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Review: Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI flash

July 23, 2018 Neil vN 8 Comments

Review: Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI flash

Before we get into this review of the Canon 470EX-AI speedlite (B&H / Amazon), I need to mention that I wanted this review video to be more than just a listing of the features of this flash. We therefore also delve into bounce flash technique. So there is something here even for those photographers who don't shoot Canon, or have no real interest in getting this flash. So please do check the video out. I was really curious to get to play with the Canon 470EX-AI speedlite (B&H / Amazon) for a review,  Read more inside...

review: Spekular LED lighting kit

November 6, 2017 Neil vN 7 Comments

review: Spekular LED lighting kit

The most adaptable and versatile continuous lighting setup currently might well be the Spekular LED lights (B&H / Amazon). They come as a set of four LED sections (11.8" x 1.57") that can be connected in different ways - as panels or strips or geometric shapes. You decide. The Spekular website shows some of the options. The specifications of the Spekular LED kit only gives a dry idea of what these are capable of.  Therefore, with this video review of the Spekular, I wanted to show some of that adaptability, and how these lights might be  Read more inside...

Spekular – versatile continuous lighting kit

October 15, 2017 Neil vN 7 Comments

Spekular - versatile continuous lighting kit

I use a range of continuous lighting in the studio - it is essential for video of course, but even for stills, it is sometimes easier to work with continuous lighting than flash. When the Spekular LED lights (B&H / Amazon) hit the market, they caught my eye. What makes them unusual is that the kit comes as 4 LED bars which can be hooked up as a panel, or in any number of shapes up to 8 bars. The Spekular website shows some of the options. This kind of flexibility makes it a versatile continuous lighting kit. I have other  Read more inside...

Best photo umbrella for a home-studio & indoor headshots

June 20, 2017 Neil vN 20 Comments

Best photo umbrella for a home-studio & indoor headshots

When I discovered the rectangular photo umbrellas, my first reaction was, "so what's the point", but then someone explained to me that it allows you to get the center of axis closer to the ceiling (or a wall). Brilliant! It instantly made sense why a rectangular photo umbrella might be more useful indoors than the traditional, round umbrella. I would even go so far as to say that a rectangular photo umbrella is the best umbrella for a home-studio & indoor headshots. Along with my usual array of light modifiers, I now  Read more inside...

Best LED video light for Photography & Video

March 28, 2017 Neil vN 14 Comments

Best LED video light for Photography & Video

The use of video lights is a regular theme on the Tangents blog. Specifically, the best LED video light is a versatile must-have piece of gear in my camera bag. Not only do I use it at weddings, I also use it on location shoots. For example, while photographing the interior of one of the largest hardware stores in Manhattan, I used an LED video light to bring up some detail in the more shadowy areas in the shelves and corners. Easier to just point the hand-held video light than to set up off-camera lighting. Especially because the  Read more inside...

Flash Photography: The difference between a grid and a snoot

March 19, 2017 Neil vN 7 Comments

Flash Photography: The difference between a grid and a snoot

We use grids and snoots to control the light from our flashes. We want to control how the light spreads, and we want to light only a part of our scene or subject. However, strongly favoring softer light when using flash, I don't regularly use grids on my flashes. The article on using grids with flash for a spot of light, had someone ask when I would use a snoot and when I would use a grid with flash. When in the studio, I would use the Profoto 10° Honeycomb Grid (B&H / Amazon) - it is made of metal  Read more inside...

Using the MagMod MagBeam kit for projection effects

March 17, 2017 Neil vN 6 Comments

Using the MagMod MagBeam kit for projection effects

The lighting pattern on the background here, is 100% in-camera, created with a gobo and a light-projection kit: the  MagMod MagBeam Kit  (B&H / Amazon). So no Photoshop going on here (aside from mild retouching of skin blemishes.) Even that little bit of a halo around Anastasiya, is part of the effect. In-camera. With the test shots, I noticed there is a brightening of the pattern in the middle, so I placed Anastasiya directly on front of it. A bit of serendipity that I took advantage of. Several articles on  Read more inside...

Stella Pro 5000 & 2000 video light review

February 20, 2017 Neil vN 5 Comments

Stella Pro 5000 & 2000 video light review - continuous lighting kit

My friend Kevin, or as his friends call him, Kevin, brought along his new Light & Motion Stella Pro 225  3-Light Kit  (B&H / Amazon) to the studio for us to play with. The Stella Pro 5000 video light is powerful enough that you can use a softbox with it when shooting indoors.  Where continuous lights really shine, is in how they allow you to adjust your lights in a WYSIWYG way.  What you see is what you get - that's just how continuous lights work. That aspect makes video lights ideal when  Read more inside...

Reflector for portrait & headshot photography: Eyelighter

January 3, 2017 Neil vN 8 Comments

Reflector for portrait & headshot photography: Eyelighter

I've mentioned before how much I like using the Westcott Eyelighter for headshot photography. The first time I encountered the Eye-lighter (B&H / Amazon), was at the After Dark Edu photography conventions, and I was fascinated by this lighting device and the results it produced. There is a distinctive curved high-light that it gives to the bottom part of your subject's eyes. How much of a reflection, will depend on how you rotate and position the Eyelighter.    Read more inside...

Gear list – Starting out with off-camera flash

May 20, 2016 Neil vN 17 Comments

Gear list - Starting out with off-camera flash

You can get great lighting with just on-camera bounce flash when shooting indoors, as shown in this related article - Lighting with bounce flash. But at some point you might want more flexibility and consistency. Or you might run into problem scenarios with bounce flash, such as colored walls and ceilings. Or you might run into a situation where you can't use any bounce flash at all, and the available light isn't ideal. Then it is time to step it up with off-camera flash. Starting out with off-camera flash photography might seem  Read more inside...

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