capture.

They are fascinating and rare phenomena in space that are high on the list for many photographers. We wish you good luck and patience and look forward to seeing your stunning shots of these cosmic visitors!

Picture © Mark Janes

Thousands of Photos from Across Europe

For the third consecutive year, from August to December 2022, Fujifilm has invited the whole of Europe to share new photographs, taken with a smartphone or digital camera, for the online exhibition Printlife@home 2022 – Print Your Photos. Share your life. 16,000 photos from 16 countries were collected, capturing a special memory and sharing a unique story.

Printlife@home celebrates not only the loveliness of printed photography, but also the sharing of photographs with friends and loved ones that has become a regular part of our lives. 
The photos have the power not only to preserve memories of events but also to add color to our everyday lives, to enrich our lives and occasionally to move people. Moreover, photography has the power to inspire many people and could lead to a change for the better.

More than 1,100 photos entered into printlife@home and have been showcased in the biggest European on site photography exhibitions: in September at The Photography Show in the UK and in October at the Salon de la Photo in Paris and at PHOTOPIA in Hamburg. Hence, continuing Fujifilm’s 16-years history of hosting public photo exhibitions.
These on-site photography exhibitions were attended by more than 55k visitors, who had the opportunity to see and experience printlife@home’s extensive photo gallery of unique shots and stories from all over Europe.

THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the Printlife@home2022 online exhibition. We hope to see you participate again next time!

Here you can find some photos of our weekly winners which have been chosen by our Fujifilm jury:

See all the amazing images here: Printlife Exhibition

Sustainable Solutions at the Heart of ‘Fujifilm House’

2022 has been the year of renewing or building new office spaces for FUJIFILM in Europe with constructions in Germany, Spain and now also in the UK. In October 2022, Fujifilm officially opened ‘Fujifilm House’, our new UK headquarters in Bedford, which boasts more than 30,000 square feet of attractive working space, built with sustainability in mind.

Since 1983 Fujifilm UK’s operation shave been located on Bedford and only a short distance from the old building, the new one was constructed. However, there is one significant difference compared to the old building: SUSTAINABILITY. Sustainability considerations were integral to the new building’s design and the new site’s excellent BREEAM environmental rating underlines this point.

Protecting wildlife habitats

We have worked together with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire to keep the environment around its UK HQ site as habitable as possible for wildlife. For instance, by installing permeable slabs in the Fujifilm House car park, we are able to nurture worms residing in the ground, prevent flooding and help maintain the water table.

Energy efficiencies

The site features 80 rooftop solar panels which are able to generate up to 63,000 kW of electricity annually, saving an impressive 29 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Additionally, the new building accommodates 16 charging points for colleagues and visitors to use to anticipate the shift away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

Waste management

A waste sorting system, comprised of bins with different colored lids, enables rubbish to be sorted into different categories, making it easier to recycle. Steering away from single-use plastic cups on-site has encouraged the take-up of reusable cups.

Naturally clean

Fujifilm has also taken steps to keep the UK headquarters clean and tidy, in an eco-friendly manner. For example, toilets are flushed with water obtained by a rainwater collection and storage system, and toilet paper is made from completely recycled material. Even the toilet roll dispensers are made from recycled Tetra Pak packaging. In addition, the cleaning agent, which is made from biodegradable materials, is sold as tablets which can be added to water to form a liquid soap.

These are all just examples of actions taken in our new building. There is much more to discover on site. As you can see, the new ‘FUJIFILM House’ in the UK integrated sustainability at its heart.

FUJIFILM Holdings Named to CDP ‘A List’

We do not know where to start… We cannot describe in words how honored we are that FUJIFILM Holdings was named to CDP ‘A List’ for Leadership in Climate Action and Water Security.

CDP – Carbon Disclosure Project – is a global non-profit that drives companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Working with over 680 institutional investors with assets of US$130 trillion, CDP promotes companies to disclose and manage their environmental impacts.

We are delighted that FUJIFILM Holdings has been named as an ‘A List’ in both climate change and water security. Since clean water and air are essential for the manufacturing of photographic film, which is the starting point of the Fujifilm Group, environmental conservation is fundamental to our business activities. We will continue to contribute to society through proactive efforts such as decarbonization, conservation of water resources and reduction of waste in cooperation with local communities and government to resolve environmental issues around the world. 

Teiichi Goto, president and CEO, representative director of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation

At Fujifilm, social responsibility has a great importance across the organization. As a result, Fujifilm’s corporate social responsibility plan, ‘Sustainable Value Plan 2030,’ was established, addressing climate change and natural resource recycling. We, the Fujifilm group, have set a target of reducing water usage of the entire Fujifilm Group by 30% compared to FY2013 level and working to conserve water resources through efficient water use and wastewater treatment within our manufacturing plants.

In addition, we have set ourselves a target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the entire product lifecycle by 50% by the fiscal year ending March 2031 (FY2030) compared to FY2019 level. Therefore, we launched the environmental strategy ‘Green Value Climate Strategy‘ to manufacture with a lower environmental impact and to create products and services that offer excellent environmental performance.

What has Fujifilm accomplished towards these goals thus far?

  • Concluded a “comprehensive partnership agreement towards a decarbonized future” with the Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., to create a carbon-neutral model in manufacturing using state-of-the-art decarbonization technologies
  • Carbon neutrality at its recycling site of multifunctional printers in China in July 2022 by switching entirely to renewable electricity
  • Reduced environmental impact of local wastewater treatment by sharing a large-scale treatment facility located at FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. in the Netherlands with neighboring companies
  • In-house treatment of all wastewater in manufacturing of sensor films for touch panels at the Ashigara site of the Kanagawa factory in Japan
  • Provides products such as magnetic tape storage media that can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions by reducing electricity consumption during data storage

FUJINON SX801, The next-generation surveillance camera system

Video

Together with Chromos Group AG in Switzerland, our colleague Rob van der Spank, Manager of the CCTV, Machine Vision and Binoculars department FUJIFILM Europe, tested the SX801, which was launched in late 2021. On one of the highest mountains, the Chäserrug mountain near the Chromos office, this FUJINON long range camera system was put to the test.

One of my responsibilities is the SX surveillance camera system range, of which I am very proud when I present this monster at exhibitions or during field tests, as we did in Switzerland for the SX800 back in 2019.

Rob van der Spank

This advanced camera system is a further development of the FUJINON SX800 with Full-HD resolution and a stabilized 40x zoom lens that was introduced at Milipol 2019. Thanks to its powerful 1/1.8” image sensor, the long focal length range of 20 mm to 800 mm and state-of-the-art image processing technology, the FUJINON SX800 and SX801 are ideally suited for advanced long-range surveillance applications. This makes it the perfect application to protect critical infrastructure and transportation networks, including airports, harbors, highways, borders, and the environment in general.

Unlike the FUJINON SX800, the SX801 can output three streams in parallel. It also comes with a new host software for easy configuration, playback and live-streaming.

It was an amazing experience as you can see in the movie and the performance of the SX801 was outstanding especially on the long(er) range surveillance. If we ever go back to Switzerland to shoot another movie? Who knows, if I were you, I would keep my eyes open somewhere in April next year.

Rob van der Spank

Check out the video down below to learn more from Rob about the FUJINON SX801 and its features.

Have we sparked your interest? Then, check our website or contact us for more information.

INSTAX Christmas decoration DIY

Only 24 days let until it is Christmastime again! Today, we show you how you can quickly create a unique Christmas decoration with your favorite photos.

For this you will need:

  • 1 glass
  • Water
  • Water beads
  • Mini Christmas decoration
  • 1 floating candle
  • Your favorite Christmas photo
  • Transparent tape if needed

First, put the water beads in a bowl with water and let them swell overnight.

The next day you can print out your Christmas motive with your INSTAX-Square Smartphone Printer like here, or you shoot a new one with your INSTAX camera. If you want to protect it from water, you can try wrapping it in clear tape.

Now take your jar and alternate filling it with a little of the decoration and the water beads. In the middle you put the INSTAX instant picture. When the glass is almost full, fill it up with water – and all at once the water pearls disappear!

Now your INSTAX photo floats in the middle of your great Christmas decoration! You can round off your DIY now, in which you put a floating candle in your glass, so you have conjured up a double eye-catcher.

A few tips: it’s best not to use real candy canes, because they dissolve quickly. Please note that it is possible that the INSTAX instant picture may change if it is in the water for a longer time.

See the video for more detailed instructions!