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Tom Saimon: from diyphotography.net

Tom Saimon

Tom Saimon is a boutique wedding and fashion photographer based in Haifa, Israel. Tom founded one of most sought-after wedding photography boutiques in Israel and shoots over 100 weddings a year, making him not only an established photogrpher, but also an authority in the industry. Tom is regularly featured in fashion and wedding magazines as a style benchmark

Articles by Tom Saimon

Why wedding photographers must have a 35mm lens in their kit

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There are a lot of discussions about which medium, tele, and zoom lens teles are great for wedding photography. But it’s also important to remember that those are not the only options. This post is an unsung ode to a lens that is ignored many times by wedding photographers, yet it provides astonishing photos and, once used right, can produce some unique imagery.

So consider this post half praise, half inspiration to what you – a wedding photographer – can accomplish with a 35mm lens f1./4 lens if you put it through its paces. And while this specific post deals with the Canon 35 F/1.4 ($1,999), the same applies to Canon, Sony, and Fuji

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DIYP Reviews the Laowa Argus 28mm f/1.2 lens for still photographers

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Not every day, I get to put my hands on an f/1.2 lens. And a 28mm at that. So obviously, I was curious to test the new Laowa Argus 28mm f/1.2 lens. While my guess is that Laowa is targeting video photographers with this lens, I think it could be a wonderful asset for still shooters.

Before diving in, let me make sure that we are clear on the two most important spec points of this lens: It is an f/1.2 lens, and it’s manual. I guess you can see where I am going with this.

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I am shooting over 100 weddings in 2022, and I just moved from Strobes to LEDs

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It may sound crazy, but by the end of 2022, I will have shot over 100 weddings. It was quite a tolling year, but I did not want to leave anyone who got their wedding delayed due to COVID without a photographer and… The floodgates opened.

As a photographer who shoots so many weddings, I am very picky about my gear. I care about a lot, but pushed to the wall, I would say that durability and size/weight are the two most important factors when it comes to choosing gear. There is more to come, but the TL;DR is I’m in love with the Godox ML60Bi LED light.

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The Godox Lux Senior is one of the weirdest flashes I’ve see

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When I first saw the Godox Lux Senior flash, I knew I had to have one. Even before checking the specs. Even before reading the reviews. It was just such s cool looking piece of gear that I could not resist.

Now, I have had it for about a month. Was it worth the hype? Read on to learn more.

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DIYP reviews the IWATA master tube lights series

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Tubelights are becoming ever more popular. The last player to join the game is IWATA (whom we remember for their excellent mini panel). Actually, the mini panel was so good and ubiquitous that “IWATA panel” became a generic name for those mini bi-color lights. It seems that that panel was retired, but we were thrilled to learn that IWATA is now making tube-style lights. They sent us two of their new light panels, the 32 cm Master-R light and the 23 cm Master-S light. TL;DR – we were impressed.

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First review of Laowa’s 15mm F/4.5 shift lens – It’s a marvel for $1,200

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When Laowa announced their upcoming 15mm F/4.5 shift lens, I was intrigued. I mean, there is no tilt in this lens, but for most of my architecture work, shift is enough. Especially for a 15mm lens that is marked with zero distortion. For $1,200 this lens coupled with the Canon R5 is a beast combo. Let’s have a look at this unique lens.

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How to create a stylized art shoot on a shoestring budget

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What do you do when you have to produce a stylized shoot on a shoestring budget? Use colors and paper, of course. I was hired by designer Ofek Bergman to shoot her new clothing collection. Well, hired is not really the term here, as it was more of a pro bono for a starving art student. As usual with this kind of production, almost everyone chipped in and donated their time in exchange for portfolio images, a learning experience, and a great day with great creatives.

With a very limited budget for art, we decided on a pop theme with strong colors and shapes. This would bring the costs down while creating coherency that ties Ofek’s collection together.

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This is hands down the best dual use bag I’ve used so far

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We first met WANDRD in PPE in New-york and they showed us the WANDRD DUO – a dual-use travel bag for photographers.  The bag raked over $650,000 on Kickstater so we were curious to test it.

I was impressed with the bag build-quality and feel and fell in love with the zipper system (more on that in a bit). This bag is not big enough to hold all the gear I use for my usual shooting setup, but it’s just the right size for the casual walk with a camera, or a quick run and gun gig.

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This is a great messenger bag for mirrorless cameras

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I know that Peak Design’s Everyday Messenger has been here for a while. I’ve been using it for about four months now as my “lighter bag” and wanted to share my thought about why I think that it’s a great bag for small kits, and probably not the right choice if you have more gear.

Let me say this though, I love bags. A new bag is a check that cashes immediacy. You don’t need to take photos with it, no need to set it up, no need to bring a model in. the minute you buy a photography bag, it delivers. This is why I have lots and lots of bags. And this is why buying this (or any) photography bag will make you happy on the spot. Ready? lets jump in.

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What are Canvas backdrops and why you should own one

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A canvas backdrop is a backdrop made, well, from a canvas. Canvas is a type of fabric that absorbs paint well, so it is often colored with textures, and this is what we are going to talk about today. We used canvases from Artery Backdrops, but what we say probably applies to all canvas backdrops.

I’ve heard canvases described in many ways, from cliche to regal and that really depends on how you use it. Annie Leibovitz has a canvas backdrop signature look, but so does those horrible portraits from the ’80s, so should you get one? Let me try and help.

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