The MagMod

Every now and then Kickstarter provides my family with a new toy. This time, I was lucky enough to have this little gem picked up for me as part of a gift. Introducing the MagMod.

When I first looked at it I thought... well that looks fun... but I don't know how often I would really bust that out to use.... and then I put it on my flash.

See, the first odd piece with the square cut out stretches to fit over your speed light. It has magnets in it that you can then literally SLAP on the honeycomb filter... or multiple honeycomb filters. This image shows the filter being held by the magnet - but not properly placed for use. (just to clarify)

Here is how it looks attached.

Now... there are times when I want to use my flash, but I don't want that harsh "flash" look... and this is a great option to break up that light. I haven't had a chance to test it on portraits but I think it would be a solid option. the part that has me dancing... like really moving and grooving and bouncing in my seat...  gel options.

While I don't use gel's in my photography as a general rule, it has mostly been due to a complete hatred of the thin plastic sheets and that they get torn or bent too easily. 

WHALLLLAH! Introducing hard plastic, easy to pop in and out gels that fit over my speed light! Slap on... slap off! It's MAGIC I tell you MAGIC! (Okay, really it's ingenuous... not magic but I LOVE it!)

Now the kit that I got came with 2 honey combs, and a variety of gels... red, yellow, blue, there's like 6 or 8 of them. you simply stretch the plastic away from the gel that is inside to pop one out and the other in. They are nice and flat and store easily in a pocket of my camera bag. Why oh why am I head over heals in love with this? Because, it means that I can use my speed light as my back-light, and be a little more creative and custom on backgrounds for clients.

Taking an image like this....

Which is perfectly acceptable... (and an amazing product made by Dragon Flight Dreams)

and make it a bit more special... like this.

In an instant.

As for new cool must have toys, I give this one two big thumbs up for my use. Is it a product everyone needs... of course not! That's what makes it FUN! 

Shopping For A Photographer?

Are you looking for a new camera for the holidays?

Have a photographer on your list this season?

I have you covered!

The first question I always ask when someone comes to me for advice on what camera to purchase is...

What KIND of camera do you want?

Do you know the differences between them?

I always suggest you get a camera that not only fits your current needs but allows you to continue to learn slightly more then you think you will. So let me first talk to you about some basic camera differences.

First, Phones. Phones are not Cameras. Ipads are not camera's. They can be great tools, some work well in a pinch, and some even have decent enough mp's to make up for the poor quality lens, some even have flashes. However...  I strongly feel that they are not "camera's" for the sake of what I am going to be teaching and talking about. They don't have the same functions, quality, or  standards. So most of what I teach wont make sense if your using your phone or other device.

Starting the line up are Standard "pocket" point and shoots. These are small, compact camera's. Every camera manufacture makes some style of Point and Shoot.

Compact digital camera's for our purposes will be any camera with a retractable lens, this lens will come back in to the body of the camera, it is not removable. This creates the nice, small, lightweight camera that can be tucked into a purse or pocket. Let's be clear, it is great starting camera and as such has all your basic modes, and important needs are covered, such as flash, zoom, and megapixels.You will find these cameras from any reputable manufacture will range from $80 on up. Depending on features, lenses, and other options. (By the way, if your interested my top picks for this category would be cameras made by Panasonic, Fuji, Nikon, Canon, Pentax not in any order, and those are not the only ones out there.. but I find these companies tend to put out a good product for most your needs at this level.)

Here are some important details to keep in mind
1. Not all flashes are created equal.
2. Not all batteries are the same, or even "good" to use for photography.
3. The size of a CCD chip (what replaced the "film" and is the capture device on digital cameras) is MUCH smaller then on DSLR's, meaning the quality of detail wont be the same even with the same "size" of megapixel. 12mp on a compact camera is NOT the same as a 12 mp on a DSLR.
4. It is no longer a megapixel race. Any camera these days has enough for you to print and share your images with out the "digital" look.
5. Digital zoom, is NOT a feature you want to shop for or use. Ever.

VERTE TIP some of these camera's are water-proof, some weather-proof, some are impact resistant... etc... it is important if you will be using this as a travel, or "family" camera that you check out some of these options, and the warranties as they do vary. Personally, I like the rugged water proofing cameras for travel, beach and everyday wear. I would NEVER take my pro camera to the pool and let my kid take photos... where the waterproof one I wouldn't be worried about.

Its all about peace of mind.

Second on our list of types of digital cameras would be what I term the "Advanced" or "growing" P&S (point and shoot). Sometimes these are called "Bridge" camera's. This style of camera typically has a lens that remains out, in some way. It is larger and has some sort of Aperture, Shutter and/or Manual modes.

This kind of camera is still very lightweight, but in addition to the different modes of operation they often have a pop up flash and sometimes the ability to attach a flash or work with additional strobes or off camera flashes. Some of these cameras allow for lens modifiers, or possibly let you change your lens. They are not considered DSLR's because they dont have an optical viewfinder, or in some cases a viewfinder at all. If you have a viewfinder it is still a digital display. This is a great option for someone who doesn't know a lot about photography, doesn't want to invest a TON of money, but needs some options and ability to grow say perhaps someone looking to document a new family, do kid sports, vacations, or even some basic blog or homemade shop photography. You can find them from $200 on up again depending on features.

That brings us to our last style, which is the DSLR. This style is typically FULLY functional, interchangeable lens, flash options, full manual modes etc. These also "typically" have optical viewfinders, although many allow you for live shooting while using the back LCD screen as well. The important part for our needs is that you would have the ability to pick the lens, add flash or stobes, and have full control over your manual modes.

As we go forward, it's important for you to know what level your camera is. So if you don't know which category you fit into please drop me a message or comment below and let me know your make and model (you can always find that on the front of your camera). There are less and less clear lines in separation between these styles, so please don't feel bad asking!

Also, as a disclaimer - yes I used all Nikon images, yes I shoot Nikon. NO I don't think this is the "right" camera for you in every case. It is simply what I had available because I do shoot one, I like the product and the company. Like I said earlier, there are a lot of really good companies and products out there. It will depend greatly on what your needs are, for you to find the "right" camera for you!

Tuesday Tip: Understanding Lens Terms

Wow are there a lot of different types of Lenses! I thought I could break down some terms for you so as you grow with your camera's you will have a better understanding of each and how it applies to you!

Now fair enough most lens don't come with coffee inside them... but I couldn't resist sharing this with you! I LOVE THIS!

Now... lets get started...

WIDE ANGLE LENS:  Basically if you look directly ahead of yourself, and hold your arms out to the edges of your vision (without moving your eyes... that was what the film standard was considered to be 50mm. As you move your arms out wider, it was considered to be "wide angle" showing more in your image then your eye would see. This is shown in the above image as the light blue and 15mm landscape.

Now with digital these numbers may mean different things due to the different size sensors and how your lens work with those sensor sizes... I know... can't make anything easy can they!? For our purposes today tho, we are going to work off of "standards" where 50mm is what your eye sees.

TELEPHOTO LENS:  If you move your arms in closer together, it is "telephoto" bringing a section of your field of view in closer to you. The closer your arms are the less field of view, but the closer things appear, and the higher number you would need to accomplish this such as the Green line above shown as a 400mm.

ZOOM LENS:  Also referred to as a Variable Focal Length Lens. When you look through it, you can change the magnification. Examples: 18-55mm, 24-70mm. This doesn't mean it has a great telephoto, simply that it changes. It's a very loose term, typically applied to point and shoot camera's with a 3x  or 16x "zoom".

Point and Shoot owners get to do some math to figure out what that all means - basically the higher the X (magnification) the more telephoto you have. If you want to figure out how much, simply take the wide angle number of your lens such as 38mm (a standard) and times it by your zoom number... for example: 38mm x 10x zoom = 380mm telephoto

FISHEYE LENS: A wide-angle lens that takes a hemispherical image. It produces a distorted image, convex in appearance, and covers a broad area of view by doing so. Focal lengths typically range from 16mm and lower. Examples: 8mm, 10mm. 

FAST LENS:  A lens that has a large aperture which allows you to take photos in low lighting without a flash. When someone is talking about "fast" lens they are talking about the "F-stop" ability of that lens, basically the maximum aperture on that lens such as: 50mm f1.4
As you will learn with Aperture settings the smaller the number of the F  the more light is is able to gather, the "faster" it is. The LARGER the number the less light that can be gathered the "slower" it is.

STANDARD LENS:  Also referred to as a normal lens. This would be considered to be the lens that gives you about the same perspective as normal vision. Nothing would appear any closer (or further away) than you would see it with your normal vision. This focal length will change depending on which type of camera that you use. If using a 35mm film camera, a 50mm lens would be considered as the normal or STANDARD lens, When using a digital camera, the magnification or crop factor must be considered when determining a normal lens.  (Again, Standard and Normal is simply the mm number of what is equivalent on your camera to what your eye sees when you look straight ahead.)

PRIME LENS:  Any lens with a fixed focal length. When you look through it, you can't change the magnification. Examples: 28mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm. Also referred to as a Fixed Focal Length Lens. Yes,  a 50mm lens is a "standard" as well as a PRIME lens...


MACRO LENS:  A lens that allows you to focus much closer to the subject (than a non-macro lens). Examples: 50mm 2.5 macro, 60mm 2.8 macro, 100mm 2.8 macro. Not all Macro lens are Prime lens, it is just as common to have a 28-70 macro, where you have to "lock in" the macro function when you want to use it. This simply is telling you that the lens has the ability to focus closer on a subject then others for the same range.


PORTRAIT LENS:  A lens that gives the best perspective for taking portraits. This will vary depending on the camera that you're using. Typically you will find an 85mm prime lens, while some photographers prefer not to shoot with prime lens, and opt for something with better range like an 28-120mm. It is pretty subjective, tho most professional photographers agree staying within that 28 - 85mm range is common.


While this doesn't cover all the differences of lens types... it does give you a good overview of the different classifications of lens!

Happy Shooting!

Tuesday Tip: Soft Focus Filter

This is one of my favorite cheats or photography hacks!

A Filter, is something an item that attaches to your camera lens and typically changes something. We have talked about using a UV filter to protect your lens... and I STRONGLY believe everyone should have one on every lens they own. It's clear and it doesn't effect your photos - but it provides awesome protection against dust, scratches and falls for your lens at a very reasonable price.

I am not a filter nut, however I get a TON of use out of my Polarized Filter, which is like sunglasses for your camera. It reduces the reflective light and adds contrast to your images. It's super awesome for darkening skies and removing reflections in glass, and water... I use mine ALL the time!

But, one of my favorites is the soft focus filter... This was probably used a little too much in the 80's and 90's portraits... and it was the spring board for the "center focus" filters which blurred out all but the face in the middle of the portrait.  However, I find that this "hack" of one of the most popular filters for portrait photography... is not only convenient and practical... but looks AWESOME!

All you need is a Rubber Band... and Tulle.

 

Simply use the rubber band to hold the tulle tightly to the front of your lens No wrinkles. Be sure to hold the extra down away from your flash and so it doesn't go back into the field of view. I use white when I am shooting on a light background or outside, black tulle when I am on dark backgrounds.

This creates a sort of diffusion, or soft focus filter effect. As you can see by my fab model below... 

No Filter

Stinking kid wouldn't take a bath, so you have to forgive the creepy model. 

However, you can see there is a lot of shine on the hair and face... and you can see a lot of whispy frizz in the hair. On a regular person you would see all the uneven skin tone, even blemishes and all the wrinkles. 

1 Layer of Tulle

With this simple step while shooting you see the shine and wispy hairs are reduced... on humans you would see some evening of the skin tone, less reflections from shiny skin... even smother appearing wrinkles and blemishes. 

Is it removing them.. no. But without spending time in Photoshop, it is giving you a solid option to add a natural, softer look to your portraits.. for virtually free. The best part about this... is it is easy to carry, tucks into a pocket...and unlike my filters it doesn't mind going through the wash when I forget to take it out of those pockets! 

Happy Shooting!

Time to Click: Camera Types

Welcome to the first in our major new series " Time to Click"!

What kind of camera do you own? Do you really know what you have?

You would be surprised how many people I come across who can not answer that question. Yet, as a teacher it is the first question I have to ask! It is also a REALLY important question to ask BEFORE you purchase a camera! What type of camera do you really need? What are the differences?

I always suggest you get a camera that not only fits your current needs but allows you to continue to learn a step more then you think you will. So let me first talk to you about some basic camera differences.

First, Phones. Phones are not Cameras. Ipads are not camera's. They can be great tools, some work well in a pinch, and some even have decent enough mp's to make up for the poor quality lens, some even have flashes. However...  I strongly feel that they are not "camera's" for the sake of what I am going to be teaching and talking about. They don't have the same functions, quality, or  standards. So most of what I teach wont make sense if your using your phone or other device.

Starting the line up are Standard "pocket" point and shoots. These are small, compact camera's. Every camera manufacture makes some style of Point and Shoot.

Compact digital camera's for our purposes will be any camera with a retractable lens, this lens will come back in to the body of the camera, it is not removable. This creates the nice, small, lightweight camera that can be tucked into a purse or pocket. Let's be clear, it is great starting camera and as such has all your basic modes, and important needs are covered, such as flash, zoom, and megapixels.You will find these cameras from any reputable manufacture will range from $80 on up. Depending on features, lenses, and other options. (By the way, if your interested my top picks for this category would be cameras made by Panasonic, Fuji, Nikon, Canon, Pentax not in any order, and those are not the only ones out there.. but I find these companies tend to put out a good product for most your needs at this level.)

Here are some important details to keep in mind tho, and I will go into more detail on these later.
1. Not all flashes are created equal.
2. Not all batteries are the same, or even "good" to use for photography.
3. The size of a CCD chip (what replaced the "film" and is the capture device on digital cameras) is MUCH smaller then on DSLR's, meaning the quality of detail wont be the same even with the same "size" of megapixel. 12mp on a compact camera is NOT the same as a 12 mp on a DSLR.
4. It is no longer a megapixel race. Any camera these days has enough for you to print and share your images with out the "digital" look.
5. Digital zoom, is NOT a feature you want to shop for or use. Ever.

Also, some of these camera's are water-proof, some weather-proof, some are impact resistant... etc... it is important if you will be using this as a travel, or "family" camera that you check out some of these options, and the warranties as they do vary. Personally, I like the rugged water proofing cameras for travel, beach and everyday wear. I would NEVER take my pro camera to the pool and let my kid take photos... where the waterproof one I wouldn't be worried about. Its a peace of mind thing.

Second on our list of types of digital cameras would be what I term the "Advanced" or "growing" P&S (point and shoot). Sometimes these are called "Bridge" camera's. This style of camera typically has a lens that remains out, in some way. It is larger and has some sort of Aperture, Shutter and/or Manual modes.

This kind of camera is still very lightweight, but in addition to the different modes of operation they often have a pop up flash and sometimes the ability to attach a flash or work with additional strobes or off camera flashes. Some of these cameras allow for lens modifiers, or possibly let you change your lens. They are not considered DSLR's because they dont have an optical viewfinder, or in some cases a viewfinder at all. If you have a viewfinder it is still a digital display. This is a great option for someone who doesn't know a lot about photography, doesn't want to invest a TON of money, but needs some options and ability to grow say perhaps someone looking to document a new family, do kid sports, vacations, or even some basic blog or homemade shop photography. You can find them from $200 on up again depending on features.

That brings us to our last style, which is the DSLR. This style is typically FULLY functional, interchangeable lens, flash options, full manual modes etc. These also "typically" have optical viewfinders, although many allow you for live shooting while using the back LCD screen as well. The important part for our needs is that you would have the ability to pick the lens, add flash or stobes, and have full control over your manual modes.

As we go forward, it's important for you to know what level your camera is. So if you don't know which category you fit into please drop me a message or comment below and let me know your make and model (you can always find that on the front of your camera). There are less and less clear lines in separation between these styles, so please don't feel bad asking!

Also, as a disclaimer - yes I used all Nikon images, yes I shoot Nikon. NO I don't think this is the "right" camera for you in every case. It is simply what I had available because I do shoot one, I like the product and the company. Like I said earlier, there are a lot of really good companies and products out there. It will depend greatly on what your needs are, for you to find the "right" camera for you!