PHOTO GEAR: TetherTools Strapmoore

Posted by Prep To Post on May 14, 2012 in PHOTO GEAR | 0 comments

It’s not that hard these days to find all types of photography gear. A simple Google search yields hundreds of companies worldwide that offer great products for all your photography needs. It’s pretty rare nowadays to come across a company that offers truly unique products that you find yourself unable to live without. Tether Tools is one of those companies.

I was approached by Tether Tools a couple of years ago via email. One look at their website and I was immediately impressed. Here was a company offering a product line specifically for tethered shooting, which is something I have been an advocate of ever since I first saw it when I was working as an assistant. Their personable approach and willingness to listen to their customers was what made me want to establish a great relationship with them. Their customer service is bar none and they’re just a wonderful group of people.

PHOTO GEAR: YONGNUO 565EX

Posted by Prep To Post on Apr 12, 2012 in PHOTO GEAR | 0 comments

I am a firm believer in using what works regardless of brand. At least until Broncolor, Elinchrom or Profoto decide they want to sponsor me and make me their spokesperson that is.

Seriously though, the lighting equipment I have used to produce my work has been pretty varied. I think I have pretty much used all the popular and not so popular brands out there, from Briteks to Broncolor, Alien Bees to Speedotrons, Photogenics to Elinchroms, and Hensels to Profotos and a whole lot in between. If it’s available to me, I’ll use it, or at least find some way to make it work. There have been some shoots where I’ve used three different brands together. One of the things I have shied away from over the years are the use of speedlights, or on-camera flash units. Perhaps I have never really found the need to use them, and up until recently nobody really made anything cool to modify them with. Now we have the “Strobist” movement that really pushed the use of speedlights and a whole lot of DIY lighting modifiers for them. Throughout my career, however, I have just gotten used to using either moonlights or pack-and-head setups. Go big or go home I guess.

MUST HAVE GEAR: JERKSTOPPERS

Posted by Prep To Post on Sep 5, 2011 in PHOTO GEAR | 0 comments

I have been shooting with a tethered workflow for about 6 years now on Capture One. I started using Capture One when it was version 3.4.

One of the very few cons of shooting tethered is that you are physically tethered by a cable. This means a couple of things. First, you can accidentally

SMUDGEGUARD

Posted by Prep To Post on Jun 17, 2011 in PHOTO GEAR | 0 comments

A few workshops ago, one attendee, Bashir Gavriel, showed up wearing an odd looking glove to the post production day. That’s how I was introduced to a great product called SmudgeGuard.

Created by Jeannie Lit, the SmudgeGuard glove was originally developed for sketchers other artists who suffered from the carbon or graphite residue you get on the blade of your hand when drawing. In addition,

REMOTE TRIGGERING FOR UNDER $30

Posted by Prep To Post on Jun 7, 2011 in PHOTO GEAR | 0 comments

I have always wanted to trigger my camera wirelessly, but I was under the impression that I needed a PocketWizard Multimax in order to do so. I recently discovered Flash Zebra, a site that specializes in small flash accessories. They sell a cable with a miniphone on one end and an N3 on the other, to plug into the Canon body’s remote input, so you can use your existing Pocketwizard Transceivers to wirelessly trigger your camera. In addition,