ANDRE PRSONAL TRAINER

Abstract: There is no single perfect tripod. Get a big/sturdy one, and get a small/travel one. For the same money it cost to buy something crappy new, you can buy very good quality used. [This post was updated Feb. 7, 2020] For lighting photographers, the first thing to consider about a tripod is this: a tripod is your most powerful light. Read more »

For those following The Traveling Photographer project (more info on the whole project here ) the Dubai episode has just been posted . -30-

A great photo book (whether lighting or otherwise) is an amazing value. You get to rent someone else's brain for the price of a good dinner. And depending on who's brain you're renting and what you do with the info, the return on investment can be hundreds or even thousands of time what you invested. The Strobist Recommended Book List is small, but well-considered. It includes just four books on lighting, a book on the interpersonal aspects of photography and a massive, magnum opus that for the right people will prove invaluable. Read more »

Abstract: a selection of case recommendations based on whatever lighting gear you need to lug around. (This post was updated on 2/29/20.) Location Speedlights Most of you will end up using two small lights with stands and mods and a modest bag of camera gear. Not that there's anything wrong with that. You can do a ton of cool stuff with two speedlights. I have gone far past that level of gear in the past, and often to my regret. If that's you, grab the shoulder-slung camera bag of your choice. Then augment it with this: The LumoPro Padded Lighting Case is cheap ($30), lightweight, protective and perfect for a two-speedlight lighting kit. It'll carry two compact stands, speedlights, mods and various doo-dads perfectly. Note, it might feel a little big if you are using a one-light kit. After all, a one-light, all-compact kit could probably fit in a chess bag. But the various additional "necessaries" all take up space. Or if you want to bring along a full-sized sta

Abstract: It's not all umbrellas and soft boxes. Restricted hard lights and ring lights — sometimes in combo! — are great tools to have at your beck and call. [The post was updated on Feb. 7, 2020.] We tend to start out using soft light at a 45-degree angle because it is an easy fix, and it's hard to go seriously wrong doing that. But there are all kinds of light mods, and often choices other than default soft three-quarter light can be more interesting. My favorites are snoots, grids and ring adapters. Snoots are like little tunnels you attach to your flash to block part of the light beam. Snoots are not rocket science. We are just blocking some light. And remember, we're just blocking light from the flash. In the photo above, blocking the flash helped to let the ambient add a layer to our photo. (More about how it was made, here .) And cardboard works just fine to create tight zones of light when doing a photo like this. For grid spots, which work like snoots but have a

With the gazillion or so soft light mods out there, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the choices available. And while I have probably shot with more of them that I would care to admit, there are four soft mods that I go back to again and again. As it happens, these four are reasonably priced, too. __________ Soft is Relative So, which of the light sources above is the softest? The one in the back, right? Not necessarily. The 60" source in back is not as soft at 10 feet away from your subject as the 8x9" source is at 10 inches away. A good rule of thumb to remember is that a light source is soft when it looks large to your subject . This nets out the two variables of size and distance. Example: Even a bare speedlight looks soft to a subject only a couple inches away. Long story short, if you want soft light you will have to consider the working distance at which you'll be using it. The further back your light source, the larger your light mod will have to be. So front to b

Abstract: Which light stand(s) you choose will depend on how you'll be using them. Light stands are not very expensive, and you can generally benefit from having a spare one around. [This post was updated Feb. 7, 2020.] Light stands are designed to oppose gravity. Pretty simple. And the designs are, for the most part, pretty similar. I think of light stands as being in three categories: normal stands, compact stands (seen just above) and specialty stands such as C-stands. For light stands I like LumoPro for many of the same reasons I like the LumoPro LP180 speedlight. Their stands are well-built, reasonably priced and guaranteed out the wazoo. LumoPro has good service, too, should you need to replace a broken knob or bolt or whatever. Honestly, it makes me wonder why other manufacturers don't warranty their grip gear like this. Seems like a no-brainer, if you are making good stuff. For normal, full-sized stands, I like the 10-foot LumoPro LP608 . It is air-cushioned, has a fiv

Flash triggers are basically radio remotes. They are way to synchronize your flash when it is not attached to your camera and make it fire when you press the shutter. For a long time, you had to spend a lot of money ($200+ per set) to get good, reliable remotes. But technology (and competition) has advanced to the point where that is no longer the case. In fact, the recommended remote trigger for beginners (and really, most photographers) is only $55 a set. Recommended Basic Remotes: Phottix Ares Hong Kong-based Phottix has separated itself from the other Far East-based lighting companies and has built a great reputation. They have first-tier distributors in the West, responsive factory service and industry-leading warranties. These qualities separate Phottix from all of their Far East peers. Phottix' Ares remotes, at $55 for the set, give reliable performance, are hot shoe-based (for easy mounting/connections) have eight channels and run on readily available AA batteries. The st

UPDATE, 2/5/2020: The long-recommended LumoPro LP180 is no longer being manufactured. The current recommended flash is here . __________ Because small lights and big lights each bring a different set of considerations to the party, I am splitting my recommendations into small flashes (AKA speedlights) and big lights (AKA studio lights). For speedlights, your first choice is deciding whether you wanna drive stick or automatic, meaning manual or TTL. I live in manual mode, which means I sacrifice some convenience for both better value and rock-solid reliability. Also, I am not held captive to "TTL tax" every time I buy a new piece of lighting gear. Because if you want to maintain those TTL capabilities as you expend, you have to go with gear that works on that more complex, branded platform. In other words, once you're in, they pretty much have you where they want you. Top Pick for Manual Speedlights For manual speedlights, I recommend the LumoPro LP180 , about which I go

Abstract: A rational approach to choosing lenses without breaking the bank. [This post was updated on Feb. 7, 2020.] If you date your cameras, you marry your lenses. That's because, unlike digital cameras, a well-chosen lens can serve you for a very long time. I still have one lens that I bought thirty two years ago. And I bought it used. I doubt that will be the case with any of my digital cameras, ever. In the past, I was a lens speed freak and was willing to spend great sums of money to have very fast glass. I now realize that lust was misplaced. If I had it to do over again (and I do, and have) I would lean more on prime lenses clustered around modest focal lengths. Here's why. Moderately fast primes are (much) lighter, (much) cheaper and often just as sharp (or sharper) than their speedy siblings. For Nikon shooters, the Nikon 28, 50 and 85 f/1.8 trio of lenses are great examples of this. They weigh next to nothing in your bag and offer great performance. Also, I have move

There is no perfect camera. Get that idea out of your head right now. Every camera is a compromise. Size, speed, image quality, low-light performance, price, etc., can be features or liabilities. As you start to rank your priorities, the universe of appropriate cameras will narrow itself for you: • If you value best-possible image quality above all, sell your car/house/kidney and buy a digital medium format camera. Or go back to film and shoot large format. • If you need long/fast glass and/or very high speed (sports, nature, etc.) that'll send you towards Nikon, Canon or (lately) Sony and a super-telephoto lens. • If you shoot portraits, speed and high ISO performance might not matter as much as gorgeous color. • If you travel frequently, you'll likely put a premium on your cameras being small and lightweight, with good low-light performance. • If you are following a toddler around the living room, continuous autofocus performance may trump price. (Or maybe you're just fee