Using the Sony Xperia 1 for portrait photography
Mike Hagen
This is part two of my two-part review of the Sony Xperia 1 camera system. Sony’s PR firm sent a new Xperia 1 for me to test for about one month.
REVIEWS
A ThinkTap company
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.
Capturing outdoor and travel photographs with the Sony Xperia 1
Mike Hagen
This is part one of my two-part review of the Sony Xperia 1 camera system. Sony’s PR firm sent me a new Xperia 1 to test for about one month. Like
Combining the SpyderCHECKR with the SpyderCUBE for high-end results
Mike Hagen
The Datacolor SpyderX Capture Pro bundle comes with four tools designed to help you attain professional-level color accuracy and focus in your studio hardware. The SpyderLENSCAL, SpyderCHECKR, SpyderCUBE and SpyderX
Calibrating your camera’s autofocus system with the Datacolor SpyderLENSCAL
Mike Hagen
Making sure your camera’s autofocus system is properly calibrated can be important for a variety of reasons: Determining if your lens’ AF servo is operating properly Determining if your camera’s
How to use the SpyderCHECKR for accurate and consistent colors
Mike Hagen
As photographers, we spend thousands of dollars on camera gear and lighting equipment. We also take great care to pose the subject and achieve accurate focus, but how much time
How to use the Datacolor SpyderCUBE for white balance and contrast
Mike Hagen
Achieving accurate colors and contrast in your images can be difficult for many photographers. Without the proper tools, you are often just guessing at the best overall settings during post-processing.
Customizing Nikon Z 6 & Z 7 function button for autofocus
Mike Hagen
This year I added Nikon mirrorless cameras to my photo business and have been very happy with them. After spending so many years mastering the Nikon DSLR cameras, including writing
Creating visual dissonance in outdoor and travel photography
Mike Hagen
One of my favorite things to do in photography is finding patterns. Like most people, I am drawn to patterns, textures and repetition. As fascinating as patterns and textures can
Four creative techniques for photographing fireworks
Mike Hagen
Fireworks photography is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. The traditional approach for shooting fireworks is to set your camera on a tripod and open the shutter
Using the texture slider in Lightroom Classic
Mike Hagen
I use Adobe Lightroom Classic every day in my photo business and rely on it to help me produce images for my clients. The May 2019 software update brought a
Having fun with the Canon IVY Cliq+ camera and printer
Mike Hagen
Photography should be fun. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to test out this new Canon IVY Cliq+ camera that is also a printer. Both my daughter and
Best organizational practices for Luminar 3 catalogs
Mike Hagen
In addition to being an excellent image post processing tool, Skylum’s Luminar 3 is also a digital asset management tool. As with any photo organization tool, users should put some
Integrating Aurora HDR into your photo editing workflow
Mike Hagen
I use Lightroom Classic for the vast majority of my post-processing work. I like to use the software package as my overall working hub and then shoot images out to
New software bricked my iMac — how my data backup system allowed me to recover
Mike Hagen
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
Talking the Travel Backpack 45L and Tech Pouch with Peak Design
Mike Hagen
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
Photo Mechanic details version 6 and Plus, announces catalog feature
Mike Hagen
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
First Look: Tenba Axis and Fulton camera bags
Mike Hagen
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 preview of what’s to come for Saramonic Pro Audio Equipment
Mike Hagen
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
First Look: Tether Tools Onsite Power and Case Air Wireless Tethering System
Mike Hagen
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
Three new bags from Think Tank Photo at WPPI 2019
Mike Hagen
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
What is a “normal” lens?
Mike Hagen
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