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by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
We can say from experience that there’s nothing worse than your fingers freezing while on a winter photo shoot. From a scientific standpoint, exposure to the cold results in constriction of blood flow to the extremities, resulting in rapid temperature loss that approaches ambient temperatures. In layman’s terms, your hands get cold fast. Once you feel that chill, it’s nearly impossible to think about anything else.
Enter gloves. From mittens to liners, we all probably have more pairs of gloves than we know what to do with, but not all pairs
by Josh Taylor · Posted
Many experienced photographers think of fast moderate telephoto lenses, as “portrait lenses” because so many professional portrait photographers rely on them. Lenses in the 85-105mm focal length range with maximum apertures between f/1.4 and f/2.8 can capture frame-filling headshots and head-and-shoulders portraits at moderate shooting distances, thus minimizing apparent perspective distortion—the dreaded “big-nose effect”—in close-ups. And they deliver very shallow depth of field at their widest apertures, creating compelling pictorial
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
There are few things as slow and tedious in the photographic world as threading a head on a tripod or a camera on a tripod head—or turning of any threaded screw, for that matter. The process of threading a camera on a tripod has been mostly eliminated by the invention of the quick-release (QR) dovetail plate. Can this concept and functionality be brought forward into the world of the modern creative? The Manfrotto MOVE Ecosystem has done just that.
The previous sentence had the word “Ecosystem” in it. MOVE is truly a system of accessories and
by Cory Rice · Posted
There’s always room for improvement, even for the most tried-and-true designs. Such logic guides the thinking behind the Pelican Air™ lineup, a lightweight reboot of some of the industry’s most trusted hard cases. I tested the Pelican Air 1525TP™, a mid-size case
Posted
Jake Estes and Bobby Sansivero test the Angler FastBox Octagonal Softbox on an outdoor portrait photo shoot. As the name implies, this softbox sets up quickly and easily, snapping into place and locking in one motion. If you’re a portrait or wedding photographer, the Angler FastBox Octagonal Softbox is a must have!
Would you add this to your photography gear list? Share your thoughts in the Comments section, below.
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
I am not a “hard case guy,” but I know many who use them, and I know they are essential for a lot of photographers, videographers, and creatives who are constantly on the go and need extra protection for their gear. And, if you have even given hard cases a moment of thought, the Pelican brand of protective “stuff” is guaranteed to have made it onto your radar because the term “Pelican
by Cory Rice · Posted
Sigma has added a short telephoto macro to its Art lens lineup: the 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro Art lens. The new lens offers 1:1, life-size rendering, a handful of manual controls, and the exacting sharpness that has become synonymous with Sigma Art glass. Designed specifically for mirrorless cameras, it is available in E-mount for Sony cameras and L-
by Allan Weitz · Posted
When my test sample of Lensbaby’s OMNI Creative Filter System with the OMNI Color Expansion Pack and OMNI Crystal Expansion Pack showed up at my desk, I decided to revisit
by Cory Rice · Posted
Writing for Explora can be a bit like using a dating app for cameras. No matter how happy you are with your current situation, you are subjected to a nonstop parade of attractive alternatives—tempting you, teasing you, mocking your convictions. The urge to run off with a hot new body can be overwhelming. At least it has been for me since I hooked up with FUJIFILM’s GFX 100 Medium Format Mirrorless Camera. Is it love? Is it lust?
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
I never fancied myself a passionate lover of a battery charger. That is, until I tried the Nitecore FX1 Dual-Slot USB Travel Charger for FUJIFILM NP-W126 & NP-W126S Batteries. Am I kidding you? No. Seriously, I really, really like, maybe love, this camera battery charger. Why and how did this charger win my heart? Four words: It is freaking cool!
Battery chargers usually come with a new camera except for some USB-charging only
by Allan Weitz · Posted
If you’re into analog film cameras, by extension you’re also into light meters. This is because while most modern cameras contain excellent TTL metering systems, if you use film cameras made prior to the 1970s and ’80s chances are: A. the camera has a meter but it doesn’t work anymore; B. the meter works but it’s no longer accurate; C. they stopped making batteries for your meter when Jimmy Carter was President; or D. the camera never had a light meter in the first place. If you resonate with any of the above and your film camera has an
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
Everyone loves Pelican cases because when you pick them up, you just know that they will handle whatever abuse you throw at them, for years to come. Not everyone needs that degree of near indestructability for all their gear. The rest of us want something reliable and durable, but could do with saving a few bucks. Enter the Vault line, Pelican dependability at a better price, exactly the style for which many everyday outdoorsy
by Allan Weitz · Posted
When photographing situations that require exacting camera positioning, a geared tripod head should be at the top of your must-have list. Why a geared head? In a word: precision. When photographing architecture or similar venues in which it’s imperative that the camera and lens be level to the ground, if your camera is even slightly askew on the horizontal and/or vertical planes, you’re skunked.
What separates geared heads conventional ball and tilt-pan style tripod heads is that geared heads enable you to position your camera independently
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
I give Lensbaby a lot of credit. While many companies are busy spending their R&D funds on clinically sharp lenses that have next to no optical character, Lensbaby rolls out a tool that helps photographers put stuff like crystals and prisms in front of their lenses so that they don’t need to graft on a third arm and hand, or hire an assistant. While it falls short of functioning as a Vaseline-on-the-filter dispenser, the Lensbaby
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
Portrait photographers have long clutched their precious 85mm f/1.4 lenses. They have had good reason. The 85mm is seemingly a Goldilocks length—not too long, not too short—and the f/1.4 provides that creamy bokeh we always want when photographing people. I think the 85mm can step aside to make room for the 135mm—specifically, Sony’s outstanding