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Here’s how to figure out what size and shape of softbox you should buy

Very early on in the journey of a photographer’s transition to flash, particularly studio strobes, the first question we find ourselves asking is “what modifiers should I use?” Actually, the first question is probably “what’s a modifier?” which is then followed by the other one. You start to do a little Googling and searching around retailers, and you discover softboxes. There are so many different shapes and sizes out there, though. Which is the right one?

Well, the fact is that there is no objectively right or wrong softbox. They all exist because they’re all useful. They’re just all useful in different ways and each present a different appearance of light only our subject, depending on how you use them. In this video, David Bergman (and Dean Edwards) take an almost 20-minute tour around every size and shape of softbox you can imagine illustrating what they do.

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Should you sell your RAW files if a client wants them?

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Do you let your clients have the unedited photos along with the edited ones? Do you think that’s the way to go or it’s a huge no-no? There are different opinions on this topic. In this video from Adorama, David Bergman discusses why you should and shouldn’t sell your RAW files to clients.

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Crazy high ISOs – When and why you might want to use them

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For most of what I shoot, high ISO performance isn’t really much of a concern. It’s rare that I need to go above ISO400, usually. But with today’s cameras having ISOs that go up into the multiple hundreds of thousands, what’s the point if going that high degrades the image so badly that it’s pretty much unusable?

That’s the topic that music and sports David Bergman explores in this video. Cameras and their crazy high ISO values, what’s the point of them and when and why you might want to use them.

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Follow these tips and never miss the decisive moment again

Oftentimes, capturing the perfect moment is what makes a photo special. But as important it is to catch it, it’s equally easy to miss it. In this video from Adorama, David Bergman offers some tips and examples to help you train your eye and never miss “the decisive moment” again.

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What the heck is an optical snoot and how do you use one?

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There are two different types of snoot out there when it comes to flashes. You’ve got your regular snoots, which essentially act like a cylindrical flag around your light that blocks off any light not travelling directly ahead. Then you’ve got optical snoots, which incorporate some kind of lens, letting you project the light.

In this video, photographer David Bergman shows off how both types of snoot work but with the main focus being on optical snoots, using the Light Blaster – a popular optical snoot designed primarily for speedlights but that can also be adapted to studio strobes.

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Is it better to print your photos at home or send them to a lab?

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So, you want to start printing your photos. There are many reasons why you should do it, so I totally support you! But now there’s a dilemma: should you invest money in a printer or send your photos to a lab? In this video from Adorama, photographer David Bergman will help you make this decision and discuss the advantages of both.

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How to add flash to your shot to create portraits at night

The night time can produce some wonderful colours, especially when shooting against a city skyline, or even within the city at ground level. The colours from the sky and clouds along with lights on buildings, in windows, signs and displays can make for some very compelling and colourful imagery. But what if you want to shoot portraits against that background?

In this video, photographer David Bergman talks about how we can add flash to our night time shots and mix them in with the ambient exposure to produce some great night portraits.

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Follow these five tips to boost your photographic self-confidence

I’m pretty confident that all of us have sometimes had the feeling that our work is not good enough. I sure know I’ve doubted myself many, many times. In this video from Adorama, photographer David Bergman talks about the imposter syndrome and the loss of confidence. But, he also gives you some great advice on how to deal with them and boost your photographic self-confidence.

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How to take professional headshots without any studio lighting

When we talk about professional headshots, it often involves a studio and using at least one light. But if you’re on a budget or out of the studio, you can still get professional-looking headshots without using any artificial lighting. In this video from Adorama, David Bergman will show you how.

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