Based on a ton of requests from our last video post Chase Jarvis TECH: Packing Photography Gear, we've put together a quick shopping list highlighting all the items in the videos: bags, cases, cameras, lenses, accessories. Tis the season, eh? But here's the hook: While there's nothing commercial about this blog at all, no ads, no banners, no ad words, no nothin', we've just quickly created an Amazon Affiliate account specifically for this post so... read more ›
Dec
03
Nov
27
PROBLEM: Traveling with cameras, lenses, lights, computers and all the rest of the gear that us photographers use these days can be a serious challenge. After all, this stuff is spendy and breakable, yet it needs to travel to the same places that photographers do to make great pictures. From urban jungles like the Big Apple to the real jungles of Zimbabwe, traveling with photography equipment requires some special know-how. SOLUTION: With a bit of... read more ›
Sep
10
Alas, there is much afoot at the moment. I know a handful of things:1. I'll be delivering the keynote address in Atlanta on October 2nd for the PDN series On The Road. It just so happens that it coincides with the very cool annual festival Atlanta Celebrates Photography. Consider registering for one of the On the Road tour stops. If you're tired of hearing me yap, at least check out some other photogs I enjoy,... read more ›
Aug
15
The Backstory Innovation is key to making visible, recognizable images. And there's almost always an option to photograph something from a cool angle or a unique perspective. One of my favorite techniques to take advantage of this involves creating killer point-of-view (POV) images. While the thought of strapping a large, expensive camera to a model, your buddy, a bike, car, etc, may seem like nothing more than a good way to break some gear, this... read more ›
May
21
It's no news that digital point-and-shoot cameras are the bees knees. Everybody loves 'em and I'm no exception. They're great for snaps. I've had many in my day but tend to break or lose them a little too easily. We still have one, although Kate is on the road with it for quite a spell, so I am again without. So far I think I've had one Nikon, three Canons, and--hold your breath--one Casio. Which... read more ›
Mar
27
PROBLEM: As a pro photographer specializing in ‘location-based’ advertising images (which is photo-speak for shooting in-the-field instead of in-studio), I often face the challenge of shooting under conditions that do not allow for the comforts of Mac Pros and Cinema Displays to review images, download cards, or shoot direct to the hard drive. (We often have to helicopter into locations, are out in the remote without option at generator, or find ourselves in... read more ›
Dec
28
More than a few aspiring photographers and hobbyist shooters that caught my earlier (very hardcore) post outlining back-up strategies for professional photography, videography, or design studios, have asked me to advise on a more basic solution for backing up their images. Since there are numerous ways to accomplish the goal of backing up your work, I think it's best if I focus the discussion to the THEORY of backing up, and let each individual adapt... read more ›
Dec
16
I'm taking it as an omen...Earlier in the week, I read a story online about some poor photographer soul who lost his entire photo library when his hard drive failed. Following that, I was chatting with a friend in the /Pro division at Apple Computer -- he was shaking his head about how few photographers (pro and otherwise) seem to "get" the principles of backing up and storing their image libraries.So with that in mind,... read more ›
Nov
10
Select HP digital cameras can now make subjects look skinny. Seriously. Check out this link to the 'slimming feature' on the HP site.So let's contextualize this. In advertising photography image makers go to incredible (sometimes ridiculous) lengths to maximize how great a product or lifestyle should look. Put the zippiest finish on this image or that. Photoshop is the tool of choice here, noting it's ubiquity and massive success. Professionals use it all the time--nearly... read more ›
Oct
25
Okay, the title of this post might be a slight overstatement, BUT of all the technology we've added to our office recently (and believe me, we're geeks...always up to something), this little device has really made life better: The ScanSnap by Fujitsu ($450). What is it? The ScanSnap is a high speed, compact scanner that converts hardcopy documents to PDF in a flash. It digitizes both sides of a document in a single pass, in... read more ›
