Having the ability to accurately capture an image's color in-camera is a powerful one. How many times have you taken a photo and grown frustrated because your camera doesn't capture it "the way you saw it?" Often we become resigned to shoot an image and fix it in post-processing later. Full disclosure: When I first started out years ago, this was my go-to strategy for images. Later, when I was forced to spend hours fixing image after image on my computer, I'd want to kick myself. Fast forward to today, and experience has taught me how to … [Read more...] about How to get your color spot-on with the Illuminati color/light meter
Gear
Photographing portraits with the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II
This is the third article in a four-part series discussing the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II. Click here to read my previous article, discussing the use of the camera for landscapes. In my final article, I'll discuss using the camera for advertising. I photograph a lot of different types of portraits. Just a few weeks ago, I was hired to photograph the downtown tree lighting, which involved me taking photographs of Santa, Mrs. Claus and guests at a rapid pace. But I've also shot several corporate portraits, and a few family portraits as … [Read more...] about Photographing portraits with the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II
Easy sensor cleaning with Visible Dust’s Arctic Butterfly 724s
Ever since I switched to mirrorless with my Sony a7R II, I've been trying to figure out the easiest way to clean my sensor. As you might know, without the mirror to protect the sensor, mirrorless cameras can collect a lot of dust spots! I've gone through a lot of options — blowers, sensor swabs, etc. Most of them are ineffective, hard to use or both. I would be fine getting my cameras cleaned by a professional, but here in Toronto, for some reason, the only store who can clean Sony sensors takes two business days, which in most cases doesn't … [Read more...] about Easy sensor cleaning with Visible Dust’s Arctic Butterfly 724s
Photographing landscapes with the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II
This is the second article in a four-part series discussing the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II. Click here to read my first article, discussing the use of the camera for events. In future articles, I'll discuss using the camera for portraiture and advertising. While my bread and butter might be event photography, in my spare time I photograph landscapes and travel imagery. Everything from long exposures to walking the streets, I love to photograph it. Landscapes (and some cityscapes) When I started out doing nighttime long exposures with my … [Read more...] about Photographing landscapes with the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II
Huge holiday savings on lighting gear from B&H
Starting today, B&H is offering some amazing deals on lighting equipment, through Dec. 18. Check out all the lighting deals on bhphotovideo.com and use the promo code LIGHT for additional savings, or take a look below at each individual offering. Impact VC-500WLN 3-500Ws Digital Monolight with Transmitter Kit Originally $1099.95. Use the promo code LIGHT and the price will knock down to $799.99! Click here to learn more. Package includes three VC-500WLN Digital Monolights, three kit stands and 7" reflectors, one 24" x 36" softbox, … [Read more...] about Huge holiday savings on lighting gear from B&H
Photographing events with the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II
This is the first article in a four-part series discussing the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II. In future articles, I'll discuss using the camera for landscapes, portraiture and advertising. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to win an Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, and I've since made it my camera of choice. After photographing exclusively with it for nine months, I feel like I've got a good grasp of the capabilities of the camera. I couldn't be happier with my Olympus system. I now have a second body for backup purposes, plus a plethora of … [Read more...] about Photographing events with the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II
Great Cyber Monday deals for photographers
Cyber Monday is officially here, and what once was Black Friday's little cousin has blossomed into a shopping extravaganza all of its own. Below are some of our favorite deals. Hurry, these deals won't last long! To check out more Cyber Monday savings, visit our friends at B&H. Keep track of all of our favorite products and deals in our Holiday Gift Guide! Photofocus Exclusive: Perfectly Clear flash sale For four hours only, get Perfectly Clear Complete for just $69. And if you want to get an even better deal, you can get the … [Read more...] about Great Cyber Monday deals for photographers
Some more super deal specials for photographers
The deals continue! Below are a few more deals we found for photographers. Cyber Monday deals and specials from B&H are right here! See all deals and our favorite gifts in our Holiday Gift Guide! The DAM Book 3.0 Written by Peter Krogh, The Dam Book 3.0 delivers a detailed and unified approach to help you create order from the chaos of your existing image collection, maximize the value and utility of your visual media library and build a resilient archive that can withstand multiple treats. The DAM Book 3.0 is available for a $20 … [Read more...] about Some more super deal specials for photographers
Holiday gift guide for photographers & those who love them
Editor's note: Scott Bourne's gift guides are a holiday tradition since he founded Photofocus 20 years ago. Here's his 2018 list. Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click this link to go shopping! Holiday gift guide It's a tradition — holiday gift guides. Why do I write them? Because I know lots of families suffer having a shutterbug or two and often want to know what kinds of gifts would make the average photographer a happy camper. So here's my take on the latest and greatest gifts for any photographer. These items are all items I … [Read more...] about Holiday gift guide for photographers & those who love them
Quick Tip: When cleaning a lens, don’t forget the rear element
Most people clean the front of the lens, but they forget to clean the rear element. Before you remove your lens, blow and wipe off around the back part of the lens. This will prevent loose dirt or dust from entering the camera. Inspect the rear element and clean it the same way you cleaned the front of the lens. Put the lens back on and take a test shot of a wall or the sky. If the dust spots are gone, you don’t need to clean the sensor. Want to learn more? Check out this article, "How to Clean Your Camera Sensor and Lens (Video included)" … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: When cleaning a lens, don’t forget the rear element
Shooting through glass
In some instances, shooting through glass is the only way you're going to get the shot. An example I encounter pretty regularly is shooting at observatories like One World Observatory in New York City or the Skydeck in Chicago. In a lot of observatories (the Top of the Rock and the Empire State Buildings are notable exceptions), you have to shoot the view through glass. Other situations you might encounter glass are shooting from a car, a train or an airplane. If you've ever been in a situation with glass, you know how hard it is to shoot … [Read more...] about Shooting through glass
Even more Black Friday specials for photographers
Black Friday is officially here! We already previewed a few deals that have started, and below are a bunch more deals to get your shopping holiday started. Super Cyber Monday deals from B&H. Don't miss out! See all the deals and our favorite gifts in our Holiday Gift Guide! V-Flat World V-Flat World, makers of the portable V-Flat, is offering a $20 discount when you sign up for its e-mail newsletter. Click here to learn more about its products and to sign up! Offer available through Cyber Monday. Vanguard Vanguard is having … [Read more...] about Even more Black Friday specials for photographers
More Early Bird Black Friday specials for photographers
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click this link to go shopping! Black Friday is only a day away, and you know what that means — deals, deals, deals! Below are some of our favorite Black Friday specials that have already begun. Hurry, these deals won't last long! See all the Black Friday deals and our favorite gifts in our Holiday Gift Guide! Workshops and mentorships from Photofocus authors In addition to writing for Photofocus, a lot of our team offers workshops and mentorship programs for photographers. Check out their deals … [Read more...] about More Early Bird Black Friday specials for photographers
Early Black Friday savings from Olympus
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click this link to go shopping! Olympus is offering some great deals on its cameras, lenses and various accessories! In addition to the deals below, Olympus is offering 2x rewards on purchases made through Dec. 19, 2018, on getolympus.com, as well as free 2-day shipping on orders over $50. To learn more and see all the Olympus Black Friday deals, visit getolympus.com. Note that freebies mentioned are only guaranteed to be available through getolympus.com, but pricing will be honored by other authorized … [Read more...] about Early Black Friday savings from Olympus
2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts over $500
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday only days away, we wanted to compile some of our favorite gifts that you can buy your favorite photographer (or send to friends and family to buy you!). Below are a few gift ideas that are over $500. Keep track of all of our favorite products in our Holiday Gift Guide! Profoto A1 AirTTL Studio Light Recommended by Michael Muraz Get Profoto in a smaller package! Created for the professional photographer looking for portability and … [Read more...] about 2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts over $500
Early Black Friday savings from Nikon
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! Nikon is offering some great deals on its cameras and lenses! Below are a few of our favorites. Click here to see all the Nikon specials. DSLR cameras and bundles Nikon D750 with 24-120mm Lens and MB-D16 Battery Power Pack: $1200 off; now $1896.95 Nikon D750 with MB-D16 Battery Power Pack: $600 off; now $1396.95 Nikon D810 with 24-120mm Lens and MB-D12 Battery Power Pack: $800 off; now $3296.95 Nikon D500 with 16-80mm Lens and MB-D17 Battery Power Pack: $570 off; … [Read more...] about Early Black Friday savings from Nikon
2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $500
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday only days away, we wanted to compile some of our favorite gifts that you can buy your favorite photographer (or send to friends and family to buy you!). Below are a few gift ideas that are under $500. Keep track of all of our favorite products in our Holiday Gift Guide! SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable USB 3.1 Type-C External SSD Recommended by Richard Harrington A perfect way to backup all your photos and video on a big trip or to just keep … [Read more...] about 2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $500
Early Bird Black Friday specials for photographers
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! Black Friday is only two days away, and you know what that means — deals, deals, deals! Below are some of our favorite Black Friday specials that have already begun. Hurry, these deals won't last long! See all the deals and our favorite gifts in our Holiday Gift Guide! Viewbug Viewbug is offering 55% off plus over $500 in freebies when you sign up for a Pro+ membership. This gets you access to over 500 classes, some of which are taught by Photofocus authors. Offer ends … [Read more...] about Early Bird Black Friday specials for photographers
Today only: Major Canon savings
Black Friday specials from B&H. Click this link to go shopping! B&H is offering major Canon savings on both the 5D Mark IV and the 6D Mark II. 5D Mark IV: Instant savings up to $1140 6D Mark II: Instant savings up to $750, plus mail-in rebates available Hurry — these offers end at 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018. … [Read more...] about Today only: Major Canon savings
2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $250
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday only days away, we wanted to compile some of our favorite gifts that you can buy your favorite photographer (or send to friends and family to buy you!). Below are a few gift ideas that are under $250. Keep track of all of our favorite products in our Holiday Gift Guide! Vanguard Alta Access 33X Shoulder Bag Recommended by Bryan Esler This is my go-to event photography bag, as it holds my camera body, speedlight and my four lenses. … [Read more...] about 2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $250
Early Black Friday savings from Panasonic Lumix
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! Black Friday Specials from B&H. Click this link to go shopping! Panasonic has started to offer some amazing deals on its cameras, lenses and accessories. Below is just a sampling of the deals being offered through Dec. 1, 2018; click here to see more. Cameras and bundles GH5S Body only: $200 off; now $2299.99 GH5 Body only: $500 off; now $1499.99 GH5 with Leica 12-60mm lens: $200 off; now $2399.99 G9 Body only: $400 off; now $1299.99 G9 with Leica 12-60mm … [Read more...] about Early Black Friday savings from Panasonic Lumix
2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $100
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday only days away, we wanted to compile some of our favorite gifts that you can buy your favorite photographer (or send to friends and family to buy you!). Below are a few gift ideas that are under $100. Keep track of all of our favorite products in our Holiday Gift Guide! Platypod Max Camera Support Recommended by Michèle Grenier Whether you have to deal with an anti-tripod or a pro-tripod photographer, you can't go wrong with this one. It … [Read more...] about 2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $100
2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $50
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday only days away, we wanted to compile some of our favorite gifts that you can buy your favorite photographer (or send to friends and family to buy you!). Below are a few gift ideas that are under $50. Keep track of all of our favorite products in our Holiday Gift Guide! Zeiss Lens Cleaning Kit Recommended by Michèle Grenier Looking for a one size fits all gift idea? Ask any photographer and they'll tell you that we can't escape lens … [Read more...] about 2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $50
2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $25
Cyber Monday Specials from B&H. Click here for the deals! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday only days away, we wanted to compile some of our favorite gifts that you can buy your favorite photographer (or send to friends and family to buy you!). Below are a few gift ideas that are under $25. Keep track of all of our favorite products in our Holiday Gift Guide! Giottos Rocket Blaster Dust-Removal Tool Recommended by Vanelli Ugly dust spots on images can be avoided with a clean sensor. Cleaning your lens and camera after a shoot — … [Read more...] about 2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts under $25
Quick Tip: Use a fill flash to reduce shadows
When shooting in the hot sun, you will often run across situations where you have a lot of shadows on your subject. To get around this, try using a fill flash. Simply connect your speedlight to your camera and start shooting. For a more balanced, diffused light, use a modifier on your speedlight like that MagMod MagBounce. Read more about the best ways to use a fill flash in "Utilizing a fill flash during bright, sunny conditions" … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Use a fill flash to reduce shadows
First Look: Lume Cube AIR
The new Lume Cube AIR is even more compact than the original and with a longer battery life. It has a powerful magnet on the back for mounting to any ferrous surface and it includes two diffusions domes (one white and one for tungsten lights (CTO)). You can control all its features from the LumeX app, which is a free download from your mobile device's app store. The video below expounds on how to get started using it. We'll have more reviews and use cases coming soon, but for now, go pick up the new Lume Cube AIR and start creating. It's … [Read more...] about First Look: Lume Cube AIR
Quick Tip: Blurry viewfinder? Adjust your diopter
If you consistently see a blurry viewfinder on your camera, but your images come back clear when you edit them, there's one simple solution — adjust the wheel next to your viewfinder, called the diopter. This lets you customize the sharpness of what you see to your liking, making them perfect for your eyes. It's especially handy for people who wear glasses or contacts! To find out more about how to optimize your viewfinder, read "Adjusting your diopter for optimal performance." … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Blurry viewfinder? Adjust your diopter
Portrait photographers: Save time, crop in camera
Most cameras — not including micro four-thirds — capture images in a standard 3:2 ratio, producing an 8x12 or a traditional 4x6 print. Normally this is fine, but did you know you can change the aspect ratio to 5:4 making it perfect for an 8x10 or 16x20 portrait? Here’s why you should consider changing the aspect ratio, essentially allowing you to crop in camera. Saves time when editing I shoot a lot of portraits and headshots. Instead of cropping during post-processing — an extra tedious step that adds up — I set my camera to capture the … [Read more...] about Portrait photographers: Save time, crop in camera
MagMod innovates how speedlights & beauty dishes combine
When MagMod first announced its new MagBox softbox system, I have to say I was excited. While I've long been a user of AlienBee strobes, they're starting to age, and in need of replacement soon. The MagBox had what seemed to be a system that made sense, especially given the fact I had already been using MagMod's speedlight modifiers for the past two years. In this case, I could get a couple speedlights, attach them magnetically to the MagBox, and I'd be good to go. And after seeing the MagBox in person at PhotoPlus Expo, I'm even more … [Read more...] about MagMod innovates how speedlights & beauty dishes combine
My used lens was a lemon; here’s how I made lemonade
I recently retired (sold) my much-loved Nikon AF-S Zoom Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 IF-ED lens and replaced it with the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD. The specs for the Tamron were great and it has image stabilization (IS). My old lens was a bit long in the tooth and I often find myself shooting off tripod on boats. The Tamron is heavy and has a huge, curved front element, necessitating a new filter system. Even so, I thought it would be a great match for my Nikon D850. B&H sells the Tamron for $1299 but they had a used one for $989.95 with a … [Read more...] about My used lens was a lemon; here’s how I made lemonade
