“Unless some sweetness at the bottom lie, Who cares for all the crinkling of the pie?” This line is from William King's Poem, "The Art of Cookery," and it applies perfectly to portraiture. Today's tip is quick, and it includes the challenge that you should memorize this line of poetry — it'll broaden your horizons ;) Does your portrait emote? I take this line to mean that no matter how good a pie looks if it doesn't taste good then it's a failure. For you and me, that means that no matter how much hairspray you've used, no matter how … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Does your picture have the sweetness?
Mykii Liu
Dock & Cool Your MacBook for Max Performance!
Docking your MacBook to a screen at your home or office gives the best compromise between portability and performance! I've been docking my MacBooks to monitors at my home office since my first MacBook Pro from 2010! So, why wouldn't you? The MacBooks are fantastic little machines that can pack a punch while being so portable-- but the 13" or 15" screen can leave one desiring more real estate to play with. So why not get the benefit of having a desktop setup with a laptop and bump up the performance while you're at it with a SVALT Dock? Things … [Read more...] about Dock & Cool Your MacBook for Max Performance!
ViewSonic’s VP 2785-4K is such a beast!
The worst thing you can do in your workflow as a visual artist is to blow a whole lot of money on expensive camera gear, and skimp out on the equipment that is needed to view what you capture. Having a poor monitor is just as bad as having a super poor lens-- I mean, it's great if you're being spontaneously artistic and aren't expecting realistic colors. I've been given the opportunity to take a look at the ViewSonic VP2785-4K display, and I think that this screen is super awesome! Here's a few reasons why... Thought-out Features Like the … [Read more...] about ViewSonic’s VP 2785-4K is such a beast!
The term “Crushed Blacks” has got people confused!
What seems to be a misused phrase in the photography community is being made increasingly more confusing by those who don't understand what they're saying. In a conversation I had with an aspiring photographer about his editing process on a particular image, he shared some usual color correction tips and then said that he "crushed the blacks." Shortly afterward at work, I had a conversation with another photographer who ranted and raved about another local photographer because of how he "crushed the blacks" in all his images. He then … [Read more...] about The term “Crushed Blacks” has got people confused!
Lexar’s 633x 200GB microSDXC Card
I've had this card for over 6 months, and I get so baffled every time I think about it. 200GB in a microSDXC card! That's just ludicrous! Every time I think about what I could do with this card, I kind of freak out. It shouldn't really surprise me in this day and age, but I can't help it. A little tiny chip, the size of your pinky fingernail that weighs as much as a paperclip, can hold more than a base model MacBook Air or Pro and the top of the line iPhone at 128GB right now! Really, that's ridiculous. With this kind of storage, many people … [Read more...] about Lexar’s 633x 200GB microSDXC Card
A Year and Some Change with the Fujifilm X-T1
I can't believe how fast time has flown by. I remember when I started to slowly sell my special Canon gear after the purchase of my Fujifilm X-T1. Do I miss the Canon? How did my X-T1 hold up? Well the experience has been kind of different, but still positive. If you missed out on why I switched, take a read here. Do I Miss the Canon? Honestly, I miss having all my lenses and interchangeability of the lenses with my Canon film bodies. I would say that I miss having security stop me for having a Canon body. I find myself being stopped and … [Read more...] about A Year and Some Change with the Fujifilm X-T1
Instagram Grids– Hot or Not?
Grids. Banners. Cubes. Whatever you call them. More and more companies and individuals have been jumping onto this trend since the Summer of 2015. The owners of these instagram accounts segment one photo into typically 3, 6, 9, 12+, square blocks and post them in a progressive order, typically by using some apps that make it pretty simple-- like Giant Square or Banner Pic. The result is a pretty interesting Instagram profile that can break down the feed into sections or just displays the photo in a unique way. Instagram has been changing a … [Read more...] about Instagram Grids– Hot or Not?
Using eBay to find deals on lenses
I found my copy of Canon's EF 20-35mm F/2.8 on eBay of all places, and while I don't typically sell on eBay, I'll buy like no other. People are worried about scams and not receiving items as described, but in my experience of buying upward towards 500 expensive items, I've only had issues with only about 5 items, all of which eBay's buyer protection had back. I've bought lenses, computers, cameras and all sorts of random things for photography (often finding that some stores like Adorama, Newegg and Best Buy, exist), as well as other household … [Read more...] about Using eBay to find deals on lenses
UHS-II SD-Card Speed Shootout – Memory for the Fujifilm X-T1
Super-sport motorcycles, computer tweaking, camera lenses and even camera memory. Ever since I was little, I was obsessed with speed and making things go faster. Famous video game character Sonic the Hedgehog appealed to me more than Mario did. Why? Because he was blazing fast! A Shootout Today, I get to pit out two of the fastest cards and card readers that specifically pair up with my weapon of choice - the Fujifilm X-T1. It's one of the few still cameras that is capable of using the speed of a UHS-II standard card at the moment, so if … [Read more...] about UHS-II SD-Card Speed Shootout – Memory for the Fujifilm X-T1
