A huge variety of LED lighting have been making their way onto the market in recent years, and a lot of photographers have begun utilizing them as a part of their constant lighting kit thanks to LEDs having power efficiency, increased light output, and generating little to no heat compared to legacy constant lighting options like incandescent or CFL bulbs. Westcott was arguably the first to introduce flexible LED panels to the photography market, and shortly after the Flex series of LED panels were released, a number of knockoffs began flooding the market at lower price points promising similar performance. Fositan’s FL-1×2 Rollable LED panel is one of them.
Experimental approaches to photography often borrow from other creative disciplines like cinema, illustration, and painting. So, with this in mind, we thought it would be interesting to borrow from the pages of Creative Illustration by American illustrator, author, and art instructor Andrew Loomis. Today, we invite you to look at his concepts on lines to supplement what we already know about using leading lines and shapes for photography composition.
While most modern digital cameras on the market today do a fine job of reproducing colors found in the real world, there is still room for improvement because most modern digital camera sensors interpolate much of the real-world colors as they can only record red, green, and blue. And although many photographers choose to express their creative visions when post-processing their images, certain workflows, such as when photographing products or high-end fashion for commercial clients, demand accurate and consistent colors. This is where the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 comes in. Working in conjunction with X-Rite’s own ColorChecker Camera Calibration software, the ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 is a reliable tool that helps photographers create accurate reference images under any lighting condition to ensure that their images feature consistently accurate colors. The folks over at X-Rite sent over a ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 for us to test out, and you can check out our full review after the jump.
We’re huge fans of flash photography here at The Phoblographer, and we encourage everyone to give it a shot at some point. There’s no better time to get your flash photography gear either as right now there are some deep discounts to be had. You can save $235 on the Rotolight AEOS Ultra-Portable Bi-Color LED Light, and you can save $349 on the Profoto D1 Air Studio Kit. The fantastic Flashpoint XPLOR 400 Pro TTL that comes with a Westcott Octabox is a steal at $649.99 Want something a little smaller? The Flashpoint Zoom Li-Ion (Godox V1) is only $259, and it’s available for all major platforms, and the Flashpoint Li-Ion Mini (Godox TT350) is just $79 for Fujifilm cameras. There are excellent deals on Glow and Westcott modifiers too. See all the flash photography deals after the break.
Nikon has been steadily working to improve their Z7 camera and now there is a Nikon Z7 trade-in event. After some of the latest firmware updates, the autofocus has improved. Nikon camera users will really appreciate the combination of small size, lightweight, solid build quality and the autofocus abilities that it offers. Couple this with an adapter for F mount glass or using some of Nikon’s pretty good Z mount lenses and you’ve got a winning system with a lot more potential to come. The current trade up deal over at Adorama lets photographers save up to $600 on a purchase. And if you decide to trade-in another product you can get $200 as a bonus too.
“There is value in pushing yourself creatively not just skillfully,” says Daniel Anez. He’s a street photographer that wants to think outside the box. He wants to go beyond the fundamentals and create street photography that encourages his audience to build their own narrative. Through the use of color, varied angles, and story-telling, Daniel has created an aesthetic that belongs to him. It’s his vision of the world, a world that he invites us to explore with him. Although his work suggests otherwise, Daniel is relatively new to the world of street photography. He spoke to us to share what his journey has been like so far.
Experimenting with colors is one of the best ways to make portraits interesting. A particular color scheme — or the absence of it — can set the mood and aesthetic of a photo. We see this at work with photography trends like retro, neon, and pastels. Today, we have yet another perfect example of portrait photography made more eye-catching in the latest series of Munich-based fashion and fine art photographer Elizaveta Porodina.
The debate about whether or not DSLRs are on their way out seems to be getting louder and louder with each and every passing day. It’s almost impossible to jump online and visit message boards without seeing someone proclaim that Mirrorless is the new king and that DSLRs are dead. However, a recent error on a post about a potentially new Sony A9 II (which was soon fixed by the website) whipped up a frenzy in the comment section there. The title read The upcoming A99 III, instead of A9 II, and the reaction in the comment section got us thinking about the current situation regarding DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras. Let’s talk about the issue after the break.
If you’re ready to take the next steps in your photography journey by adding off-camera flash into your workflow, congratulations! We applaud you for wanting to take this on. A lot of people think that mastering flash is hard, but we’re here to tell you that’s a bunch of hogwash. Off-camera flash is an easy way to add drama, and extra dimension to your images, and the best part, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get started with it. We have rounded up some of our favorite lights that we have reviewed over the years and have put them in one place for you. These lights are great for beginners and even for pros looking for some new gear.
Thinking of exploring your town tonight for some interesting street stuff to photograph? Night photography comes with its own set of challenges especially since you’re often forced to work in low light. You’ll also need to adjust your camera settings for every subject or shooting situation. That can be laborious if you’re still getting acquainted with your camera, not yet used to shooting at night. Fortunately, we have a photography cheat sheet ready to help you figure your settings around.