We all started out with a light-weight tripod as our very first tripod. Most likely then after several uses, and budget allowing, you upgraded to a much sturdier tripod. If you've ever struggled with a light-weight tripod, you know exactly why. And then the occasion strikes where you realize at times you also need a really tall tripod. Then the options become fewer. It's that intersect between affordable, robust, easy to carry ... and really tall. Nothing else will suffice. For this kind of situation, I got the Robus RC-0888 carbon fiber Read more inside...
Photographing events like weddings, and in this case, Bar / bat mitzvahs, I bring a big roller case - the Think Tank Logistics Manager 30 (B&H / Amazon) - with several cameras and lenses. At the moment I straddle Nikon and Sony. As much as I love the Sony A9's eye focus capabilities there are some situations where the Nikon D5 is the beast that I can rely on. It so rarely doesn't deliver with precision. I bring a range of lenses - a mix of f/2.8 zooms, and several fast primes. (I have a self-imposed rule that I Read more inside...
It is an adventure to be experienced - going up in a hot-air balloon. The most recent time was at the NJ Festival of Ballooning this year, as part of a photo group, arranged by Unique Photo here in NJ. If you haven’t been, check Unique Photo’s schedule for the next one (next year), as well as all the other photo activities and outings they arrange.
The first time I went for a hot-air balloon ride, was as a surprise arranged by my friends when I visited South Africa in 2014. For that trip, I only brought along a Fuji Read more inside...
When I have an assistant help me out on the shoot, one of the first things they are informed of - and there is no flexibility on this - you have to zip up any bag or roller case so that the zipper tags can be seen right next to the handle. In other words, you always zip up to the top (or to the handle). This means that any time you reach for the bag, you can immediately see whether the bag's lid is closed properly.
Let's say for example you close the zippers to the bottom, then you don't have that immediate visual clue that you can actually pick up Read more inside...
Studio photography lighting tips - your first time in the studio
Since I make my studio here in NJ available as a Photo studio rental space, I frequently meet newer photographers who would like to dabble in studio photography a bit, but don't have much experience of working in a studio. Sometimes they have experience with off-camera flash on location, or with a small home studio - and they would like to try out working in a larger studio area, using a range of studio lighting gear. (Btw, aside from some continuous lighting, the studio flashes are all Profoto. There are reasons for Read more inside...
Generally, you wouldn't use flash to photography fireworks. But when you have someone in the foreground, then it becomes useful to have your subject lit up with flash, to balance them with the background (the fireworks display.)
Photographing people with fireworks in the background, is just an application of the technique known as dragging the shutter. I had the couple in an area where there wasn't much ambient light, so that I could light them mostly with flash. The strobe was a Quantum T2 with an umbrella, used in manual.
My flash exposure Read more inside...
