Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

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Mike Hagen

President at Visual Adventures
Mike Hagen is a professional photographer, author, and educator. He operates workshops around the world and is well known for his engaging style and humor.
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Latest posts by Mike Hagen (see all)

Decade mini tripod base – how does it compare to the Platypod?

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Platypod is the top name in the flat tripod genre and for good reason; they make excellent gear. I wanted to see how their competition stacked up so I purchased a competitor’s product made by a company called Decade. The Decade Mini Tripod Base (Universal Mounting Plate) retails for about $38 on Amazon and is made out of 6061 aircraft grade aluminum. It ships with four removable spike screws and a Velcro belt strap. It is closest in size and design to the Platypod Max ($99), which is the larger mounting plate from Platypod. Check out the … [Read more...] about Decade mini tripod base – how does it compare to the Platypod?

New software bricked my iMac — how my data backup system allowed me to recover

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My iMac (Retina 5K 27”) completely crashed after installing DJI Pro Assistant software. Here’s how I recovered from the crash along with three important lessons everyone should take away from my experience. The cause I own a DJI Ronin S gimbal and use it with a variety of cameras for video work. One of my favorite DSLR video bodies is the Nikon D850. As many of you know, when you are shooting video with DSLR cameras, you generally focus manually by rotating the focus ring on the lens barrel. Trying to manually pull focus while on a gimbal … [Read more...] about New software bricked my iMac — how my data backup system allowed me to recover

Talking the Travel Backpack 45L and Tech Pouch with Peak Design

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My very first purchase of Peak Design gear was in 2011 when I came across its Capture Clip system on Kickstarter. I actually contacted the president of the company, Peter Dering, and asked him if I could take a prototype of the new product up a mountain I was climbing that same week. He said yes and overnighted me a prototype so I could test it out in the field. That started my long affiliation with their products. Since then, I’ve purchased quite a bit of their equipment including the Leash, Cuff, Slide, Pro Pad and newer versions of the … [Read more...] about Talking the Travel Backpack 45L and Tech Pouch with Peak Design

Photo Mechanic details version 6 and Plus, announces catalog feature

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The team of developers at Photo Mechanic have two big software announcements for 2019. First, Camera Bits (Photo Mechanic’s parent company) is releasing a new version of their excellent browsing software in March 2019. Second, they are releasing their long-awaited image catalog functionality in April of 2019. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this software announcement. I’ve known for years that Photo Mechanic was working on a catalog feature, but due to the technical difficulty of creating a photo cataloging tool that is also fast, it … [Read more...] about Photo Mechanic details version 6 and Plus, announces catalog feature

First Look: Tenba Axis and Fulton camera bags

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Like most photographers, I have a closet full of camera bags. My wife often asks me why I need so many and my simple answer is because each one serves a different purpose. I purchased a Tenba messenger bag quite a number of years ago because it specifically had two pockets on the front flap that held my wallet and my mobile phone. Since I frequently travel domestically and internationally, I wanted a camera bag that allowed my wallet and phone to be quickly accessible. Since then, I’ve closely followed Tenba’s products and recently talked to … [Read more...] about First Look: Tenba Axis and Fulton camera bags

A preview of what’s to come for Saramonic Pro Audio Equipment

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Over the last two years, I’ve been using my mobile phones to produce an increasing amount of video content. Using my iPhone or Samsung Galaxy to make quick videos has proven to be very convenient, but one of my struggles has been finding reliable ways to collect quality audio while still keeping a small-sized kit. Currently, I’m using a wired lavalier microphone and/or a small RODE VideoMic Me-L. Both setups work fairly well, but what I’ve really wanted was a reliable wireless microphone setup that is portable enough to work with a small … [Read more...] about A preview of what’s to come for Saramonic Pro Audio Equipment

First Look: Tether Tools Onsite Power and Case Air Wireless Tethering System

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Tether Tools is always working on creating new products aimed at making our photography more efficient. I met up with my Tether Tool friends at the 2019 WPPI show in Las Vegas and asked them show off two of their newest products. Check out our quick video interview below, then read on to learn a bit more about the ONsite Power System and the Case Air Wireless Tethering System. ONsite Power System This ingenious tool allows you to power your devices such as laptops, cameras, LED lights, tablets and phones in locations where there's no A/C … [Read more...] about First Look: Tether Tools Onsite Power and Case Air Wireless Tethering System

Three new bags from Think Tank Photo at WPPI 2019

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Think Tank Photo is one of my favorite companies in the photo industry. They produce some of the best gear for carrying your photo equipment and I've been using their products since 2005 or 2006. Personally, I own the Airport Security, the Pro Modulus System (AKA Modular Components System) and a bunch of their organizer equipment. I met up with the Think Tank crew at this year's WPPI show in Las Vegas and asked them to show off their three newest products. Here's a video overview of the Retrospective V2, Vision series and the Stand Manager … [Read more...] about Three new bags from Think Tank Photo at WPPI 2019

What is a “normal” lens?

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Photographers often talk about using "normal" lenses for their work. What they are referring to is a lens that mimics the field of view of human vision. In general, most photographers agree that a focal length around 50mm on a full-frame camera is regarded as a normal lens. So, what exactly is a normal lens? The standard litmus test is a lens that renders a printed photograph of a scene held at arm’s length that matches the real-world perspective when viewed with one eye. Over the years, photographers have argued back and forth about the … [Read more...] about What is a “normal” lens?

Macro photography with the Nikon VR 105mm f/2.8 and D850

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The Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens was released in 2006 but continues to be one of the best macro lenses on the market. I love shooting with this lens and regularly use it for my professional work as both a closeup (macro) and portrait lens. Video and field use In the above YouTube video, I demonstrate photographing bees and insects in the branches of a maple tree and a cherry tree. I do a lot of my field macro work hand-held and have regularly use the VR image stabilization system. Nikon claims the lens’ vibration … [Read more...] about Macro photography with the Nikon VR 105mm f/2.8 and D850

Datacolor SpyderX Elite review and installation guide

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Datacolor contacted me a few months ago about a new color calibration product they were releasing. After meeting with their PR team over a conference call, they sent me a pre-release SpyderX Elite calibration system to test. They did not compensate me for this review, nor do they expect anything specific in return. I’ve written this review as a service to our audience and as a guide to those who might use this equipment in their own workflow. Quick answer I highly recommend the SpyderX Elite and can confidently say that it does an excellent … [Read more...] about Datacolor SpyderX Elite review and installation guide

Shutter Priority and when to use it

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Shutter Priority exposure mode is a fantastic tool for controlling how motion appears in your final image. This exposure mode allows the photographer to set the shutter speed while the camera determines the aperture. Most DSLR and mirrorless cameras offer at least four different exposure modes including shutter priority, aperture priority, program mode and manual. Although I shoot the majority of my images in aperture priority, I regularly use shutter priority for subjects where I’m concerned about properly conveying motion. How to set up … [Read more...] about Shutter Priority and when to use it

Aperture Priority: What’s it good for?

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As a working photographer, I’m always looking for the most efficient way to create high-quality images. There are hundreds of things to keep track of during a photoshoot, but nailing the exposure is definitely one of the most important. Choosing the right exposure mode can make or break your photo experience. Modern cameras generally give the photographer four exposure modes to choose from: programmed auto, manual, shutter priority, and aperture priority. For my work, I’ve found that aperture priority works best for most shooting scenarios. … [Read more...] about Aperture Priority: What’s it good for?

The advantage of Auto ISO

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In photography, ISO is a rating of your camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. A lower ISO like 50 or 100 means that the sensor will require longer shutter speeds and larger apertures to properly expose an image. A higher ISO like 1600 or 3200 will require shorter shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures to properly expose an image. What is Auto ISO? Almost all current interchangeable lens digital cameras give you the option to manually select an ISO value or to use a setting called Auto ISO. There are advantages to setting your ISO for a … [Read more...] about The advantage of Auto ISO

Creative Christmas tree light photography

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Christmas is a wonderful time of year for us photographers because we get to experiment with all of the beautiful colors and shapes associated with the season. I’m always striving to find new ways to be creative, so last year I challenged myself to produce creative interpretations of Christmas tree lights. I’d like to show you six different techniques I used that should help get your own creative juices flowing. Since these images require long exposures, you’ll need to use a tripod. Also, you’ll need to use a zoom lens that allows manual … [Read more...] about Creative Christmas tree light photography

Getting started with Adobe Lightroom HDR panoramas

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A few months ago I traveled to Knoxville, TN for my niece’s graduation. I took an afternoon to take a side trip down to the World’s Fair Expo center to do some architectural and travel photography. It was an overcast day and the afternoon thunderstorms started to roll in, but I wanted to photograph this really interesting outdoor amphitheater and noticed that I need to create a panorama in order to capture the entire structure from left to right. After metering the scene on my Nikon D850 I noticed that the contrast range was too great to … [Read more...] about Getting started with Adobe Lightroom HDR panoramas

Landscape photography on gloomy days

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There are two things you are almost always guaranteed to find on the Oregon Coast: Stunning beauty and lots of rain. This summer, I took my family on a quick photo adventure along the central Oregon coast to enjoy the last days of sunshine before school started up again. One of the locations we visited was Devil’s Churn, a place known for beautiful landscapes surrounded by crashing waves from the Pacific Ocean. My plan was to shoot some sun-kissed landscapes, but unfortunately, we were greeted with overcast skies and lots of mist when we … [Read more...] about Landscape photography on gloomy days

Five keys to printing cell phone photographs

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Editor's Note: We welcome Mike Hagen to the Photofocus team. Mike Hagen is a professional photographer, author, and educator. He operates workshops around the world and is well known for his engaging style and humor. Learn more about Mike at visadventures.com Every week I get questions from people about the image quality of cell phone cameras. In fact, just the other day, I was meeting with a gentleman over coffee and he wanted to know about the image quality differences between my Nikon D850 and my iPhone X. It seems like a silly … [Read more...] about Five keys to printing cell phone photographs