Tangents

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review: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens

October 3, 2018 Neil vN 13 Comments

review: Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens

The 24-105mm f/4 range of lenses seem like a compromise between size & weight, and the range, and the so-so aperture. We get a great range from wide-angle to short telephoto. Perfect for travel or just any kind of general photography. But we miss out on the fast aperture. There is often a compromise in the sharpness of these types of lenses - the greater the range of a zoomoften implies a loss in lens sharpness with greater chance of optical distortion and smearing. With this review of the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G lens  (B&H /  Read more inside...

Profoto B10 review: Comparing the power of the Profoto B10

September 20, 2018 Neil vN 11 Comments

Profoto B10 review: Comparing the power of the B10 vs B1 and B2

Something I mention in the review: Profoto B10 flash and want to highlight about the Profoto B10 flash  (B&H / Amazon) - how its power compares to the Profoto B1 and B2. What specifically piqued my interest here, past the specs of 250Ws, was mention online that the B10 gives 2/3rd stops more light than the Profoto B2, even though they are rated for the same output: 250Ws. I must admit to being skeptical about this, so I decided to investigate further. The summary is that, the Profoto B10 really  Read more inside...

Profoto B10 flash – Creativity Unleashed

September 13, 2018 Neil vN Leave a Comment

Profoto B10 flash - Creativity Unleashed

Forty photographers, picked by the Profoto USA team, attended the USA launch event in Alyeska resort (near Anchorage, Alaska), of the new Profoto B10 flash  (B&H / Amazon).  (For more details about the Profoto B10 flash, check out the review: Profoto B10 flash.) As part of the final segment of the launch event, the attendees were divided into 8 groups of 5 people, and given a challenge. Armed with sets of Profoto B10 flashes, and a few light modifiers and some random props, they were given 2.5 hours to interpret the the  Read more inside...

review: Profoto B10 flash – a first look

September 12, 2018 Neil vN 14 Comments

review: Profoto B10 flash - a first look

I first had a chance to play around with the new Profoto B10 flash  (B&H / Amazon) during the promotional release event at the Alyeska resort in Alaska. What do I think of it? Before we get there, I have to clarify that I’m not specifically a fan of Profoto just because of the brand name. I’m a fan of quality. I’m a fan of ease of use. That’s where I’m coming from - I love quality. I like Profoto for all these reasons, and I loooove this little flash. 250 Ws gives you a decent enough punch of light. It’s a stop less  Read more inside...

Inspiration: Be cool, be prepared, be professional

August 26, 2018 Neil vN 8 Comments

Inspiration: Be cool, be prepared, be professional. Be like SRV.

My favorite clip of Stevie Ray Vaughan in action. A guitar string breaks ... and he fluidly swaps out guitars mid-performance. If you closed your eyes, you wouldn't even know. From that I take my inspiration as a photographer. I am prepared. I am over-prepared. My back-ups have back-ups. I try and anticipate any possible worst-case situations. And should something go wrong, there isn't even a ripple on the surface.  Read more inside...

Advantages of Mirrrorless cameras over DSLRs

August 25, 2018 Neil vN 18 Comments

Advantages of Mirrrorless cameras over DSLRs

There has been such an increasing buzz in the past few years, you'd easily think this is all hype. And you would be correct, at least partially. I mean, masterful works of photographic art have been created over the years with lesser cameras than we have available today. There are several things which make the experience of using mirrorless cameras different than DSLRs. Whether these differences add up to advantages that make a difference, will depend on your needs as a photographer. So what then would be the advantages Mirrorless  Read more inside...

Impromptu portrait with bounce flash

August 24, 2018 Neil vN 3 Comments

Impromptu portrait with bounce flash

Faustina, a model, arrived early for the video shoot in the studio today. We chatted while she waited for her team to arrive. She had questions about photography ... so she earned herself a lecture about photography. That's what you get for hanging out with me. Careful what you ask for! On-camera bounce flash, the usual, proper way for awesome light. This really is an impromptu photo - not overly posed, to show her how I use flash. And I think that is the point of this - flash photography can look *this* good with minimal effort. Minimal  Read more inside...

Available light portraits

August 6, 2018 Neil vN 5 Comments

Available light portraits

A theme we have touched on regularly here is that “using the available light” is not a random decision. The best results with portrait photography in available light, is when we are deliberate. Deliberate in how we position our subject in relation to the light. This is the central idea in my book, Direction & Quality of Light - posing and lighting are inter-connected. With available light photography, it becomes a little harder to find light that is flattering - compared to using off-camera flash, where you can sweeten the light most of the time with the  Read more inside...

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...

Fuji Instax SP-3 printer

July 13, 2018 Neil vN 10 Comments

Fuji Instax SP-3 printer

I’m still loving my Fuji X-H1 that I bought recently. A sweet extra that I added was the Fuji Instax SP-3 printer  (B&H / Amazon). This printer allows you to print directly from the camera itself, giving a 2.4” x 2.4” polaroid. But you don't need a Fuji camera to use it. You can print from your phone as well, to create 2.4  x 2.4" polaroid type prints. This photo above is my first test print - the make-up artist for the photo shoot in the studio today. I know it’s old news for Fuji shooters, but it’s new for me, and I’m kinda excited  Read more inside...

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