Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When it comes to buying a new lens, the question is always there: Do I buy the Brand’s lens (Canon, Nikon, etc.) or do I buy a third party lens for a fraction for the price. I was wondering the same thing. Specifically with regards to $2,1000 Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Lens vs the (a third of the price) $700 Samyang Rokinon AF 14mm f/2.8 Lens for Canon EF*. We were surprised by the results. [image above shot with the Samyang lens]
My team and I were given the task to shoot the crew of a nightclub for their “summer” theme, where they open up a huge balcony for partying. While the nightclub organized everything neatly, unforeseen circumstances “killed” the set we were going to use. We took it upon ourselves to still give them a great set to match their summer theme, while still not completely breaking their budget.
We have heard quite a bit about the Godox AD600 and just had to take it for a test. We accompanied photographer Tom Saimon in a sports apparel shoot to see how the strobe performs in a harsh outdoors environment.
Overall, we were very impressed, both with performance and especially performance compared to price point. More sports photos and the full review after the jump.
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