Padded and protective wraps have been on the market for more than 10 years now and they're a fantastic and affordable way to add some protection to your gear, especially when you don't have a dedicated, protective camera bag. I definitely welcome Ruggard's padded equipment wraps as a slightly more affordable option to Tenba and Domke's offerings of protective wraps. If you're like me, a person on the road a lot that keeps gear light and carries a camera handy 80% of the time but without the rest of the kit, then you'll enjoy the added peace … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Ruggard Padded Equipment Wraps!
gear
The Traveling Photographer: Planning for a Laptop Ban
There is a lot of buzz about the “laptop ban,” a general term used to describe a requirement that electronic devices larger than a smartphone be placed in checked bags for flights into the US and UK from certain countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The ban includes laptops, iPads, and camera equipment. Travel Plan It appears the current ban will not be expanded to include all international flights flying into the US, as had been previously contemplated, if airlines implement stricter security measures. However, it is still important … [Read more...] about The Traveling Photographer: Planning for a Laptop Ban
Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod
There some times when even a travel tripod is just too much to lug around, and sometimes you need to get really low, or switch quickly between tripod steady, and hand held without leaving a valuable full-size tripod unattended. Thats where a good table top tripod can come in handy—a table top tripod can also be easily stuffed into a camera bag for emergencies without jeopardizing the carry-on status of your gear. I submit for your approval, the Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod: This little gem is a great addition to any photographers kit—it … [Read more...] about Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod
Tutorial: Using CFL’s to Keep Cool on your Video Set
No matter what you're filming, you always need to light your set for your video production. Regardless if it's outdoors in the sun, or indoors in a dark small space...you're going to need some light to fill in your subject matter somehow. One way to do this without overheating your talent or subject matter, is by using a CFL or Continuous Fluorescent Light! Traditionally and historically, we've used Tungsten based Hot lights for production work, but as you might have guessed from their name, they do give off a lot of heat, causing some … [Read more...] about Tutorial: Using CFL’s to Keep Cool on your Video Set
Gear Review: Impact Compact Fluorescent Kit 2
When it comes to shooting video or still images with constant lights, compact fluorescent lights, (CFLs), give you one of the best lighting options when your project is on a budget! Why Compact Fluorescent Lights? No matter the project, when shooting video, you always have to light your set and usually we use "hot-lights" that have been tungsten based and generate, (as their name suggests), a LOT of heat. While you can always count on those lights, the problem was how to keep your set cool and your talent from sweating under the glare … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Impact Compact Fluorescent Kit 2
Vello White Balance Disc
The Vello Universal White Balance Handheld Disc is a hand-held disc placed in front of a camera lens to manually set white balance. It is very simple to use. Just hold the disc up to the lens, pointing your camera to the light source, and take a custom white balance measurement per the instructions in your camera's user manual. Why Use It Light can be tricky. It can be made of light from different sources, such as the sun, a light bulb, or your camera flash. Skin tones can also be very tricky. The skin reflects colors around it. If the … [Read more...] about Vello White Balance Disc
Custom White Balance
Light has color. The low angle of the sun at sunset creates warm tones. A cloudy day, with the lack of sun, creates cool tones. The color of light is also affected by objects reflecting the light. So, if you are photographing a little girl standing under a tree in the forest the girl’s skin tone may have a green cast due to the light filtering through the leaves of the tree. When you adjust your camera for white balance you are compensating for the color of light that is affecting your photograph. White Balance Options If your camera has a … [Read more...] about Custom White Balance
New Gear, Need it? or Want it?
First, let me admit that I am a gear hoarder. I have whatever I could possibly want in cameras, lenses, grip and lighting. When an idea hits, the gear to make it into a photograph is right at hand. Here's the thing. I am beginning to believe that a simple kit is a better kit. I remember back to a time when I didn't have everything I wanted or needed to make a photograph. I made it anyway. How? I improvised. It made me a better problem solver. Do I still solve problems? Sure. Since I have every thing I need and more problem solving is quicker. … [Read more...] about New Gear, Need it? or Want it?
A Wedding Photographer Shares What’s in Her Camera Bag
This is a guest post from Las Vegas wedding photographer Chelsea Nicole. Wedding Day Resources Hey guys! Here’s a resource list of what’s in my camera bag when photographing weddings. Here's a video, you can check that out osee how I use each piece + photo examples. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrJSMIUldro Camera Gear Camera Bags Roller bag: Think Tank Airport International 2.0 Shoulder Bag: ShootSac Lens Bag Camera Body Main - Nikon D4 Backup - Nikon D700 Memory Cards 32GB Sandisk Extreme PRO 160 … [Read more...] about A Wedding Photographer Shares What’s in Her Camera Bag
The Platypod Party: Embracing Low-Angle Photography
Dan Bailey and Karen Hutton, Fujifilm X Team Photographers, jumping for joy in Florida Fuji XT 2, 10-24mm f 4 lens, ISO 800, f 4, 1/8000, Fuji X 500 flash on High Speed Sync. Platypod has just introduced a new model of their awesome camera support system, the Platypod Ultra. I recently had the opportunity to try it out while I was in Florida. Three “X” Team photographers; Dan Bailey, Karen Hutton, and I, were invited to the Fuji sales meeting to give some inspirational presentations and hands-on-seminars to the sales team. All the Fuji … [Read more...] about The Platypod Party: Embracing Low-Angle Photography
Headshots on Location
Headshots can be tricky when shooting on location, near home or when you are traveling. The light can be all wrong. Lighting equipment can be bulky or heavy to carry. An “assistant” may be needed to help hold reflectors. There may not be a lot of time to “set up the shot”. Using a Ringbox A ringbox flash adapter similar to the Vello Ringbox is a convenient, easy to use lighting alternative to traditional soft boxes, reflectors, and umbrellas. It is also a good choice for photographers inexperienced with the nuances of photographic lighting … [Read more...] about Headshots on Location
Gear Review: Vellos Ringbox Flash Adapter
I am slowly getting hooked on my new Vellos Ringbox Flash Adapter. Not only do I get beautiful on-location headshots and portraits with my flash when using the Ringbox, but it makes my life a lot easier, and I like things easy. I use to carry around a light stand and softbox when I knew I needed more than natural light. Not anymore--I just take the Ringbox. I am also looking forward to trying it out on my next trip. It is very light and will not take much room in my suitcase. What is a Ringbox Flash Adapter A Ringbox Flash Adapter is a … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Vellos Ringbox Flash Adapter
6 Tips for Protecting your Camera at the Beach
I'm lucky enough to be spending a few days relaxing with my family on a beach. On our way there, I was charging my camera batteries and starting thinking of a few tips for keeping my camera safe while still snapping on the sandy shore. Isn't my Camera Body Weather-Sealed? Luckily yes, most camera bodies are weather-sealed, which helps keep out most of the sand and rain. But unless you're at hiking at a rocky beach, white sand grains are so fine that they really are unnoticeable until it's too late. I'm sure you've heard horror stories about … [Read more...] about 6 Tips for Protecting your Camera at the Beach
Gear Review: Udee Backpack–Surprisingly Good
This bag is simply called Udee, and the simplicity carries through the entire design and delivers a fine bag that will be very good for many photographers. It Looks Good The outer appearance of the Udee is pretty good. It's minimal and the fabric is very nice. Everyone who sees it asks me if it's a Peak Design bag: it has a similar kind of fabric and the slim design is reminiscent. The bottom of the bag is a little blunt, but overall it's a good looking bag. The gray fabric is highlighted with the orange grab handle and one orange … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Udee Backpack–Surprisingly Good
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: The #1 Problem With Mirrorless
I'm an evangelist for mirrorless. The mirrorless cameras are driving innovation and bringing the best changes to the way we make photographs. I tell everyone I meet that they should consider a mirrorless camera, and while they are amazed by the features and intrigued by the possibilities, they all say the same thing: "But I have all these lenses for my current camera--I'm too invested to change!" I understand that feeling, but I've had a different experience. Did you know that I've owned 27 Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILC's) in the last 7 … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: The #1 Problem With Mirrorless
Gear Tips for the Traveling Photographer
I am always looking for new ways to save space or weight in my baggage, or to ease the challenges I face with my camera gear. I am sure many of you are just like me, so I put together this list of "Gear Tips," in hopes that some of these tips may prove helpful. None of the photos accompanying this post would have been possible without one or more of the items listed below. Gear Tips I travel with camera battery chargers that are smaller and lighter than the chargers that came with my cameras. I bought my chargers on Amazon, and … [Read more...] about Gear Tips for the Traveling Photographer
Fujifilm X100F – Star of the Street
The Camera that's Just Enough for Most Everything I had the great fortune to beta test the newest iteration of Fujifilm's X100, the X100F — the little camera that could! This camera occupies an odd niche in that its a fixed lens mirrorless, that is much more than just a point-and-shoot, but not an interchangeable-lens "system," with a cool, retro "old school" vibe reminiscent of the Leica rangefinders. The new X100F is pretty much the same size as the original, with the same 23mm ƒ2 lens. Most of the changes are under the … [Read more...] about Fujifilm X100F – Star of the Street
DSLR Video Weekly: Choosing a Camera for DSLR Video
This is article #4 in the DSLR Video Weekly series. If you'd like the whole thing in one shot, check out the book Creating DSLR Video: From Snapshots to Great Shots. It’s important to understand the role equipment plays in capturing great footage. If you put the right tools in the wrong hands, you’ll get subpar results. And if you put the wrong tools in the right hands, you’ll still get poor results. The magic really starts to happen when the right tools for the job are placed in the hands of someone who know how to use them. Choosing a … [Read more...] about DSLR Video Weekly: Choosing a Camera for DSLR Video
First Impressions and Hands-On with Lumix GH5
Lumix's new GH5 is the most talked-about new camera this season, and for good reason. It's a complete redesign of the popular GH4 and it offers loads of new features. Since I'm an ambassador for Lumix, I've had some time with a pre-production unit and I'd like to share with you some first impressions. Now, I'm an ambassador but not an employee of Lumix. They are not paying for this article, and I am not representing their views in any way. I'll tell you my honest impressions. (Spoilers: it's awesome). Excellent for Photographers and … [Read more...] about First Impressions and Hands-On with Lumix GH5
Does Size Matter? Upgrading Your Gear For The Wrong Reasons
Let’s face it, many photographers believe that "bigger is better." I know I initially did years ago. Large is in charge, and it's easy to assume that success is a reflection of how impressive or expensive our camera body or lens is. However, I personally believe that this is less and less true these days. In many cases, advancements in current technology have made high quality equipment very affordable at a relatively low price point. Manufacturing companies have found ways to make smaller and more compact cameras, and these cameras are … [Read more...] about Does Size Matter? Upgrading Your Gear For The Wrong Reasons
Olympus Rebates Coming Soon
While Photofocus is traditionally more focused on inspiration and education we're expanding our news coverage and in that regard we wanted to let you know that our friends at B&H have alerted us to some great deals on Olympus Micro Four Thirds gear with instant rebates up to $400 off. The sale starts on January 29 so don't miss it. … [Read more...] about Olympus Rebates Coming Soon
The Ultimate Lightweight*, High Quality, Small*, Affordable*, Bird/Wildlife Photography Kit
NOTE: I'll be adding some or all of this to my Bird Photography Gear Guide very soon ________________________________________________________________________________ *Lightweight in comparison to standard FF 35mm gear **Small in comparison to standard FF 35mm gear ***Afordable in comparison to standard FF 35mm gear This is a monumental day for me. As someone who has carried heavy, bulky, expensive camera bodies and lenses across the United States, up hills, down ravines, across rivers, onto boats, beaches and a variety of terrain, I … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Lightweight*, High Quality, Small*, Affordable*, Bird/Wildlife Photography Kit
Tripods: Safety First
No matter what kind of photographer you are, a tripod can make your pictures better. The trouble is, there are hundreds of tripods available and there are dozens of features on each. Many of the features you choose will depend on the type of photography you do and where you will do it. I have several tripods and several heads that I use in the studio or shooting architecture or portraits or when I'm traveling or hiking. No matter which features help you achieve your vision, you should always use a head with a safety feature. The picture above … [Read more...] about Tripods: Safety First
The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers
We've asked our gear and photo partners for their best Black Friday and Cyber Week sales. Boy did we get some good ones! Please check out these special deals (and remember that by supporting our partners, we're able to pay our writers and our bills). This is what allows us to bring you the Photofocus website and podcasts for free. Please visit these partners and check out their deals. HDRsoft Interested in HDR? Photomatix Pro 5 and Photomatix Essentials are on sale. Get 25% off on all Photomatix products Use Coupon … [Read more...] about The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers
Stop Chasing Gear If You Want To Be A Better Photographer
Marco and I were recording the Inspiration Podcast on the Photofocus Podcasting Network and he reminded me of an old Edward Weston quote: The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don't know what to do … [Read more...] about Stop Chasing Gear If You Want To Be A Better Photographer
Repurposing Old Equipment: Hard Drives
In my first year of photography, I shot more than 100,000 pictures, which yielded two results: my photography got better quickly, and my computer's hard drive filled up with picture files. Over the last, I've bought several external hard drives to store and even backup my pictures. Eventually, I bought RAID systems to protect my photos. But these also filled up! Nowadays, I use Drobos to store and protect my pictures, and when drives fill up I can just swap them with a new bigger drive. But what should I do with all those old drives? They're … [Read more...] about Repurposing Old Equipment: Hard Drives
Seven Tripod Tips For Outdoor Photographers
I was jotting down some ideas for a new book and decided to write a short blog post with some tips I use to improve my success using tripods in outdoor photography. Perhaps you’ve already heard these but maybe even one of them will be new to you. I hope so and hope that they help. Tip Number One: Seasoned outdoor photographers realize that the tripod, no matter how sturdy, is the most likely piece of gear to break. It’s a good idea to buy a few spare parts like screws and tripod feet and have them in your gadget bag for emergency … [Read more...] about Seven Tripod Tips For Outdoor Photographers
Ten Reasons Why I Love My New Fuji X-T2
I am star-struck. My Fuji X-T2 just arrived, it was released September 8. I am reading through the manual and looking at the camera’s features. It is definitely an exciting upgrade from the Fuji X-T1 and in some regards even the Fuji X-Pro2. Here are my ten favorite Fuji X-T2 camera features, in no particular order: A focus stick on the back of the camera. I can move the focus stick with my right thumb, in a tilting or pressing motion, and change my focus point. So if I am focusing on the eyes of the person to the far left of my … [Read more...] about Ten Reasons Why I Love My New Fuji X-T2
Consolidating and Organizing with the Drobo 5D
I am one of those photographers that has been slow to cross over to a larger, more accommodating external storage system. I did figure out long ago the value of not keeping the bulk of my work on my desktop or laptop. I started out with a simple rugged 250GB external drive that I would swap between my two stations. That quickly filled up and led to the purchase of some 500GB drives and eventually a 1TB drive. I bought as I could afford or at least I hadn’t yet decided to really invest in a better system. I started to read about drive … [Read more...] about Consolidating and Organizing with the Drobo 5D
Change Perspective to Make Better Photos
If something is worth photographing, it's probably worth photographing from multiple angles. It's easy to start high, at eye-level, because that's how you see the world. Most photographers arrive on location and immediately extend their tripod legs to bring the camera to eye-level. This is the most comfortable place to shoot and you should definitely make a picture at eye-level. But you should also get down and see how low you can go. Get Down Low Lowering your tripod will give you a whole new photograph. If you told me I had to shoot … [Read more...] about Change Perspective to Make Better Photos
