News from Think Tank Photo

News from Think Tank Photo

Hey folks.  If you were not already clear that I love the stuff from Think Tank Photo, well, now you are.  I have bought many bags from the company over the years and have never been disappointed in the usability, build quality or practicality of their products.  I have seen many other offerings and none achieve the breadth and scope of what comes out of the company. Read the article for some great news!

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Marketing Tips for Wedding Photographers

Marketing Tips for Wedding Photographers

Jaimie over at ShootDotEdit noticed a post I had made about some really disparaging statements made over at Brides magazine and asked if I would be willing to share a link to their site where they have made a document on Marketing Tips for Wedding Photographers available.

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You Want to Buy a New Camera! Now What?

You Want to Buy a New Camera!  Now What?

Choosing a new camera should not be difficult.  The reality is that whether you buy a current Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm, Sony, or Panasonic/Lumix, the camera is going to be capable of delivering excellent images if you do your part.  I regularly laugh when I see folks get into brand wars.  All the makers produce solid products, the key to a great purchase is aligning the camera to your personal use cases.

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Quick Review : HurleyPRO H2Pro Weight Bag

Quick Review : HurleyPRO H2Pro Weight Bag

I want to be crystal clear about something up front.  I have assisted for Peter Hurley, once, in Toronto for a workshop put on by Henry's.  I have huge respect for the man and think the world of him.  With that out of the way, I worked this past weekend with this product and it left me very underwhelmed.

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Lens Compression and Perspective Exaggeration

Lens Compression and Perspective Exaggeration

Hello everyone!  This time I want to tackle a subject that regularly comes up in classes and coursework.  It’s also a topic on the Internet with a variety of fascinating ideas. We often hear of lens compression and as Lee Morris recently demonstrated on Petapixel. it actually does not exist.  I don’t agree with some of his terminology, but the approach is bang on.

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Focal Length and Angle of View

Focal Length and Angle of View

I meet lots of newer creatives, whether shooting stills or video and they are rarely concerned about the physical focal length of a lens, which is particularly irrelevant as an indicator when crop sensor cameras get involved as they always reference lenses as if they are full frame even when not.  What real creatives are concerned about is the image and what goes in it and what does not.  This is partially managed by angle of view.

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QUICK REVIEW : Blackmagic Design Micro Studio 4K and Video Assist 4K

QUICK REVIEW : Blackmagic Design Micro Studio 4K and Video Assist 4K

I thought I would put together a short video on how by starting out with a Micro Studio Camera 4K, a Video Assist 4K, a simple micro four thirds lens, some basic LED panels, a microphone and a tripod that anyone could get a good foundation in place for a simple 4K capable studio for either recorded content and if needed web broadcast.

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Revisiting HDR - Returning to Photomatix Pro

Revisiting HDR - Returning to Photomatix Pro

Hey gang.  It's been a couple of years since the boom time of HDR.  You remember those days, lots of electric, oversaturated, haloed images that made your teeth hurt and your eyes burn?  Yeah I thought so.  Fortunately, those days are mostly past, and it might be time to revisit the entire HDR idea, this time with some history under our belts and a better understanding of what we want to achieve.

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Quick Review : Sony a9 - Ready for the Big Leagues?

Quick Review : Sony a9 - Ready for the Big Leagues?

Recently I was able to put hands on a Sony a9 with the 24-240/3.5-6.3 zoom lens for a couple of days for a quick review.  Let's face it, there have already been lots of reviews of the a9 so what am I going to add that's going to be different?   We know that the tech is good, we know that the sensor is good, so I want to look more at usability, which is going to be constrained to my use cases.  Also keep in mind that reviews combine facts "it has two card slots" with opinion "only one of the two card slots supports UHS-II cards and that's stupid."

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Lighting for Headshots : A Repeatable Setup That Works Anywhere

Lighting for Headshots : A Repeatable Setup That Works Anywhere

What you will get in this tutorial is a simple, repeatable, three light setup that you can use anywhere with only a little set up time once you have your configuration recorded and that will deliver superb and consistent results.  If you have a conga line of shots to make, the set up doesn't change, and so you can focus on the human skills necessary to bring out the real person.

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