If you follow my product reviews at my photography training website, you probably know that the Phottix Strato has long been my favorite radio trigger for off-camera flash photography. (If you want to learn why, you can watch my video review of the Strato.) Well, the geniuses at Phottix have just improved on perfection by [...]
Posts under ‘Photography’
Rooftop Model Shoot – Minus Sunset
For the full gallery click here. (Requires Flash, sorry iPad users.) This was supposed to be a sunset shoot on a gorgeous rooftop of a high-rise downtown. We had the perfect angle to place the setting sun behind the models for dazzling backlight effect. Everybody ready? Lights, camera, action… Clouds. Oh well. I’m on a [...]
Book Review: ON CAMERA FLASH: Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography, by Neil van Niekerk
I have a serious impulse-buying problem at my local camera store. The other day I went in for a $5 lens cap and came out with $75 worth of stuff, including the book ON CAMERA FLASH: Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk. I should know better than to even peek [...]
Meetups, Models, and Photo Retouching
Last week I participated in a “Models and Photographers” Meetup event where I took the photo at left. If you’re an aspiring photographer, or even a pro looking to meet new models or experiment with new techniques, I highly recommend using Meetups (www.meetup.com) as a low-cost, low-stress way to get out in the field and [...]
Before and After: Photo Post-Production
Some people think of photographic post-production (especially if the word “Photoshop” is used) as synonymous with trickery—as an underhanded way of creating something fake, of “doctoring” a photo, like some supermarket tabloid cover featuring Gary Coleman partying in a hot tub with an extra-terrestrial. Sure, you can do that with Photoshop. But for most of [...]
Product Review: Gorillapod Takes Manhattan
As an early Christmas present for myself last year, I bought a Gorillapod Flexible Tripod before traveling to Manhattan. I knew I didn’t want to carry a full-size tripod on the crowded subway, where I might accidentally probe someone and get into trouble. The Gorillapod, which fits in my camera bag (or even a big [...]
Helping Your Photos Go Viral
I’ve had over 1 million page views this month on my Burning Man Festival photo gallery, largely thanks to viral interest in a single photo (shown at left). Don’t get me wrong, this is a popular site, and I typically get hundreds of visitors per day. But occasionally a photo will take off like a [...]
First Look: Cactus V5 Wireless Flash Trigger
I recently had the privilege of Beta testing the new Cactus V5 Duo Wireless Flash Trigger during its development phase. Now that the veil of secrecy has been lifted, I’m happy to report that this new trigger is a big leap forward over its predecessor, the V4, and it gives a good run for the [...]
Review: Phottix Strato Wireless Flash Trigger with TTL Pass-Through
Phottix sent me a pre-release set of these new triggers to test, and now that the product is on the market I can finally talk about it. I love this trigger. It’s got all the 2.4 GHz reliability of the Yongnuo RF-602 (previously my favorite in the low-budget trigger market), but with the added advantage [...]
Sunset Magazine Comes Calling
Sunset, the big travel magazine devoted to the American Southwest, contacted me today asking to buy this photo from the Burning Man festival. It will run in an article called “Amazing West” in their November issue. And they offered me the biggest fee I’ve ever received for a single image. Now that’s a nice way [...]
