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by Allan Weitz · Posted
The “Green Movement” has influenced manufacturers in the photographic community for quite some time. Lead and arsenic, a pair of heavy metals that contribute to the “character” and performance of optical glass, have been collectively called industrial poisons for decades. Beginning in the late 1990s, lead and arsenic were slowly phased out of formulas for lens elements and replaced by environmentally friendlier formulas that maintain the “look and feel” of the formulas they replaced.
The Green Movement has also had an impact on many of the
by Allan Weitz · Posted
Architectural photography is both an art and an exacting craft. Unlike most genres of photography, in which level horizon lines and correction for keystone and parallax distortions are secondary issues, architectural photography requires a disciplined workflow and a keen sense of design.
The following eight items are tools I find extremely valuable for photographing the exteriors and interiors of homes and commercial buildings. This list is by no means complete, but it does cover a range of essentials. As for camera format, bigger is always
by John-Paul Pale… · Posted
During my days as a film student, I shot projects using film and digital media. While digital footage was imported directly from tape, film was sent out, developed, and transferred to tape in standard definition. Now that more than a decade has passed and the industry has gone predominantly digital, what options exist for people looking to transfer their existing film? The answer is: film scanning, but how does this differ from the older telecine process? Before undertaking this journey, users will need to be familiar with items such as film
by Andrew Eisele · Posted
There’s no shortage of MIDI controllers on the market, most of which come in the form of keyboards, drum pads, and mixer emulations with faders and knobs. In fact, you’ve probably already noticed the abundance of all-in-one keyboard controllers with drum pads, faders, and knobs. With so many options, I thought it might be useful to look at some MIDI controllers that shy away from the norm and offer new ways of interacting with your software or hardware instruments.
NU-Desine AlphaSphere Nexus
by Justin Dise · Posted
For many video shooters, a single camera is often enough. If you’re one of those people who finds this to be true then, by all means, feel free to skip this article. But if you’re someone who works with multi-cam setups or is thinking about picking up a second (or third) camera to supplement your main camera, then please keep reading. There are many things to consider when selecting a “B” camera, and while you could easily just purchase an identical model to your main camera, this isn’t always affordable, nor does it give you the opportunity
by Justin Dise · Posted
Vlogging—or video blogging—is becoming more popular by the day, with seemingly everyone seeking to become the next YouTube sensation. You may be thinking that with the right subject matter and your winning personality, stardom is right around the corner. And who knows—maybe it is! But if you’re really going to give it a go, then you’re going to need a few essential pieces of gear to get your vlogging career up and running, and looking good. I mean, let’s face it: viewers are brutal. Bad audio? Dislike! Lousy video quality? Double dislike! So
by Patrick Chiang · Posted
Capture, optimize, and access files and documents quickly and efficiently with Fujitsu PaperStream Capture Pro, available on Windows. This easy-to-use, front-end scanning software streamlines your capture process with features such as document separation, indexing and validation, along with automated and manual QC. Here's a starting guide and a list of a few features worth checking out.
1. Predefined and Custom Profiles
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
Two-sided debates have always consumed the photographic industry, be it film versus digital, primes versus zooms, or manual versus automatic. It is only fitting that the latest developments in camera design have spawned a new conversation: DSLR or mirrorless. Photographers old and new are asking the question, “Should I go mirrorless?” and, as we look forward to 2016, a definitive answer has only become more difficult to pin down. Right now there are some clear pros and cons to each system and, hopefully, after seeing the main points you will
by Nicholas Messitte · Posted
Who knows how it happened? Maybe the band chose you to record their DIY releases. Maybe you’ve been sketching demos out your whole life. Maybe you inherited a panoply of gear from your quirky uncle Alfred. Whatever the case, you’ve already got the bases covered (the interface, the computer, the MIDI-controller, etc.), but now you’ve got a real problem: you’ve been bitten by the bug—the engineering bug. You want to improve your skill set and your efficiency. You need to procure a tight ecosystem of gear that’ll get you from point A to point B
by Christopher Witt · Posted
Unless you’re exceptionally light sensitive, you probably regard sunglasses as an accessory to your outfit or a convenience that you can live without if you forget them when you leave the house. The truth is that sunglasses are an important piece of protective gear that every person should wear. Recent studies have shown that incidents of cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and a slew of other eye conditions are on the rise and the average age of
by michael sukhotin · Posted
Most of us probably have seen, in the movies or on TV, Special Forces people looking like hybrids of human and machine with sophisticated night vision devices covering their faces, enabling them to see in the dark. Previously, these gadgets were reserved for special agencies and the military. Today, with the advancement of technology and lower costs of manufacturing, these devices have appeared on the consumer market. Even if you are not the type to storm buildings under cover of night, they may prove helpful and greatly enhance your hobbies
by Bjorn Petersen · Posted
As cameras continue to evolve and impress, their newest features often play to the fast-paced multimedia world. For landscape photographers, the ability to minimize or eliminate the time it takes to print an image or display it online can have limited use, and tends to overshadow a range of core camera functions that appeal to our genre of photography. Landscape photography can arguably be one of the slowest-paced schools of image-making. As such, it does not have the same subset of requirements as many other categories of photography. Ranging
by Joseph Albanese · Posted
Who doesn’t love a road trip—the thrill of the open road, the siren song of what may be hiding just around the next bend? It’s the kind of freedom that can only come from chewing up the asphalt on some well-worn two-lane or freshly paved Interstate. The way the wind from a cracked window caresses your hair, the allure of the world’s largest ball of string at a roadside pull-off. This is the lure that created our nation’s fleet of flatbed cowboys, pulling steel or grain from one end of this great nation to the other. You may not feel the need
by Morgan Lyle · Posted
A sleeping bag is a pretty simple piece of gear, but there are several factors you should keep in mind when selecting one. After all, a bag that might be perfectly adequate for a summertime backyard slumber party could be completely inadequate for camping in sub-freezing temperatures. By the same token, spending a summer night in a cold-weather bag can make you feel like a burrito fresh from the microwave.
Comfort Ratings
Sleeping bags almost always come with a comfort rating. Most three-season bags, for example, will have a comfort rating
by Richard Scali · Posted
The word “photography” literally means “to draw with light” and is a simple way of expressing how essential light is to our craft. At times, however, natural light can be a scarce commodity and thus, it falls upon the photographer to create it. Fast-forwarding through the days of flash powder and disposable bulbs, we arrive at the modern day, an exciting time for “strobists,” when a plethora of compact options exists for creating and shaping light. Below, we’ll review some of the classic, essential, and innovative accessories for the