octopad Photography Articles

What Should You Have in a Beginner Photography Kit?

What Should You Have in a Beginner Photography Kit

Photo by Prostock-Studio via iStock

When getting started with photography, deciding what equipment you need and what you don’t can be overwhelming. There are two main reasons for this. The first is that more photography gear exists than ever before. Second, social media is full of influencers pushing products left and right.

Because of this, how on earth are you supposed to choose what to include in your beginner photography kit? That’s where we come in! In this photography guide, we’ll share the essential equipment every photographer should own, regardless of experience level. Additionally, at the end of the article, we’ll share a handful of other items to invest in to keep growing your kit.

With that in mind, join us as we help you discover how to build the ultimate beginner photography kit!

Check out the video above by James Popsys to learn more about photography gear beginners ACTUALLY need.

Table of Contents

Choosing the Right Camera for Your Beginner Photography Kit

Choosing the Right Camera for Your Beginner Photography Kit

Photo by NguyenDucQuang via iStock

The most important gear in any beginner photography kit is your camera. And while many people today use smartphones for photography, phone cameras still can’t compete with the results of digital cameras.

When shopping for a camera, crucial things to consider are the camera's features, size, ease of use, and price. Key features to look at are resolution (megapixels), autofocus, video capabilities, and lens compatibility. As for price, you can find great deals on pre-owned cameras from our good friends over at MPB.

New photographers searching for a reliable and affordable first camera will love the Sony Alpha a6000 or the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. On the other hand, the Canon EOS R8 and Fujifilm X-S20 are excellent cameras for slightly more experienced photographers who want a newer camera with more advanced features.

Your Beginner Photography Kit Needs a Good Lens (or Two)

Your Beginner Photography Kit Needs a Good Lens or Two

Photo by Tsyb_Oleg via iStock

You don't need to worry about lenses if you have a point-and-shoot camera with a built-in lens. However, if you own an interchangeable-lens camera body, such as a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you will want to invest in one or two good lenses

The best place to start when creating your beginner photography kit is with a “kit lens.” They might not be the highest-quality lenses, but their versatility and budget-friendly prices make them ideal learning tools for beginner photographers. Usually, there are a few different kit lenses to choose from for every camera.

Then, for your second lens, we recommend getting a prime lens. The most popular focal length for beginners is 50mm because of its flexibility, compact size, and high maximum aperture. 50mm lenses are perfect for travel, street, and portrait photography. Get the scoop on 50mm lenses in my video above!

Another critical thing to remember is that each camera manufacturer uses a unique lens mount system, so pay extra attention to this when deciding which lenses to buy. Here are links to lenses for different lens mounts:

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A Tripod or Tripod Alternative is a Must for Your Beginner Photography Kit

A Tripod or Tripod Alternative is a Must for Your Beginner Photography Kit

Photo by dchadwick via iStock 

Another must-own item for photography is a sturdy and dependable tripod. Tripods stabilize your camera during shooting, leading to sharper, higher-quality images. While they help in any situation, they are especially important when shooting in low-light conditions. For example, night photography and long exposures are nearly impossible to capture without a tripod.

If you are a video content creator, tripods are even more useful since they are the best way to guarantee footage with little to no camera shake. Gimbals and drones are other fantastic stabilization tools for video.

What Equipment Is Helpful for Low Angle Photography

The only negative of most tripods is that they tend to be heavy and bulky. If you are shooting in a photography studio, weight isn’t a concern, but anywhere else, you will be better off with something smaller and lighter, like the Octopad

The Octopad is a unique tripod alternative ideal for on-the-go photographers who need an ultralight yet stable device. It weighs less than two pounds, and its patented design ensures it stays still even on sloping, uneven, or wet/slippery surfaces.

A Tripod Alternative is a Must for Your Beginner Photography Kit

If that wasn’t enough, it’s also compatible with other photography accessories like external microphones, lights, monitors, gimbals, and so forth. By pulling double duty (well, something more like quintuple duty!), you get a multi-functional gadget that can help you create better photos and videos alike.

Whether you’re traveling, doing street photography, or simply running and gunning for portraiture, landscapes, architecture, or something in between, Octopad is the ideal tripod solution. Heck, I use it with my GoPros for shooting B-roll, and have even used Octopad to stabilize my GoPro on my Jeep’s dashboard to fashion a dashcam situation. This thing is that versatile! 

Other Must-Have Accessories for Your Beginner Photography Kit

Other Must Have Accessories for Your Beginner Photography Kit

Photo by ymgerman via iStock

So, there you have it! Every beginner photographer should start by investing in three pieces of gear for their kit: a camera body, lenses, and a tripod. Only once you have those three photography essentials should you consider adding more items to your beginner photography kit.

Depending on your needs and budget, here’s a list of other must-have photography accessories to save up for:

  • A camera bag/backpack
  • Spare camera batteries and memory cards
  • A camera/lens cleaning kit
  • Lens filters and lens hoods
  • A camera strap/camera clip
  • An external hard drive for photography
  • Photography lighting equipment
  • A computer and photo editing software

Recommended Photography Gear

Disclaimer: A quick heads-up: If you snag something through our affiliate links or check out our sponsored content, we might earn a commission at no extra cost to you. But fear not, we're all about recommending stuff we're truly stoked about!

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11 Mini Tripod Options for Your Mirrorless Camera

11 Mini Tripod Options for Your Mirrorless Camera

Your new mirrorless camera is a fantastic imaging device. Depending on what format of mirrorless camera you have, the camera and lens combo may also be very compact and lightweight. 

The small size and lightweight, combined with other modern technologies of cameras and lenses, such as vibration reduction or image stabilization, make it easier than ever to hand-hold a mirrorless camera for longer exposures.

Alternatively, using one of the many versions of mini tripods with a mirrorless camera is also an attractive option.

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Why Use a Mini Tripod?

mini tripod for camera

 photo bystockforliving via iStock

The main reason to use a mini tripod for camera stabilization is that our practiced hand-holding techniques and vibration reduction technology can’t compensate for every situation we may find ourselves in. 

In other words, sometimes the shutter speed is just too long to hold our camera steady enough without some help. Also, there are times that having a camera support such as a mini tripod or tripod alternative will improve our image captures, such as macro photography. 

A mini tripod is very useful for videography, too. Let’s look at 11 mini tripod options for your mirrorless camera.

Octopad Camera Mount

Octopad Camera Mount

As a mini camera tripod, theOctoPad Camera Mount is unique and extremely versatile. The base is a semi-flexible disc of heavy-duty material with a non-slip pad underneath and a ¼-20 screw on top. The top screw can be fitted with a ball head, an extension arm, a video head, or any combination of these.

The flexible nature of the disc base allows the OctoPad to be placed on a wide variety of indoor and outdoor surfaces. The non-slip material keeps the OctoPad steady at angles up to 45 degrees. So, a table or desktop, a stone fence, a car hood, a tree stump, a couch arm, a boulder, or almost anything else can be the surface.

Octopad Camera Mount

You don’t have to rely on a suction cup, and since the material is heavy-duty, it can take some hard use in the rugged outdoors. Besides the camera itself, this alternative mini tripod can also be used for holding various accessories such as lights or a video microphone.

It’s lightweight, versatile, inexpensive, and durable, making the OctoPad a great alternative to a mini tripod for both still imaging and video recording.

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PIXI Manfrotto Mini Tripod

best mini tripod

Manfrotto mini tripods are excellent examples of how a small item like a mini tripod can be very well made and provide stability for long exposure photography, high magnification photography, and video recording.

The PIXI Manfrotto mini tripod is the smaller of the two Manfrotto mini tripods in this list. Made as a simple set of legs that can be folded together to use as a handgrip and a ball head on top, this mini tripod is perfect for tabletop or desktop use, inside or outside.

EVO Manfrotto Mini Tripod

mini tripod for camera

A slightly larger version of a Manfrotto mini tripod is theEVO version. This mini tripod has legs that extend a little bit for extra height, plus the legs splay out further for getting close to the ground or another surface.

The Manfrotto mini tripod ball heads are smooth operating and very rugged. It’s sturdy enough to hold your mirrorless camera tilted into portrait orientation for self-portraits or other options of composition.

Gitzo Mini Traveler

Gitzo Mini Traveler

For outdoor and studio photographers who love the high-end Gitzo tripods, theGitzo Mini Traveler is a great choice for a mini tripod or travel tripod that can fit in a camera bag, sling pack, or backpack.

The ball head is smooth in operation and locks down securely even with heavier mirrorless cameras and larger lenses.

AOKA Carbon Fiber Tripod

AOKA Carbon Fiber Tripod

Slightly larger than the tabletop mini tripods, this travel tripod fits in well with many landscape photographer gear kits. The 3 section carbon fiber legs of theAOKA mini tripod extend up to 28 inches, and the ball head has a quick-release mount for added versatility.

Neewer Desktop Macro Mini Tripod

Neewer Desktop Macro Mini Tripod

 Neewer is a favorite brand of many budget-minded photographers and videographers for high-quality lighting equipment. They also make wonderful mini tripods.The Neewer Desktop Macro Mini Tripod extends and collapses in the legs and the center column. Multi-position legs allow many options for camera placement.

Joby GorillaPod 3K

Joby GorillaPod 3K 

The Joby GorillaPod 3K has a special construction to the legs that makes it a good choice and alternative for a mini tripod. Their flexible construction can alternate between holding the camera up as a regular mini tripod or can be wrapped around things such as tree limbs or fence posts when there isn’t enough even ground to place a tripod.

ULANZI Flexible Tripod

ULANZI Flexible Tripod

TheUlanzi Flexible Tripod works on the same principle as the GorillaPod with the ultra-flexible wrap-around legs. It also has a special adjustable camera mount on the ball head for holding smartphones and an added mounting position for accessories.

JOBY GorillaPod 325

JOBY GorillaPod 325 

JOBY GorillaPod 325 is a smaller, lighter-weight version of the original GorillaPod mini tripod for ultra-compact mirrorless cameras. 

Besnfoto Travel Tripod

Besnfoto Travel Tripod

Besnfoto Travel Tripod is a larger version of a mini tripod, qualifying as a travel tripod, too. It has adjustable legs, a smartphone mount, a 360-degree panorama base, and is made of lightweight but sturdy carbon fiber.

Sirui AM-223 Carbon Fiber Tripod

Sirui AM 223 Carbon Fiber Tripod 

The last item in our round-up of mini tripods for your mirrorless camera is the Sirui AM-223 Carbon Fiber Mini Tripod.

In addition to all of the features and capabilities of many full-size tripods, this mini tripod has an Arca Swiss quick release plate for camera mounting and can hold up to 15 KG of camera or video equipment.

Any of these 11 mini tripods should make an excellent addition to your mirrorless camera gear kit.

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4 Advantages of Having a Tripod

4 Advantages of Having a Tripod

 photo byBirdImages via iStock

Welcome to the amazing world of serious photography! Now that you have become familiar with all of the settings and controls of your fine camera, you are exploring what else to do to get more out of your photography. One of these things is understanding the advantages of having a tripod. 

If you are reading this column to get gift ideas for your photography friends, we’ll show you several different types of tripods and tripod alternatives, too.

Benefits of Tripods

advantages of having a tripod 1

 photo byNoSystem images via iStock

Tripods are a vital part of a photographer’s gear bag, being useful for many situations and actually making possible certain specific methods. We have four benefits of having a tripod to look at today plus some basic tripod tips.

  • Sharper Images
  • Repeatability
  • Special Techniques
  • Video! 

Sharper Images

why you need a tripod tripod tips 2

 photo byprimeimages via iStock

Number one on most lists of why you need a tripod is to ensure sharper images since camera movement is eliminated. There are three major reasons why an image may be blurry or unsharp: focus, subject motion, and camera motion. One of the major benefits of tripods is that it fixes one of those three out of hand and helps in the others.

Mounting our camera on a tripod or one of the tripod alternatives stabilizes the camera so that it won’t move during exposure. Longer shutter speeds, such as what we get when stopping down our lens for more depth of field, shooting in really low light, or when using certain filters, will give us images blurred by our hand movement if we are hand holding our camera. 

Since we’re on our tripod, we can also closely monitor our focusing to ensure what we want in focus is in focus. And a simple behavior modification also tends to occur when a person gets in front of a camera on a tripod, they will be likely to stand still for the photo.  

So, one of the key advantages of having a tripod is that it helps us prevent blurred images. Tripod tips include also using a remote shutter release of some type, wired or wireless, and checking out smaller travel tripods and tripod alternatives like the OctoPad that you may be more likely to actually take with you as opposed to a large and heavy tripod.

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Repeatability

tripod advantages benefits of tripods 3

 photo byozgurdonmaz via iStock

Tripod advantages include being able to easily repeat photos which really comes in handy for some specific types of photography. Shooting portraits is one type. Since much of our more serious endeavors in portrait photography also involve lighting, posing, and composition, keeping the camera in one place during several variations of posing is beneficial.

Repeatability is also good for small product photography such as we might do for online sales or for filming a weekly video blog for whatever subject we’re covering. Either in the same session or coming back to the same spot, we can create a lot of consistency which is often good for these photo or video sessions.

Tripod alternatives such as the OctoPad can even be a part of our regular desktop or tabletop since they are very compact.

Special Techniques

benefits of tripods 4

 photo byCreative life, looking for special pictures. via iStock

If you are wanting to try out some of the specialty techniques you’ve seen here such as HDR photography, long exposure outdoor photography, light painting, or panoramas, these are additional reasons why you need a tripod.

In order to maximize the ability to do any of these techniques, a full-size tripod is a good idea, but travel tripods and other tripod alternatives can also be used. 

Video!

tripod alternatives 5

Your new camera has amazing video capability, which may be one of the reasons you got it in the first place. Steadying your camera, smoothing out pans and tilts, and holding lights or mics are made easier by a nice video tripod with a fluid head or one of the tripod alternatives such as OctoPad

What is OctoPad? It’s one of the better tripod alternatives for holding small to medium size cameras and video accessories such as LED lights or a shotgun microphone. It is a weighted, semi-rigid pad with a non-slip bottom that can stay put on surfaces up to a 45-degree angle. 

You can mount a tripod head on the OctoPad, a small ball head may be included depending on what package you choose. Since the OctoPad is small and relatively inexpensive, you can use a couple at a time, holding a mic and a light in addition to your camera.

Other Uses for Tripods and Tripod Alternatives

tripod alternatives 6

In addition to these four advantages of having a tripod, you will find many other uses and benefits in some of our other articles. Is there a subject that interests you specifically? Search our articles for a deeper discussion or send us a message of what you want to read in a new article. 

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4 Essentials for Hiking Photography

4 Essentials for Hiking Photography

Photo by PeopleImages via iStock

Outdoor photography comes in various levels. One of the most accessible forms of outdoor photography for those of us who love nature is hiking photography. 

What is hiking photography, how can we improve our hiking photography, and what hiking photography gear is beneficial for outdoor photographers? Keep reading; we’ll cover all of that and more!

Table of Contents:

Describing Hiking Photography

Describing Hiking Photography

Photo by jacoblund via iStock

We’ll start today’s journey by describing hiking photography. For starters, hiking photography is done outdoors, or at least accessed from the great outdoors. 

To me, hiking is walking around in nature, but it’s not simply aimless wandering. When I’m hiking, I usually have a destination in mind, a place I’m going to with the idea of seeing and capturing something interesting or beautiful in camera. Sometimes, the trail itself is pretty much the destination, perhaps having all sorts of things to see while on it. Oftentimes, it’s a mix of both situations.

Hiking photography, taking things literally, is anything I do photographically while hiking. That could include selfies and a group portrait.  But, like most of us, I tend to think of the scenes I’m accessing as the most important part of hiking photography. 

Hiking photography can be done year-round and in a wide variety of locations. I can engage in hiking photography while camping in the mountains, while with family and friends at the beach or lake, or in a local park or nature center near my home. 

If urban landscape is your thing, walking around while doing that could also be said to be hiking photography. But, I think most people would agree that a nature walking excursion, camera in hand, is a good description of hiking photography.

Hiking Photography Gear Needs

Octopad Camera Mount

Hiking photography gear includes our camera and lenses, plus some other items that will help us get our photos and some that will help protect our gear. Besides our camera setup, the hiking photography gear I think of are:

  • A camera mount.
  • A good camera strap.
  • Some weather protection.
  • A hiking photography backpack. 

A compact, versatile, and inexpensive way to hold a camera is the Octopad Camera Mount. What makes the OctoPad useful as hiking photography gear is that it is a tripod alternative that really works. Being inexpensive means I can have several of them always ready to go.

Octopad Camera Mount 2

Octopad is a semi-rigid disk made of heavy-duty material that has a non-slip pad on the underneath side and a tripod screw on the top side. Attached to the top screw is usually a ball head, but you can add an extension arm between the two if needed.  

The non-slip pad is what really makes Octopad useful for hiking photography. Since the disk is relatively compact, you can carry it easily. It’s low profile and can be put anywhere on a wide range of surfaces. The non-slip pad securely holds a camera and lens on surfaces that might even be angled up to 45 degrees.

Octopad Camera Mount 3

I use my OctoPad for steadying my camera for macro or other close-up shots, when using a telephoto lens, when I’m trying out special techniques such as long exposure photography, and if I want to take a selfie or group portrait while on the trail. It really is valuable for nature or hiking photography.

A great strap is vital for most of us having fun with hiking photography. Those skinny straps that come with the camera or are simply an advertising banner are inadequate for my needs and wants.

 BlackRapid RS 4 Sling Strap

I use a sling strap that attaches to the tripod screw hole on the bottom of my camera. BlackRapid RS-4 Sling Strap is a classic winner. I can wear it slung across my body or on either shoulder, though I prefer the cross-body sling method for safety and versatility.

It’s made from 100% nylon, so it’s good for any weather and is very comfortable. The sling style is already a more comfortable carry solution than the strap in the camera box, and the RS-4 adds a foam shoulder/neck pad. The camera attaches and releases rapidly and securely, plus the length of the strap is adjustable for your specific comfort and need.

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Hiking Photography Weather Protection

GoShelter Self Canopy

When outside, you are at the mercy of the elements. Sometimes that could mean wind, rain, blowing dust, blowing sand, blowing snow, or spray from waves at the beach or a waterfall. Those could actually all happen on the same hiking photography outing! 

My recommendation for how to protect your camera from rain, wind, salt spray, and so on is the GoShelter Self Canopy. I think of it as a lean-to or an awning that fits on me. It gives excellent protection from all sorts of weather, rain, snow, blowing dust, or water spray from the ocean or waterfalls. 

GoShelter Self Canopy 2

A great feature of the GoShelter for hiking photography is that nothing touches the camera or impedes your operation of it. You’re standing inside the shelter, and you can use the camera as you normally would in portrait or landscape orientation. I have one in the camo pattern and also a bright safety orange version for when doing hiking photography in urban surroundings or during hunting season.

Here’s how the GoShelter works: you unfold it from its compact collapsed mode, attach it yourself as you would a backpack, and then walk around and take photos as you normally would. It’s deep and offers protection from the elements on three sides and above you without obstructing your view to the front. Even a heavy downpour of rain is easily handled with this awesome item of photography hiking gear. 

At the moment, you can use our coupon code PT1Umbrella to get $15 off your order, too!

Hiking Photography Backpack or Camera Bag?

tough traveler 1

You are likely to be carrying more than one lens, maybe more than one camera, plus the other hiking photography gear you want along with you, so a backpack or bag of some type will be needed.

I have two recommendations. One is a hiking photography backpack. The other is a sling-style camera bag. Both are roomy, offer protection for your gear, and are comfortable and easy to use.

The made-in-the-USA Tough Traveler Super Padre Ergonomic Backpack shown above and below is a great option for hiking photography. On the one hand, it has a large internal compartment where you can keep your extra lenses and other accessories. On the other hand, you can add a camera mount to one of the shoulder straps to have your camera at the ready for quick shots.

premium minimalist camping gear tough traveler

What I like about having a backpack like this is that you can carry a lot of gear in total comfort. The Super Padre has thickly padded shoulder straps and a padded waistbelt to stave off shoulder pain. The internal frame helps transfer the weight of the load to your hips, too, which helps keep back pain at bay.

I also appreciate that the bag has a height-adjustable back, a sternum strap, and various compression and control straps so you can tailor how the bag fits your body. Add in multiple pockets - including a bottom mesh pocket for wet items like your rain jacket and two water bottle pockets - and you have the makings of a well-designed, functional bag for your hiking adventures!

MindShift Gear Photo Cross Sling Bag

If you don't need all the space a backpack provides, the MindShift Gear Photo Cross Sling Bag is a good choice for carrying a moderate amount of hiking photography gear.

The sling style makes getting your stuff in and out of the bag simple and very quick. You can pile a large camera and several lenses in it along with your extra gear.

Hiking Photography Tips and Hints 

Hiking Photography Tips and Hints

Photo by Anusak Rojpeetipongsakorn via iStock

Some other hiking photography tips and hints I’ve learned through the years are to be safety conscious, be comfortable, and be ready for anything. Always let someone else know your itinerary if you're hiking solo or as a small group and have a fully charged phone on you. A light, a multi-tool, and a space blanket are excellent accessory items to have on you.

I dress for the weather I’m expecting and for what’s possible. A trip to your local favorite outdoorsy store is in order if you’re just starting out in hiking photography or if you need to replace any of your existing hiking photography gear. Good shoes or boots are essential, and there are many options for rugged and versatile outdoor clothing. Don’t forget sunglasses or a hat!

Finally, you want to pack light but still be as prepared as possible for those fantastic photographic opportunities that always just seem to pop up unexpectedly. A filter kit, remote release, and a portable light seem to find a way to get used if I have them with me. 

Whether you’re out in the untamed wilderness or nearby in a local nature trail, have fun with your hiking photography. Let us see your photos! We have a forum for sharing and discussing at Photography Talk.

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4 GoPro Mounts for Your Next Adventure

4 GoPro Mounts for Your Next Adventure

photo byImgorthand via iStock

Have you been using your GoPro camera a lot this last year? Even under the safety precautions of 2020 and 2021, many photographers, videographers, and action enthusiasts have found ways to enjoy the great outdoors.  

The best GoPro mounts will help us capture more fun times as we bike, jog, rollerskate, 4-wheel, surf, and just enjoy outdoor activities in general.

I’ve found 4 of the most useful GoPro mounts which include a GoPro helmet mount, a multi-purpose GoPro tripod alternative, a GoPro gimbal, and a relatively basic GoPro grip. Any one of them might be the one you need or you might find a use for multiple GoPro mounts.

Octopad - A Tripod Alternative for Your GoPro

useful gopro mounts

OctoPad is one of the most useful camera accessories I’ve come across in years. I use several of them at a time for some of my on location videography and I almost always have one either in my gear bag or in the car trunk or bike pannier.

Let me describe this tripod alternative and why I like it so much. I’ll start with what it’s not. It’s not a tripod, not a suction cup, not a clamp, and not a screw-on mount. It is a weighted semi-rigid disk of heavy duty canvas like material that has a flat non-slip pad on the bottom and a ¼-20 screw on top.

The screw thread on top is usually topped with a ball head but since you can unscrew it, you can mount other things to it such as a microphone holder, a light stand adapter, an articulated arm, or a tall extension. 

The way the OctoPad is made lets you place it on many different types of surfaces from very smooth to uneven or irregular even if the surface is tilted at up to a 45 degree angle. Places I’ve put mine include a couch arm, a ‘71 Barracuda hood, a tree stump, a crumbling brick wall, and a pile of raw ore.

The versatility of this tripod alternative makes it a good choice for use as GoPro mounts. The only thing I wouldn’t try to use it on is a rapidly moving subject. But that’s why we have 4 GoPro mounts to look at.

GoPro The Handler

GoPro The Handler

GoPro The Handler is a floating handgrip for GoPro and other action cams that provides a comfortable way to handhold your GoPro as you’re walking, running, snowboarding, ziplining, or hiking to a remote waterfall in Costa Rica.

As a GoPro grip, The Handler is easy to use, it simply fits under the camera. It is a padded grip so it’s comfortable for extended use. It floats, even with a camera attached, so you have a little extra peace of mind using your GoPro in the water. There’s also a wrist strap for extra security and a built in bottle opener for enjoying a tasty beverage after the action. 

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GoPro Helmet Front and Side Mount

GoPro Helmet Front and Side Mount

GoPro Helmet Front and Side Mount will mount to a bike helmet, motorcycle helmet, skiing or snowboarding helmet, hard hat, or spacesuit (look out, Space-X!). Well, I haven’t tried a space suit yet, but I hope to write a very long article about that one day.

Back down to Earth, I’ve been using this GoPro helmet mount as I bike around while engaged in Photo Trekking, biking to the beautiful scenes to photograph. Read the instructions and mount it carefully to avoid any added injury risk. It uses a sticky pad to attach to the helmet and requires about 24 hours for the glue to set.

It is lightweight, so you may not not notice it too much if you found the right spot for balance on your helmet and it fits all GoPro cameras.

GoPro Karma Gimbal

GoPro Karma Gimbal

GoPro Karma Gimbal is a treat to use. If you’ve never tried a powered gimbal before, you owe it to yourself to pick one up and use it for any GoPro footage you would have captured with a basic handgrip. Since it’s powered, it weighs and costs more than a standard handgrip, but the results are worth it.

A powered gimbal is used to stabilize motion as you record video while walking, skateboarding, following parkour traceurs around an urban jungle, or just chasing your kids or dog through the backyard. The smoothness of the action footage is much easier to watch on playback when captured with a gimbal.

Be sure to check the specs, as this gimbal only fits directly to the newest GoPro cameras and requires an adapter to fit to a few of the older models. It also requires that you recharge the battery but the charge will last a long time, about 1 ½ hours.

Which of These GoPro Mounts Is for You?

best gopro mounts

photo bypiola666 via iStock

The prices of all of these GoPro mounts are quite reasonable, so it’s possible you’ll be like me and several of my action cam friends and end up getting all of them. Each one has its own unique capabilities and will enhance your enjoyment as you get out to film yourself and other people doing things.

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4 Mirrorless Camera Accessories You Need to Buy Today

4 Mirrorless Camera Accessories You Need to Buy Today

 photo bypiola666 via iStock

One of the primary reasons why I bought my first mirrorless camera was that I wanted to carry a smaller, lighter camera so that I could carry more camera accessories around with me all the time. I figured that if I was carrying a smaller camera, I could carry more lenses around with me during a regular shooting day, which would provide me more flexibility in the type of photography I was shooting. 

While you may have originally purchased your first mirrorless camera for another reason, you can’t argue that it is a huge benefit of using a mirrorless setup.

Now the only real problem I have is figuring out which mirrorless camera accessories are worth the money. Since there are thousands of mirrorless camera accessories on the market, this is a little bit harder than you may think.  

Since I’ve owned my mirrorless camera for years now, I’ve been through both the best and the worst mirrorless camera accessories. Each item on this list are inexpensive camera accessories that I don’t think I could live without. If you’re on the market for the best camera accessories, these are definitely worth your time. 

Camera Canopy

mirrorless camera accessories

Since your mirrorless camera cost you so much money, it makes sense to buy something to keep it protected. Most of my mirrorless camera accessories do just that, but none of them do it as well as the Camera Canopy. 

The Camera Canopy essentially acts as a rain shield for your mirrorless camera. It screws directly onto your camera’s hot shoe and provides protection from the rain, sleet, and snow. The Mini Camera Canopy, which costs $60, was designed specifically for your mirrorless camera, while the regular Camera Canopy, which costs $88, was designed for a DSLR.

mirrorless camera accessories 2

Both options come with the rain shield, a carrying case, and a rear tripod shield. The only thing you’ll need to buy separately is a retractable shield for your super zoom lens. 

Camera Canopy is a small business, so they are ultra concerned about your happiness with their product. If it isn’t what you were hoping for, you have a month to return it. 

Anker Power Bank

camera accessories 3

While most of my mirrorless camera accessories allow me to keep my camera protected, my camera is pretty much useless without power. 

The Anker Power Bank is one of my favorite mirrorless camera accessories for people who travel a lot. That’s because the Anker Power Bank is literally only $20, so you don’t have to worry about it getting stolen (I don’t even carry mine in my carry on bag because it’s so cheap). 

Plus, you get a lot of use out of something so cheap. My Anker Power Bank will charge my iPhone 12 over two times and it’ll charge most of my cameras at least once. Since I typically carry an extra battery on me at all times, this means I could theoretically go a week without needing any power to charge my cameras. 

While I don’t often travel places where I literally don’t have access to any power, it has happened before and $20 is a small price to pay for making sure I can capture all of those memories. 

Did I mention that the Anker Power Bank comes with a $25,000 connected equipment warranty? 

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Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo

best camera accessories

If you don’t have a camera strap already, or worse yet, if you have a camera strap that you hate, then you need to look into buying yourself a Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo. It’s one of my favorite mirrorless camera accessories because it comes with a lifetime guarantee. If it falls apart at any point, you can just contact Holdfast and they’ll replace it for you for free.

That’s because the MoneyMaker Solo is built to last. The strap is made out of American bison leather and all of the hardware is stainless steel, so it won’t ever rust in inclement weather.

Unlike some of Holdfast’s other camera straps, the MoneyMaker Solo is just big enough to carry your mirrorless camera around all day. It comes with a stabilizer strap, which lets you keep the shoulder pad right where you want it, and a belt anchor, which keeps your camera in place. 

accessories for mirrorless cameras

If you’re looking for mirrorless camera accessories for doing some off the beaten path shooting, this is it. 

It costs $175 and comes in a number of colors including tan, burgundy and chestnut. Just make sure that you pick the right size because this strap is not one size fits all.

Octopad

photography gear

While you’re searching for accessories for mirrorless cameras, you need to look into the OctoPad.It’s one of the weirdest camera accessories I’ve ever come across but the moment I tried it I knew I was never looking back.

The OctoPad is a tripod alternative that you can pretty much put on any surface, no matter how rough or smooth and no matter how angular, and it’ll stick to it. You will never again have to deal with a suction cup tripod coming loose. 

Plus, for under $30, there’s really not much risk involved. 

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4 Simple Ways to Create Emotion in Photos

4 Simple Ways to Create Emotion in Photos

 photo byelectravk via iStock

Creating emotion in photos, how to evoke emotion in a portrait, is a skill that can serve us well when photographing portraits for fun or profit. How does one actually do that? 

There are many methods of how to create emotion in photos, we’re going to discuss portrait photography techniques. We’ll show you four methods that are simple and effective ways to capture emotional portraits.

Low-Key and High-Key

emotion in photos

 photo byAleksandarNakic via iStock

Some of the most effective ways to create emotion in photos of people is to adjust for either a high or a low-key effect. While this is partly a lighting effect, it is also an effect of exposure values and lighting ratios. 

Lighting ratios help us control and capture contrast. Think of a high-key photo and we might automatically assume bright lighting. While the light plays a huge part, it’s actually the low contrast that really makes the difference. 

Conversely with low-key portraits. We may initially assume low-key means dark, but it’s more about the high contrast that gives a low-key portrait emotional content. A low-key portrait may have brighter parts in the image, highlights, but they are in stark contrast to the darker areas, the shadows. 

A low-key portrait can convey several emotions, depending on other elements of our crafting of the image. It can show melancholy, sadness, strife, but it can also convey power, strength, or intensity. 

A high-key portrait might portray emotions such as wistfulness, peace, or happiness. A high-key portrait can also have an air of romance to it. Interestingly, romance can also be suggested by low-key portraits.

Posing

how to create emotion in photos

 photo byFG Trade via iStock

Whether using high-key, low-key, or some other lighting and exposure techniques, the emotion in photos can be changed, altered, or adjusted by the posing of the portrait subject. 

Leaning into a pose has a different feel than leaning back, looking off the one side or the other can add or subtract emotional content. Having the subject make direct eye contact can show different emotions, sometimes the difference will be in the lighting, such as highlighting the eyes or giving a catchlight.

A lot can go into a pose. It’s more than just the head position or facial expression, it also involves the position of the arms, shoulders, hips. A simple difference such as facing towards or away from the camera can radically alter the captured emotion in photos of people.

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Get Close

emotional portraits

 photo byMangoStar_Studio via iStock

A great method for emphasizing the emotion in photos that you created with the previous tips is to zero in on the person, perhaps even filling the frame with just their face or their head and shoulders.

Interest can be created or heightened this way, it also works for adding tension or power. The emotions can be positive, negative, or ambivalent. 

Depending on your lens choice, you can also use forced perspective to add in some apparent distortion which can alter the perceived state of the emotions.

Environmental Portraiture

how to evoke emotion in a portrait

 photo byRepicturingHomeless via iStock

Going the other way, including the surroundings can change the feelings involved. Environmental portraits can be emotional portraits in that they involve the person in relation to their surroundings.

Being intensely involved in their work or a hobby may be highlighted by choosing an environmental portrait setting. Caring for pets, their family, or even the environment can be shown as well. 

Portrait Photography Gear

portrait photography gear

 photo bypixelfusion3d via iStock

Some of these methods of how to evoke emotion in a portrait can be enhanced or made easier by making good use of the portrait photography gear we already have in our equipment bags. 

Portable lighting gear, such as battery powered LED lights can be used as the eye light in the low-key tip mentioned earlier. Some of these lights allow for changing colors which can control the perceptions of the emotions.

For shooting environmental portraits, these lights can be placed strategically by using our small OctoPad tripod and light stand alternatives. These low profile mounts can be used to put a small light exactly where we need it for emotional portraits. An OctoPad is so low profile, it can actually be within the scene, positioning the portable light exactly where we want.

Lens filters of various types can be used to add or enhance emotion in photos. We can use ND and GND filters in our setting up for high-key and low-key effects, color filters can radically change the emotion in photos. 

Other filters such as soft focus filters or certain special effects are an excellent 

Idea for how to create emotion in photos. Combine filters with well-placed lights, exposure techniques, lens choice, and subject posing for a full range of possibilities as emotional portraits. 

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4 Smartphone Photography Accessories to Level Up Your Game in 2024

4 Smartphone Photography Accessories to Level Up Your Game in 2024

Photo by nensuria via iStock

Thanks to incredible advancements in mobile technology, more and more people are swapping out traditional cameras for smartphones with built-in high-resolution cameras every year. However, in the constantly evolving world of smartphone photography, making your content stand out requires more than just the latest phone model. 

To truly level up your mobile photography game in 2024, it’s all about owning the best accessories. That’s where we come in! In this article, we’ll share four innovative smartphone photography accessories all photographers should have in their camera kit—a smartphone tripod, a smartphone light, a smartphone gimbal, and a smartphone cage.

Whether you're brand new to smartphone photography or already a professional content creator, we promise you will see great results using every accessory discussed below. So, what are you waiting for? Keep reading to discover what you need to elevate your smartphone photography skills in 2024!

Check out the video above by Jamie Windsor to discover 13 smartphone photography tips and tricks that will help you take better photos. 

Table of Contents

Smartphone Photography Accessories: OctoPad

Octopad with phone

The OctoPad is a one-of-a-kind universal tripod ideal for smartphones of all shapes and sizes… 

Its unique design ensures it remains sturdy on nearly any surface, including sloping, uneven, and wet/slippery surfaces. We have tested various other suction cup supports and mini-tripods, and none offer the stability the OctoPad provides.

Octopad vs tripod

Another reason it’s perfect for smartphone photography is its lightweight, portable, and durable design. It’s constructed from high-quality materials built to last, and it folds up super small, making it easy to transport in a backpack or purse. This makes it terrific for activities like traveling and hiking.  

On top of that, its versatility is unmatched. Besides smartphones, the OctoPad can support lights, microphones, flashes, GoPros, mirrorless cameras, and more. It has a max weight capacity of 8kg.

Smartphone Photography Accessories: Hobolite Micro

hobolite micro

One of the principles of photography is light, and you never know when you will find yourself in a situation where the lighting is less than ideal. Enter the Hobolite Micro

It’s a compact, portable light excellent for on-the-go content creators like smartphone photographers and videographers. It weighs only 0.52 pounds and is small enough to fit in your pocket.

hobolight micro front

The Hobolite Micro is a bi-color light with a heat range from 2700K to 6500K. Additionally, each light can be adjusted independently, giving you complete control of how you want to light your subject or scene.

Other cool features include its rechargeable battery, HD LED screen, and a stylish design. The battery life is 50 minutes, but you can also power it externally for up to 11 hours. The screen makes it simple to adjust its settings. And the beautiful, retro design is sure to impress your photographer friends. 

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Smartphone Photography Accessories: DJI Osmo Mobile 6

DJI Osmo Mobile 6

One of the best smartphone video accessories for people who like creating movies is the DJI Osmo Mobile 6. It’s the newest smartphone gimbal from DJI, the world's leading manufacturer of advanced camera stabilizers and camera drones. It’s a foldable, 3-axis gimbal compatible with all leading smartphone brands.

The Osmo Mobile 6 boasts an industry-leading feature set with a built-in extension rod (which doubles as a selfie stick), advanced subject-tracking technology, cinematic effects, and one-tap video editing. The ActiveTrack 6.0 is particularly impressive, as it automatically follows and centers moving subjects. It can even track multiple people simultaneously!

If you are a YouTuber, vlogger, or social media influencer who primarily records videos with your smartphone, the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 is 100% a must-own accessory.

Smartphone Photography Accessories: ULANZI Smartphone Video Rig

ULANZI Smartphone Video Rig

Finally, we have the ULANZI Smartphone Video Rig. It’s another video accessory popular amongst smartphone filmmakers and videographers. While it won’t eliminate as much camera shake as the previously mentioned gimbal, it will make your video footage significantly more stable than when shooting handheld (at a lower price).

This professional smartphone rig was designed with live streaming in mind, making it a good choice for vlogging couples. With your smartphone installed inside, you can also mount accessories like microphones, flashes, and lights onto it. Moreover, you can set it up to capture both horizontal and vertical videos.

The ULANZI Smartphone Video Rig is compatible with all the most popular Apple and Android smartphones.

Final Thoughts on Smartphone Photography Accessories

Final Thoughts on Smartphone Photography Accessories

Photo by molchanovdmitry via iStock

Investing in those state-of-the-art smartphone photography accessories is a quick and easy way to improve the quality of your photos and videos. With that said, they aren’t the only game-changing accessories currently on the market. Check out the list below to view some more of our favorites: 

Furthermore, if you are interested in upgrading your phone, here’s a list of the best smartphones for photography in 2024:

Recommended Photography Gear

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4 Times When You Really Need a Tripod

4 Times When You Really Need a Tripod

 photo bytawatchaiprakobkit via iStock

A good tripod is one of the most basic tools for good photography but I’ve found that some photographers tend to shy away from them for various reasons. Being able to handhold our camera is a good technique to master, however sometimes we have a photographic situation where you really need a tripod in order to get the best shot. 

Admittedly, carrying around a tripod can sometimes be a little difficult, especially if it’s one of the full size tripods like what we might see in a photo studio. Thankfully, we have some excellent tripod alternatives and smaller tripods such as a travel tripod.

I’ll give some tips for things you can use as a tripod and a great tripod alternative I found recently, but first let’s talk about those situations when you need a tripod for best results.

Long Exposure Water Effects

when you really need a tripod

 photo byooyoo via iStock

One of the most important jobs a tripod does for photographers is provide a stable, non moving platform. Long exposure water effects require our camera’s shutter to be open anywhere from about ½ second to exposures measured minutes, so the camera needs to be secured and motionless during the exposure.

Most of the time that I’m attempting long exposure photography, I will take the best tripod for the job, which often means a large, sturdy tripod  such as a full size carbon fiber tripod but sometimes the best tripod for the job is a tripod alternative like the OctoPad.

When taking a hike to a remote location, an OctoPad is a welcome tripod alternative because of its small size and light weight. OctoPad is a weighted disk with a non-slip bottom pad and a ball head on top which can hold a camera motionless on virtually any type of surface even if the surface is at an angle of up to 45 degrees.

Travel Tripods and Tripod Alternatives

tripod alternatives

The size and weight of regular heavy duty tripods is what may make some question whether you need a tripod when trying to create some images. The great thing about small travel tripods and a tripod alternative like the OctoPad is that they are small enough to stay in our on the go gear kit.

Besides planning a photo trek for long exposure photography, sometimes we might run into the perfect photo opportunity for this when we’re not planning on it, so having a small but very versatile option is very beneficial.

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Astrophotography

do you need a tripod

 photo byInga-Av via iStock

One of my other hobbies is astronomy, which fits well with my passion for photography as a fun and fulfilling pastime as well as a nice paying job. Taking photographs of the night sky, nighttime scenes with celestial bodies in the view, or imaging deep sky objects, is another one of those times when you absolutely need a tripod. 

I love astrophotography with digital cameras since we have so many more options for capturing and processing the images than we did with only film. Different techniques such as blending multiple exposures and removing noise with dark slides require the camera to be motionless or at least in the same place. 

I worded it that way because motionless has a different connotation in the world of astrophotography, since we often have to factor in the movement of the Earth itself for best results, especially of deep sky objects imaged through a telescope.

For some astrophotography subjects we could set up our camera with a wide lens attached to an OctoPad placed on top of a table or bench, but for others we may need some more specific gear such as an equatorial mount for telescopic views.

Product Photography

when you need a tripod

 photo byed chechine via iStock

If we want to sell things online, we need great images of the items. For some types of product photography such as 360 imaging or multiple alike items in the same setting or light, you need a tripod to ensure repeatability and also to get sharp pictures with enough depth of field. 

For close up views of smaller items, we want a lens aperture that provides enough depth of focus for the object which usually means our shutter speed will be too slow to guarantee the sharpest images.

Recording Video

travel tripod

 photo bydiego_cervo via iStock

For many beginners, it seems odd that the format based on recording motion would need a tripod. But that’s exactly why we need a tripod or some other tripod alternative like an OctoPad to steady our camera because any camera motion will show on the recorded video.

Video recording can be done anywhere and at any time with our DSLR or mirrorless camera, a small LED video light, and a camera support such as a mini tripod, travel tripod, or OctoPad style camera mount. 

Do You Need a Tripod?

things you can use as a tripod

 photo bystock_colors via iStock

As we’re making video or capturing images, if ever we ask ourselves if we need a tripod, I would say the answer is Yes! If we have to ask the question then it means we should at least consider a tripod, travel tripod, or tripod alternative. That way, we’re pretty much assured of sharp images or smooth video.

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4 Tips for Better Landscape Photos

4 Tips for Better Landscape Photos

photo byDieterMeyrl via iStock

Making better landscape photos is within the grasp of any photographer. In these 4 tips for how to take better landscape photos, we’ll cover a few simple landscape photography tips and some budget friendly landscape photography gear. 

You can create better landscape photos by looking for compositional variety, using all of your lenses, steadying the camera, and trying HDR photography.

Look for Compositional Variety

better landscape photos

photo byPeter Vahlersvik via iStock

As a photographer wanting to create better landscape photos, you will use all of the current skills you’ve already mastered. A great set of landscape photography skills are composition tools. 

One of the first rules of composition learned by all photographers is the rule of thirds. Using the rule of thirds creates balance in our images and is so simple to do that we start seeing everything as this rule, even when we don’t have a camera in our hands!

Funny thing about these rules we learn for photography, they’re really more like a set of guidelines or good suggestions. Some landscape views will actually create a better image when we change our composition to something else or add in another composition tool.

Other composition rules we can use for better landscape photos are s curves, leading lines, the golden spiral, symmetry, negative space, and centering. 

There is an exercise I like to do which often opens my eyes to better or at least more ideas for how to compose a landscape scene. I make a mental list of my favorite rules of composition and run them through in order as I’m viewing the scene in my viewfinder. 

What often happens is that I end up with an image that looks better than if I merely stuck with the basic rule of thirds. Sometimes, a blend of two or more rules of composition will work as well, such as using an s curve as a leading line within a rule of thirds balanced scene. Try it out, it’s a lot of fun.

Use All Your Lenses

how to take better landscape photos

photo byDon Miller via iStock

A high quality ultra wide angle lens is one of my favorite tools of landscape photography gear or cityscape gear. When we see a beautiful vista in front of us, most of us almost automatically reach for our super wides in our bags. 

There’s nothing wrong with that, but we can get into a rut if we’re not thinking of all our options. An excellent option is probably already in our camera bags, a long telephoto lens. Isolating a single element within the landscape might be just the option that makes a better photo.

 We might have any number of different lenses from fisheye to super telephoto and also some fast single focal length lenses that we could take a look through to see if that makes a better landscape photo for us. Combine both landscape photography tips, varying composition and lenses, for even more options. 

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Steady the Camera

landscape photography gear

Many times we use small lens apertures for landscape photography in order to maximize depth of field. A smaller lens aperture means we’ll need to use a longer shutter speed to get correct exposure. Even though our new camera may have a well designed image stabilization feature, we’re usually better off using a camera support of some type when the shutter speeds get very long.

 You probably have a very nice tripod, but there are times we may not want to carry a tripod and would rather use a tripod alternative. OctoPad is one of the best tripod alternatives for making better landscape photos. It’s small, lightweight, and very budget friendly.

 OctoPad is a weighted disc of semi-rigid  material with a non-slip pad underneath and a ball head on top. It can be stowed in a backpack, sling pack, or camera bag and will hold your camera on virtually any surface at up to a 45 degree angle.

So go ahead and dial in a very small aperture for extreme depth of field, use a super telephoto lens for isolating a subject, or set a long shutter speed for water blurring even though you left your large tripod behind. This also helps you with the next of our landscape photography tips.

Bracket and Merge HDR

landscape photography tips

photo byvalio84sl via iStock

Shooting in RAW allows you to pull out a lot of shadow detail in landscape images, but there are situations that will give us better landscape photos if we learn high dynamic range photography (HDR), also called the bracket and merge technique. 

Bracket and merge HDR is extremely useful for capturing sunsets and sunrises in our landscapes as it allows for detail showing in the darker or shadowed areas of the image without losing any of the subtle colors in the sky, clouds, or water reflections during these times of the day.

HDR requires you to capture several image files at different exposure values in order to merge them together in a post processing program to make one final image. The number of separate exposures might be 3, 5, or even more and these need to be able to register together without any camera movement, so the camera support in tip number 3 is useful here, too.

Using these landscape photography tips with equipment and techniques you already know will result in your creating better landscape photos in many situations.

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4 Tips for Getting Better Results With Your Small YouTube Camera

4 Tips for Getting Better Results With Your Small YouTube Camera

Whatever you’re interested in, or whatever type of business you’re running, being on YouTube can be a huge boost to that interest. Creating a YouTube channel is simple. Creating content and getting subscribers will require some effort. 

Part of that effort is getting the best out of whatever small YouTube camera you use. Whether you have a DSLR, a mirrorless camera, a cinema camera, or a small YouTube camera, the same basics apply to all of them. 

Read on for some helpful tips on getting better results with your small YouTube camera!

Table of Contents:

Choosing a Small YouTube Camera

Choosing a Small YouTube Camera

One of the best aspects of deciding what kind of small YouTube camera to get is that the cameras you’re using right now will probably work just fine. Just about any digital camera from the last 5 to 8 years or so will likely have a very sophisticated video mode already included in its features.

Some of the newest cameras from the major manufacturers are specifically designed to take YouTube-style videos. A couple of examples are the interchangeable lens mirrorless APS-C format Sony ZV-E10, the APS-C format mirrorless interchangeable lens Canon EOS R50, and the interchangeable lens mirrorless APS-C format Nikon Z30 cameras. 

There are also point-and-shoot and bridge cameras with advanced 1”-Type sensors that will also work. The main features to look for in a small YouTube camera are a fully articulated viewscreen to frame self-shot videos correctly, an auxiliary mic input for better audio recording, and high-resolution video recording, either 4K or 1080p.  

The common digital formats of MFT, APS-C, and Full Frame, along with the 1”-Type used in many dedicated video cameras and better point-and-shoot cameras, will all provide excellent quality videos. 

Steady Your Small YouTube Camera

Steady Your Small YouTube Camera

Two things you want to get tight when capturing video with a small YouTube camera are correct focus and a steady view. If a video is blurry or shaky, people will tire of it real soon, costing you views and possible subscriptions.

Autofocus is a great tool, but sometimes it’s a good idea to turn it off or adjust the focus points used. If shooting a selfie-style video, you don’t want your small YouTube camera focusing on the background instead of yourself. Manually focusing is a simple task; just use the viewscreen. You can magnify the view if needing more accuracy. 

Camera shake will also take a person out of their viewing comfort zone rather quickly, too. Thankfully, it's also a simple task to steady a small YouTube camera. One of our favorite tools for stabilizing a camera at PhotographyTalk is the Octopad camera and accessory mount by Octopus Camera.

Steady Your Small YouTube Camera 2

Octopad is an ingenious device. It’s a little like a bean bag disk but much more rigid. The material is packed tight, making the OctoPad more stiff than supple, but with just enough give to allow it to conform to a slightly uneven surface. It has a ¼”-20 screw on top on which a ball head or extension arm fits.

The non-slip pad on the bottom side of the mount makes OctoPad truly special and so useful for a small YouTube camera. This non-slip pad lets you place your camera or another item on a surface angled up to 45 degrees! It securely holds nearly 18 pounds of camera gear.

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Use Lights with Your Small YouTube Camera

Use Lights with Your Small YouTube Camera

Making videos with a small YouTube camera is fun and can be accomplished with minimal equipment. You will want to have at least one really good light, though. A ring light is an excellent choice as a single light, or you may opt for a versatile LED panel light such as the IVISII G2 Pocket RGB Camera Light.

Using a controlled light source allows you to adjust for various ambient lighting conditions, blending the existing light with the added light. These small LED lights are able to vary power levels as well as color temperature. 

Use more than one light with your small YouTube camera for cinematic lighting configurations. They aren’t very pricey, so you can keep adding extra lights as you wish. Mount them to small light stands or use a couple of OctoPads to hold them.

Get Good Audio from Your Small YouTube Camera

Get Good Audio from Your Small YouTube Camera

Poor audio is the third issue that can cause viewers to stop viewing your video. In fact, we’ve noticed that poor visuals are sometimes easier for viewers to deal with than bad audio. The solution is another simple one, add an auxiliary microphone. 

The most common mics for small YouTube cameras are lavalier mics that attach to a person’s clothing and the shotgun-style mic that can be attached directly to the camera or remotely on a camera mount like the OctoPad.

Edit Your Small YouTube Camera Footage

Edit Your Small YouTube Camera Footage

Let’s get this out of the way: editing your video will result in a much better viewer experience than them watching us start and stop scenes in unedited videos. Straight out of the camera is unprofessional and adds too much extraneous and unnecessary footage.

Easy-to-operate and low-cost video editing software is available and has a shallow learning curve. Even the higher capacity, full-featured editing software can be mastered with practice and free video tutorials. 

Other Small YouTube Camera Tips

Small YouTube Camera Tips

With these four tips, you will get better results with your small YouTube camera, but there are so many other small things to do to make the most of your talent, ideas, and equipment. 

Choosing higher capacity and faster transfer rate memory cards helps ensure capturing the video footage you want. A simple windsock can improve audio when using a shotgun mic. Learning how to add B-Roll footage to the final video in editing improves the appeal of the video to your viewers. 

Have fun learning how to improve your videos with your small YouTube camera!

Recommended Photography Gear

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We Recommend


5 Essential (& Cheap) Photography Accessories for Beginners

5 Essential Cheap Photography Accessories for Beginners

Photo by Narathip12 via iStock

Now that you’ve gotten familiar with your new entry-level camera and the lens or lenses and other beginner photography gear you purchased, it’s time to examine photography accessories for beginners that can help you capture the photos you want

What is the difference between our photography gear and photography accessories for beginners? For this article, we'll say photography gear is the camera, lens, and flash unit we purchased either as a kit or together. Photography accessories are those other items such as filters, camera mounts, and video lights

Table of Contents:

Needed Photography Accessories for Beginners

Needed Photography Accessories for Beginners

Photo by PeopleImages via iStock 

The camera and lens are just part of what allows photographers to capture the images they want to display. Once you get familiar with your beginner photography gear, you start to see areas where you realize something else, some photography accessories, might help you do more with your gear.

Bear in mind there are no photography accessories for beginners that will magically enable you to make excellent images. You still need to learn the whats and whys of the photographic process… 

For example, you should learn composition rules, the exposure triangle, what different camera settings do, the differences among focal lengths of lenses, and so on. Browse through our many articles covering those topics above. We have hundreds of beneficial articles. We also have several photography courses and a Photography Master Class

Photography accessories for beginners (and experienced users alike) can be put into several categories, and these categories can overlap quite a bit. Some of the categories of photography accessories for beginners include optical accessories such as lens filters, camera stabilization gear such as camera mounts, lighting gear, and protective accessories.

Polarizer Filter

Polarizer Filter

Photo by 4FR via iStock 

A lens filter is different from apps on a device that are also called filters. Lens filters are in the optical path of the lens and camera sensor, usually fitting on the front of the lens. Some filters are touted as protective, UV filters, for example. Others are used to do something to the light passing through the optical path.

A polarizer filter is one of the most essential photography accessories for all levels of photography and any sensor type, even film. A circular polarizer filter lets you have white clouds pop out from a dark blue sky, see through water and glass by removing reflections and glare, and deepen colors in a scene full of live foliage.

Watch the video above, “Photo101: Polarizing filters, why they're so neat...and how to use them” by YouTuber Christopher Frost, to see some vivid examples of using polarizer filters.

Low Profile Camera Mount

Low Profile Camera Mount

Stability is important for capturing good photographic images. Our cameras and lenses have various ways to compensate for any instabilities, such as camera movement, but it’s better to eliminate camera movement than compensate for it.

A tripod is one tool for this. Another option is a low-profile camera mount like the Octopad. It’s a great alternative, and one of my most recommended photography accessories for beginners. It offers the stability of a tripod but without the size and weight of one.

The Octopad is a small weighted disk with a non-slip pad underneath and a ball head on top for holding the camera. Octopad is sturdy enough to hold a large camera and lens, so it’s more than capable of keeping a smaller camera stable like most entry-level cameras are.  

It is small enough to take just about anywhere and is very budget-friendly. It can even hold our camera on an uneven surface or one angled up to 45 degrees.  

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Portable Video Light

Portable Video Light

Photo by Timmary via iStock 

Your new camera does more than take great pictures. It can also record very high-quality video. Often the video we’re trying to capture is under less-than-ideal lighting conditions. 

The built-in flash (or an accessory flash you’ve purchased) won’t help in recording video footage since those are designed for still images. For these reasons, a small continuous light is one of the most essential photography accessories for beginners.

It’s also helpful to know that you can use your LED video light for still photography, too. Combined with the next item in our list of photography accessoires, it can let us use lighting configurations for improving our portraits. Mounting the light on an Octopad is yet another fine option.

Light Reflector

Light Reflector

Photo by Poike via iStock 

Lighting control doesn’t always mean LED lights of a flash unit. Ambient light, such as sunlight, can be controlled by simple photography accessories for beginners, such as a collapsible reflector.

When capturing portraits, we can use a reflector to turn the subject away from looking into the Sun, which causes squinting, and instead use the reflector to direct some light back into their face, which would otherwise now be in shadow.

The folding nature of these portable reflectors makes them super easy to keep on hand, ready for use at a moment’s notice. Combined with a small LED light, a reflector adds the ability to have what is essentially two light sources. You can use that type of setup for still images and for video.

Rain Shield

Rain Shield

Photo by eldinhold via iStock

Rain shields come in two main types - soft bags and hard covers. A rain shield will let you take advantage of the wonderful light quality that often accompanies stormy weather. 

A hard cover rain shield acts like an awning or umbrella for your camera, usually attaching either to the flash shoe or the tripod mount. These are great for rain or snow showers but might not completely protect the camera during windy storms. 

The bag style of rain shield is more protective for things like blowing rain, sea spray, fog, and similar weather or location issues. However, it may be a little more difficult to access camera controls and viewfinders.

Other Photography Accessories for Beginners

videography and photography equipment top view flat lay of modern picture id1279112983

Photo by Di_Studio via iStock

Actually, it was hard to keep this list at only five items and to make sure they were all well under $100, there are so many things that you could add as essential photography accessories for beginners. 

Some other items to consider include:

  • Lenses
  • Filter holder system
  • Full-size tripod
  • Light stand
  • Microphone
  • Wireless remote control
  • Large-capacity memory cards
  • A better strap
  • A good camera bag
  • There are many other things to consider as you continue to move forward in your photography as well! 

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5 Essential Beginner Photography Tips

5 Essential Beginner Photography Tips

 photo bykate_sept2004 via iStock

Now that you decided to jump into learning how to be a better photographer, how is it going for you? I’m sure you’re having a lot of fun with it and are probably looking for some beginner photography tips to help you improve your end results. 

Here are 5 tips for beginner photographers and also a few ideas for photography gear for beginners. I don’t guarantee you’ll become a better photographer simply by reading this article, but you will have some fun with these easy photography tips.

Learn How to Stand

tips for beginner photographers

 photo byDzonsli via iStock

Of all of the beginner photography tricks to learn, this one may be the most common one I get to teach in my interactions with newly minted photographers carrying newly acquired cameras.  

The trick part is to learn how to stand in a way that maximizes not moving. Yes, that’s an odd sentence to type. What I mean is that there are stances that are steadier than others, allowing you to have a better chance at capturing sharper images.  

Try this: stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, one foot a little forward of the other. Hold your camera by the built-in handgrip with one hand, the other hand cupped and cradling the lens from underneath. Keep your elbows tucked in close to your body, have the lens hand holding most of the weight of the camera. 

The lens hand side is also the side with your foot slightly up front from the other. Bring the camera viewfinder up to eye level and gently press down your finger on the shutter release. 

Since you’re likely using a camera with an eye level finder, use that as your default when hand holding the camera instead of the rear view screen. Using the viewscreen is great for awkward angles and tripod use, but it defeats a great feature/benefit of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, the eye level view.

This took a whole longer to type and read than it does to simply do it, but it’s a tried and true method used by photographers for over a hundred years. Try it out once and it will become your natural shooting stance.

Use a Portable Mount

beginner photography tricks

Sometimes, despite standing properly and your new camera having image stabilization technology, the picture taking situation you’re in requires a bit more stabilization. Perhaps it’s having really low light resulting in a very slow shutter speed, or possibly you’re trying out some macro photography, or maybe even you’re switching to video mode to start a vlog, sometimes you just need the camera supported.

You already know about using a tripod, probably picked one by now, too, or one came in the full kit you purchased. But there are tripod alternatives you can use, which is our second of the 5 beginner photography tips.

An excellent alternative camera mount is the OctoPad. One of the best pieces of photography gear for beginners or any level of user, the OctoPad is a uniquely valuable piece of gear. 

Basically, OctoPad is a tripod alternative. A weighted disk of semi-rigid material with a ball head or extension arm on top and a non-slip pad underneath. It can be placed on any type of surface, even one that is angled up to 45 degrees. 

It’s small and light enough to fit into a camera bag or backpack and is refreshingly low priced as a tripod alternative usable indoors and out. 

Learn More:

Be a Clean Freak

photography gear for beginners

 photo byEloi_Omella via iStock

Dirty sensors result in spots, specks, and streaks in our image files. Dirty and smudged lenses and filters lower the sharpness of our images and can also cause lens flare. We shouldn't use our t-shirt, tie, scarf, or fast food napkin to wipe things clean, either, like we sometimes resort to with a smartphone.

If you got your camera as part of a kit, it should have a lens cleaning blower brush and a microfiber cloth included. Never put any liquid for cleaning directly on a lens or a camera. Blow and brush off large pieces of dust and then lightly wipe the lens or filter surface with the microfiber cloth. 

Be careful when changing lenses or batteries, get out of the wind, choose a spot that is as clean as you can find to make the changes. Especially so with the lens changing will you want to stay out of the wind or any dirty place if at all possible because this is when dirt gets stuck to  a camera sensor.

Most new cameras have sensor cleaning built in, but it can do so much. It’s not at all useful for the greasy smudge of dirt that can get stuck on a sensor when changing lenses in a really dirty spot. I don’t like to clean my own sensor, though there are kits for that, I prefer using a local camera shop when I notice the problem. 

That’s a sub-tip of beginner camera tips, find a good local camera store, new or used equipment, that you can get hands on help when needed. They are in business to make money, so don’t be a pest, but most of these guys love talking with other photographers since most of them are avid photographers themselves. Plus they often have in house cleaning services and you can find great deals on used or older photographic equipment.

Filters Are Your Friend

easy photography tips

 photo byBedrettin YILMAZ via iStock

Not Instagram filters...I’m talking about optical filters for our lenses. A good rigid lens hood coupled with a clear UV filter offers extra protection against damage in addition to the optical benefits.

Another essential filter for many situations is a circular polarizer. You’ll want to make sure your polarizer says it’s a circular polarizer (C-POL) since there are also linear polarizers which will cause the AF or auto exposure sensors to read incorrectly at times. 

A polarizer filter is an amazing tool for serious photography. They can reduce or eliminate unwanted reflections in water and glass and also improve color contrast such as with white clouds in a dark blue sky or brightly lit lush green leaves in a dark forest.

Join a Photography Group

beginner photography tips

 photo byvorDa via iStock

Online groups for discussing photography in all its different aspects and genres are everywhere and most of them are free to join and participate. You might also be able to join a local group for in person meet ups. 

One thing to be careful of, some groups may have developed a reputation for being kind of abrasive with their “helpful critique” and this can discourage some beginner photographers. Thankfully, most groups I’ve seen have moderation to filter out the less helpful members or keep them in check.

Discussing photography with other enthusiasts of various experience and skill levels is good for everyone involved. There are a lot of technical factors to keep track of in photography techniques and methods but this is an artform, too, so discussions can be very beneficial for a newcomer looking for more beginner photography tips.

I like to think that the forum we host here on PhotographyTalk.com is a pretty good example of a fun place to discuss photography. Sign up for free and join a chat!

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5 Must-Have Canon Camera Accessories

5 Must Have Canon Camera Accessories

Photo by Dekdoyjaidee via iStock

If you are a Canon photographer or videographer, it’s an amazing time to be alive! Not only are Canon cameras more advanced than ever, but the current lineup of Canon camera accessories is out-of-this-world. And heck, it seems like new, innovative equipment is debuting nearly every day. With that in mind, we know just how difficult it is to pick the winners from the losers.

That’s precisely why we decided to create this ultimate must-own Canon camera accessories guide. To make your life easier and help you get your hands on gear that actually makes a difference.

Here, you will find five pieces of photography gear every content creator should own. And while they all have unique purposes, they share a few valuable things in common. First, all of them will undoubtedly improve the quality of your photos and videos. Also, they will dramatically speed up your workflow and increase your productivity!

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s dive in and discover which indispensable Canon camera accessories your photography kit is missing! 

Table of Contents

Canon Camera Accessories: A Portable Tripod

Octopad

The first piece of gear I want to talk about is the Octopod Universal Base Stand. It’s a fantastic standard tripod alternative perfect for travel and everyday use. Thanks to its compact, lightweight, and deconstructable design, it has a small footprint ideal for tossing into a bag or backpack. 

However, its unique base is what truly makes it stand out from its competitors. The base has a weighted, non-slip mat that allows you to place it anywhere, worry-free. Unlike other tripods that tend to tip, collapse, or slide on uneven surfaces, these are never issues with the Octopod.

Another standout feature of this tripod is its versatility. It can easily hold Canon compact, mirrorless, and small DSLR cameras. Furthermore, you can pair it with phones, action cameras, lights, microphones, monitors, and more! 

Canon Camera Accessories: A Quality Camera Bag

Lowepro ProTactic 350 AW II

Having a reliable way to carry and protect your camera gear is also crucial. And that’s why one of my favorite Canon camera accessories is the Lowepro ProTactic 350 AW II. It’s a modular camera backpack that offers superior protectivity and has a 100% customizable main compartment.

Overall the bag has 16 liters of volume and can fit a camera and up to six additional lenses. You can store the camera and lenses in separate padded compartments courtesy of the removable velcro dividers. Moreover, you can remove the partitions entirely to transform the bag into a spacious backpack for hiking or traveling.

The ProTactic 350 AW II has four entry points, providing easy access to all your equipment in the blink of an eye. And if you need more space, the straps on the outside of the bag are excellent for attaching a tripod or additional lens bags. 

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Canon Camera Accessories: A Camera Cleaning Kit

camera cleaning kit

No matter how well you take care of your camera, keeping it perfectly clean is impossible. That’s why everyone needs to own a camera cleaning kit. This professional kit is designed specifically for DSLR and mirrorless cameras, but also works excellently with compact cameras, action cameras, and drones! 

The number one enemy of cameras is dust. It’s everywhere and loves floating onto your camera sensor whenever you change the lens. Have you ever noticed small black dots on your pictures? Guess what, that’s dust on the sensor. Luckily it’s super easy to remove if you have the right products.

The included air blower should get rid of it most of the time, but if not, the sensor swabs most certainly will. The kit also comes with a bottle of lens cleaning solution, a lens cleaning pen, a microfiber towel, a carrying case, and more! 

Canon Camera Accessories: A Fast SD Card Reader

 ProGrade Digital Memory Card Reader

One of photography's most tedious and time-consuming parts is transferring all of your files to the computer. It can take ages, especially when working with RAW image files or high-resolution videos. Lucky for you, there is a solution! With a fast SD card reader, you can severely reduce transfer times. 

The top one currently available is the ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II Dual-Slot Memory Card Reader. It offers the fastest writing speeds of any card reader and doesn’t slow down even when transferring data from two cards simultaneously. For you, this means more time doing what you love and less time fiddling around on the computer.

Alternatively, if you are on a budget, two great options are the Anker 2-in-1 USB 3.0 SD Card Reader and the Kingston Digital USB 3.0 Super Speed Multi-Card Reader.

Canon Camera Accessories: A Trustworthy Camera Clip

Peak Design Capture Clip V3

And last but not least, we have the Peak Design Capture Clip V3. It’s a nifty little tool that allows you to conveniently and securely attach your camera to a belt or the straps of a backpack. Alternatively, it can carry up to two lenses by pairing it with the Peak Design Lens Kit. I own three clips and take them with me everywhere!

There are two parts to the innovative system. The first is a metal clip that connects to your backpack, strap, or belt, and the second is an Arca tripod-compatible plate that you attach directly to the camera. The plate sits firmly in the clip, and the camera can be removed instantly, courtesy of the lockable quick-release button. 

While everyone would see stellar results using the Capture Clip, it’s particularly beneficial for on-the-go shooters. Adventure, landscape, street, and travel photographers are a few groups that immediately come to mind. 

More Awesome Canon Camera Accessories

portrait of beard african american professional cameraman with in picture id1312002976

Photo by Alexander Shelegov via iStock

Now that you know the five must-have Canon camera accessories every photographer and videographer should own, you are ready to take your skills to the next level! And once you have purchased all those essentials, if you still have money to burn, check out this list of other Canon camera accessories I love: 

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5 Must-Have Nikon Camera Accessories

5 Must Have Nikon Camera Accessories

 photo byEdwin Tan via iStock

Nikon users have so much to choose from regarding cameras, lenses, and accessories. 

So, where do we start? 

Let’s assume you already have a Nikon camera and lens. Based on that assumption, let’s use this article to list my top five recommended must-have Nikon camera accessories.

These camera accessories cover everything from camera handling to lighting to support and also include some branded Nikon accessories.

Table of Contents:

Nikon Speedlites

NIKON SPEEDLITES

Among the many reasons photography enthusiasts and pros choose the Nikon brand is for the sheer number of choices available in cameras, lenses, and other Nikon camera accessories.

Add to the huge array of tools Nikon gives us the fact that they’re all made to exacting standards and are very high quality. It’s no wonder why some gravitate to branded Nikon camera accessories.

The question of auxiliary lighting is usually answered by either a continuous LED light or a dedicated flash unit. Whatever Nikon camera we are using, there is a brand-name Nikon flash we can pick up. 

NIKON SPEEDLITES 2

The Nikon Speedlight SB-500 is an excellent choice for users needing to upgrade the camera’s built-in flash or if the Nikon camera you’re using doesn’t have a built-in flash. It’s as usable for video modes as well as for still photography since it’s a flash and LED light together.  

You can use it with DSLR or mirrorless cameras, too. It matches up with all of the electronics of Nikon cameras, balancing fill flash as easily as shooting straight-on flash, has vertical and horizontal bounce, and is fairly compact and lightweight.

Battery Grips

Nikon Battery Grips

 Not all of the current cameras have this available as Nikon camera accessories, but for those that do, it can really improve camera handling while also increasing the battery charge life for the camera while shooting or filming video.

The Vello BG-N21 is a third-party brand of Nikon camera accessories that fits the Nikon Z6ii and Nikon Z7ii  mirrorless cameras. It adds a second shutter release in addition to holding more batteries for longer camera life. Battery life is a major concern for mirrorless camera users, so that makes this a good choice for Nikon camera accessories. (Batteries sold separately for most grips.)

Many photographers prefer having a battery grip just for the extra hand-holding space they give. This makes camera handling better in many situations, such as action photography with long lenses or flash photography with a top-mounted flash unit. 

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Camera Supports

OctoPad

 Nikon cameras and lenses are superb performers, and many of them have some form of stabilization control (VR, vibration reduction) for reducing camera movement, which affects image sharpness. 

VR is only good for so much, though. We often end up needing a good camera support for taking it to the next level. Long exposure photography and self-shot vlogging are two situations I can think of off the top of my head. A great camera support and one of my favorite Nikon camera accessories is the OctoPad camera support.

OctoPad Camera Mount

Surprisingly inexpensive, Octopad is a super versatile camera support that can be used for still photography and videography. It is compact and easy to use, you can add an extension to the ¼-20 screw mount or use the ball head. It has a non-slip pad on the bottom, which allows for secure placement on virtually any surface, even if angled by up to 45 degrees.

You can use multiple OctoPads for holding lights for still photography or videos, you could also use one for placing a mic closer to the subject when making videos.

Remote Controls

Nikon Remote Controls

 Since you’re using a camera support or tripod for some types of photography, using a camera remote is a way to make sure you get the most out of any support. Modern remotes are amazingly capable Nikon camera accessories, having many more features besides remotely releasing the shutter.

The Pixel TW-283 DC2 is a wireless remote shutter release that includes the additional features of an intervalometer, long exposure timer, and exposure and focus control. It (or something like it) deserves to be on any list of Nikon accessories.

Circular Polarizer

Circular Polarizer

 Nikon makes their own filters, or you can choose other high-quality brands, but a circular polarizer is an essential filter for landscape and nature photographers and has many other uses besides removing or reducing reflections.

A circular polarizer like the Nikon 58mm Circular Polarizer II is useful for darkening green foliage or creating contrast between a deep blue sky and beautiful puffy white clouds. A polarizer filter works for color and black and white still photography and can also help out our videos, making it one of my must-have Nikon camera accessories.

Other Nikon Camera Accessories

Nikon Accessories

I haven’t even gotten around to talking about external mics for video, rain shields for inclement weather, and other filters for creative photography, so I’ll be back with more ideas on what Nikon camera accessories you should consider. 

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5 Photographer Tools for Beginners

5 Photographer Tools for Beginners

We have a good idea of the basic photographer tools that every serious photographer needs.  

This includes a camera, lenses, an external flash, a steady tripod, and a good bag to hold our photography gear.

But there are some other photographer tools and camera accessories that are a great addition to our basic photography equipment. Let’s review a few!

Table of Contents

Useful Photographer Tools

Octopad 1

I’m going to separate my photographer tools ideas into three categories: Camera accessories, lighting accessories, and lens accessories.

Under the photographer tools umbrella of camera accessories, we’ll have camera stands and remote releases. Lighting photographer tools will include continuous lights and reflectors. Lens accessories photographer tools will have filters and cleaners. 

At the end, I'll also point to some non-photography equipment that I consider as essential photographer tools.

Snaptiles just released a plastic-framed photo tile that allows you to swap out the photo in each tile. Not only do you have the ability to create interesting displays with multiple magnetic tiles, but you can also personalize the display over and over again. See it here!

Camera Accessories Photographer Tools

I know you already have a tripod for camera support. It may have come with your complete entry-level kit or perhaps you picked up one as a separate purchase. Sometimes, you need a camera support different from a tripod.

Octopad Camera Support

Octopad 2

The Octopad camera stand is the perfect tripod alternative for when you need photographer tools for support, and a tripod is either inconvenient or impractical. 

To get a clear picture of what makes the Octopad one of the most useful photographer tools and camera accessories, it may be helpful to explain what Octopad is NOT. It’s not a clamp, not a spike, not a bean bag, not a suction cup, and not a mini tripod. 

Octopad 3

Here is what it IS: a weighted, mostly rigid, circular disk of heavy-duty material with a flat bottom and a ¼-20 screw on top. On the bottom, it has a non-slip pad of material that lets you place a camera or other video and photography equipment on almost any surface, even if that surface is angled up to 45 degrees.

The semi-rigid construction of the disk allows it to conform slightly to the surface it’s placed on, such as a car hood, a tree stump, a stone wall, or a desk or tabletop. It’s not a bean bag, but there is a little bit of flex to it. Any slight flex is held in check by the thickness of the material of its non-slip bottom pad.  

On top, that ¼-20 screw lets you attach a ball head or an extension, which is what really makes this one of the more useful photographer tools for both still photography and videography. With a simple ball head, we can mount a camera and lens, a smartphone, a video light, or a microphone, and place it wherever we need it.

Since the Octopad is low-cost and lightweight, we can keep one or two at the ready for use whenever we need to have long shutter speeds, macro focusing, or placing a light source.

JJC Wireless Camera Remote Release

JJC Wireless Camera Remote Release

Also one of the essential photographer tools for using whenever your camera is on a tripod or alternative mount is a wireless remote release.

I like the wireless versions of camera remotes whenever possible because of the extra freedom it gives for triggering the camera without me being tied to it.

JJC Wireless Camera Remote Release 2

The JJC Wireless Release seen here is made for Canon and Pentax DSLRs, but there are versions of it for all of the major camera brands and for both mirrorless and DSLR styles.

If we’re going to use photographer tools such as a tripod or other camera mount, we might as well use a remote shutter release, too. Doing so prevents any camera movement and also gives us room and opportunity to move around.

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Lighting Accessories Photographer Tools

Your camera has a built-in flash, and you likely also purchased an external flash for more power and versatility. Here are two excellent options for other photographer tools involving lighting.

Pixel G1s LED Light

Pixel G1s LED Light

Pixel G1s LED Light is a rechargeable continuous light with adjustable color temperature from very warm to super cool (2500K - 8000K) and variable power from 0% to 100%, all controllable by two simple wheels.

The power supply is a built-in rechargeable battery that holds a charge for 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) and recharges via USB, so you can charge it up just about anywhere, even with an optional car adapter making this a good choice as photographer tools for video or still photography. 

Neewer 32” Collapsible Reflector

Neewer 32 Collapsible Reflector

The longer you’re involved in any sort of serious photography, you’ll see the brand name Neewer on many of the best photographer tools for lighting. Like this item, a collapsible 5-in-1 32” reflector

This reflector twists and folds into a 12” circle which fits into a small zippered bag and is lightweight enough to carry anywhere. A photographer tool like this one is usable for portrait photography and can also be used when making videos or taking pictures of small items for sale on online websites.

Lens Accessories Photographer Tools

You will want to read some of our lens filter articles for a full breakdown of how important lens filters are as photographer tools. 

KF Concepts Circular Polarizer Filter

KF Concepts Circular Polarizer Filter

This is the filter everyone keeps telling you to get…

A circular polarizer filter is among the most important photographer tools for all types of photography. A circular polarizer removers glare and reflections and enhances colors of foliage, and just improves images all the way around.

Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth

Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth

Photographer tools for lens cleaning come in all shapes and sizes. I like a full-size microfiber lens cleaning cloth such as this name brand one with its own little carrying pouch. Reusable and washable, this photographer tool can clean your lens, viewscreen, sunglasses, and a smartphone. 

As far as photographer tools and photography gear, you can’t ever have too many of these camera accessories.

Other Photographer Tools

Cool pen

In addition to the things marketed as obvious camera accessories, some other ideas for photographer tools are a camping stool, a really good pen, a compass, a rain poncho with pockets, and a really good pair of shoes.

As useful and beneficial camera accessories, you can’t go wrong with these photographer tools for beginners and advanced photographers.

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6 GoPro Accessories You Need That You Didn't Know Exist

6 GoPro Accessories You Need That You Didnt Know Exist

Photo by Fabrizio Verrecchia on Unsplash

Action cameras such as the GoPro series are very useful for photography and videography. They allow imaging or filming in locations and situations that would put a serious strain on regular digital cameras. The top GoPro accessories give us even more options for these amazing tools.

One of the best examples of the action cam is the GoPro HERO 8 rugged waterproof digital still and video camera. This is one of the most advanced action cams currently available.

GoPro HERO 8 

gopro hero 8

The GoPro HERO 8 is the latest in the popular line of GoPro cameras. It has a 12MP sensor and can record in 4K video in a range of aspect ratios from TV to cinematic. Time lapse, HDR, zoom, and RAW image files are a few of the extra and improved features over previous models.

The GoPro HERO 8 is well protected against falls, impact, rough use, and is also waterproof down to 33 feet. Image stabilization helps smooth out video and allows low light capture of still and video. There is even a smartphone app for controlling the camera.

As amazing as this camera is, there are some unique gopro accessories that enable you to take full advantage of the camera’s features and capabilities. With action cameras, the camera is merely the centerpiece, part of an entire system designed for action photography and videography.

Top GoPro Accessories

The top accessories for GoPro cameras include mounts, stabilizers, lights, video monitors, microphones, straps, and cases. Let’s take a look at 6 great unique GoPro accessories.

OctoPad Camera Mount

octopad gopro

Tripods and monopods are great for a lot of cameras and situations, but the OctoPad adds usefulness for action cams and versatility in placement.

How is the OctoPad different? The OctoPad does not use tripod feet or a suction cup to provide a stable base for the camera. It has a weighted foot that can be placed on virtually any surface to hold up the camera. There is also a clip grommet and a cable tuck that adds to the versatility of this unique camera mount.

octopad 2

The foot, or base, of the OctoPad is very wide compared to small cameras, and is made with non-slip material on the bottom. It can be placed on smooth or rough surfaces and will stay in place on 45 degree angle perches. These features make it one of the top GoPro accessories for video.

To attach the camera, you use a ball and socket head or an extension with some sort of head on top. Multi-angle arms are another option that will add a whole lot of versatility to this camera mount. Primarily it provides excellent stability for video or still pictures.

HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount

handlepod

Different from a base support like the OctoPad is the HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount. This is a combination handle and mount that is best used for hand held video. 

If you’re not mounting your GoPro on a bracket, or a mount, or strapping or bolting it to something, they’re kind of small and hard to hold steady. This mount is similar in shape and orientation to a gimbal, but it’s not a gimbal.

handlepod 2

What it excels at is giving you a big handle to hold on to so you can steady your hand held video. You can also attach other items such as a light to this grip/handle/mount. Really, videography is the application most likely to benefit from this. Since many people use their action cams for video, this is a great choice for top GoPro accessories. 

Outside of hand holding, you can also put this to use as a small stand. It is stable enough for anything not moving. If what you’re filming from is moving, attach it to a pole or rail with the strapping cord. 

Learn More:

LitraTorch 2.0

litratorch 2.0

Whenever you find yourself asking if you need light for your video, you probably need more light. Though the GoPro series of action cams has excellent low light performance, adding an external light source will increase the performance as regards image quality and color rendition in many conditions.

The LitraTorch 2.0 is a small but very bright battery powered LED compact video light. It can also be used for still imaging, but it was designed with videography in mind, making it among the best GoPro accessories for video. 

Small enough to fit on the HandlePod listed above, it can sit right next to the GoPro HERO 8 action cam on the bracket. It is a cube 1 ½ inches per side and weighs only 3 ¼ ounces. 

litratorch 2.0 2

Other amazing features of this tiny video light are it is charged by means of a USB cord, battery life is up to 4 hours of continuous light output, and it is waterproof down to 60 feet. 

Being waterproof opens up some great opportunities for GoPro videography and still imaging. Underwater, lighting is crucial for amazing results. Relying on surface sunlight only, just a few feet down is all you can shoot with good color rendition. Adding a waterproof video light will all those beautiful colors pop out at viewers of your videos.

SImply making use of the LitraTorch 2.0 above water, you get a good punch for your accessories budget’s dollars. The 16 LED lights provide daylight balanced light with a CRI rating of 90. (The higher the CRI rating, the truer the color rendition of the light is.)

GoPro Media Mod for Hero8

gopro media mod

What is a media mod? The GoPro Media Mod is a wrap around modification for the HERO 8 that adds extra capability for video recording. The most important capability is the extended range shotgun microphone.  

In practice, it goes on the GoPro like an ever ready case or as a second skin. This second skin adds a little extra bulk, several mounting points, and the microphone. It cannot go underwater with the camera, though. 

GoPro Smart Remote

gopro smart remote

When you have your GoPro mounted on a helmet, wrist strap, or some other part of your activewear or gear, you need a way to operate it easily. The GoPro Smart Remote is how you do that.

This remote is wireless and allows control of most camera functions. It has an LCD display of what you’re operating, too. Additionally, the remote is waterproof down to 33 feet just like the camera itself. 

Waterproof Housing

gopro waterproof housing

Wait a minute? Isn’t the GoPro already waterproof? Yes it most certainly, but only to 33 feet. That’s more than enough for recreational diving, but some commercial needs or sporting excursions may require deeper operation. The GoPro Protective Housing adds extra capability for down to almost 200 feet.  

Some kit purchase options include this protective housing. If you’re looking into your first GoPro HERO purchase, you might consider these kits as they make this camera uniquely special. 

Unique GoPro Accessories

Other fine accessories for GoPros include filters, stabilization gimbals, and a wide variety of straps for mounting to almost anything. The GoPro HERO 8 is a fantastic action camera. With the addition of some top GoPro accessories, you can extend the capabilities to be able to accomplish many fun and exciting things. 

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6 Tips for Recording Good Audio for YouTube Videos

6 Tips for Recording Good Audio for YouTube Videos

 photo by Pedro Talens Masip via iStock

YouTube is a great method for promoting yourself, a cause, a product or a service, as well as just good old fashioned fun. Good audio for YouTube is essential for viewer enjoyment, even more so than good looking video.  

You really want both clear video and good audio for YouTube, but if a viewer has a choice between forgiving less than perfect audio or video, they’ll turn off bad sound in an instant, so recording good audio should be a priority for YouTubers.

Since YouTube video audio quality is so important to viewer enjoyment, we decided to give you some audio tips for YouTube videos that are within reach of almost any budget YouTuber. 

Here are 6 easy and very budget friendly tips and techniques for recording good audio for YouTube: 

  • Get the Mic Closer
  • Eliminate Ambient Noise
  • Choose a Good Mic
  • Outline a Script
  • Record Highest Quality Available
  • Edit with Headphones

Get the Mic Closer

Good Audio for YouTube Videos

One of the easiest ways to capture good audio for YouTube is to simply place the microphone closer to the subject being recorded, whether that is you or another person. What mic to choose is one of the other audio tips for YouTube videos that we’ll cover in a bit.

There are several methods you can use to get the mic closer, put it on a person, point it at a person, or put it next to a person. The first two are determined by the mic choice, the last one can be done with virtually any cardioid mic and a versatile gadget called the OctoPad.

OctoPad is a weighted camera and accessory non-slip mount that can hold 2 or 3 pounds of equipment on almost any surface, even if the surface is slanted up to 45 degrees, allowing you to position an inexpensive mic out of sight but right next to the subject being recorded.

Eliminate Ambient Noise

audio tips for youtube videos 1

 photo byloops7 via iStock

Just like a mirror reflects light, hard surfaces such as walls and floors reflect sound. Recording on a tile floor with bare walls behind the subject will reflect all the extra noise around them. You can either soften the surfaces or cut down the surrounding noise.

The easier and cheaper method is to reduce the extra noise around you. If you are interviewing someone in a crowded room, it could be hard to focus on the subject’s audio. If you can wait until the room is less crowded, you will have less noise to deal with.

Outdoors, you might encounter traffic noise, industrial noise, or wind noise. If you have the opportunity to choose another time when the noise level is lower, you will be able to capture better YouTube video audio quality.

Lens focus motor noise can be a major source of distraction. Either prefocus and turn off autofocus or choose lenses with quieter focusing. Built-in hyper sonic or ultrasonic focus motors that are in many newer versions of lenses can virtually eliminate this problem.

Learn More:

Choose a Good Mic

recording good audio 2

 photo bymixetto via iStock

Regardless of the ad copy you read about how amazing the built-in microphone is on that new camera, you can improve your YouTube video audio quality dramatically by the simple addition of an external microphone. 

For voice recording, lavalier mics, either wired or wireless, are pretty much an industry standard. Other mics for recording good audio for YouTube are cardioid mics on a mount like the OctoPad or an on camera shotgun mic.

Lavalier mics are preferred by many YouTubers for voice recording. They fit right on a person and you can either opt for inexpensive wired versions or spend more for the wireless mics. If you use wireless mics, you will need to watch out for radio interference that can negatively impact your good audio for YouTube.

Outline a Script

outube video audio quality 3

 photo bydamircudic via iStock

While you really don’t need to type out everything being said word for word for a YouTube video, having a basic outline is a good idea for recording good audio for YouTube. The reason is pretty simple, you or your subject will feel more confident in what’s being said and thus will have stronger vocals. 

When the average person is fishing for words, their voice tends to lower, so does their head, making the audio suffer. An outline will keep a person on track while still allowing for spontaneity.

Record Highest Quality Available

good audio for youtube 4

 photo byKenstocker via iStock

Whatever the highest quality audio recording mode is on your camera, that’s what should be used for recording good audio for YouTube. This will eat up more memory card space, but it’s better to start with high quality and then edit it down to a format and file size that can be uploaded to YouTube.

Similar reasoning to why we record in the highest resolution visually, it’s better to edit down the quality than to wish you had used better quality audio or video. 

Edit with Headphones

get good audio for YouTube videos 5

 photo byfizkes via iStock

In order to have good audio for YouTube videos, in fact, in order to have good video, you will be using some sort of editing program. Eliminating ambient noise in your editing studio is as important for editing as recording good audio for YouTube in the first place.

A good pair of headphones will cancel out extraneous noise and will also allow you to hear subtle nuances in the raw audio recording or your edited and enhanced files.

It Won’t Happen Accidentally

Recording Good Audio for YouTube Videos 6

 photo byshapecharge via iStock

In order to record good audio for YouTube, you will have to expend some extra effort. It’s worth it, though, to present to your YouTube viewers the best possible audio and visual experience, which should bring them back over and over again to your channel.

Learn More:



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A Beginner's Guide to Studio Portraits

A Beginners Guide to Studio Portraits

Photo by Jimmy Fermin on Unsplash

At some point in our photographic careers, we toyed with the idea of setting up for studio portraits. By careers, I’m not specifying making money, but how we approach photography. We have all gone from a person who takes pictures to a craftsperson creating art.  

That’s us, that’s you, we are Photographers, capital P. This is true regardless of experience level, in my opinion. Beginner photographers are definitely a photographer, having grown from merely liking to take pictures to wanting to improve.

So, we thought about setting up our own studio, maybe for portraits, possibly for small product advertising. Well, let’s move beyond the thinking stage and actually start something. We’ll focus for now on getting geared up for studio portraits.

Table of Contents:

How to Take Studio Portraits: Setup and Gear

studio portraits 1

Photo by curtis powell on Unsplash

First we start looking at the basics of getting a portrait studio going with what we may already have or with gear we can pick up for lower cost. Here are some beginner studio portrait tips. 

Where To Set Up

beginner studio portrait tips 2

 photo bysdominick via iStock

The first thing to consider is a spot for our portrait studio. 

Many have started in what we could call a home studio. Some ideas are a spare bedroom in our home or apartment, rearranging our living room or dining room to use a corner or wall, space in our garage, a porch, a backyard shed, a wall of our workplace office, or an unused room in that office.

Truly, you don’t need a huge space to set up a makeshift portrait studio - just room enough for the model, your gear, and you!

 

Recommended Portrait Reading:

 

What Gear to Use

beginner studio portrait tips 3

 photo by AleksandarNakic via iStock 

Many studio items can be found in the home or office already, other items are specific photographic and lighting gear that’s needed. 

Some of the more basic items I use in my home studio include barstools and chairs, tables and nightstands, potted plants, and other things that can either be a prop or part of making the subject comfortable while posing. 

Cameras and lenses are probably already covered by what we already have. An entry-level DSLR or mirrorless camera with the kit lens can take a fantastic portrait image when used properly. More on that in a bit.

Other gear that is really helpful include tripods or other mounts, and lighting equipment. Some of the most useful lighting equipment are the wonderful LED compact lights that can be mounted on camera or on stands or mounts. 

A fantastic couple of items I’ve found extremely useful in a home or office studio are the Hakutatz portable LED light and the Octopad camera and accessory mount.

Using the Hakutatz LED light shown above, we can make use of various studio lighting techniques such as the Rembrandt lighting, low key portrait lighting, and other configurations.

What’s more, these lights offer a high-degree of customization, including an adjustable color temperature, brightness, and saturation.

Best of all, the light can be controlled via a smartphone app. In fact, you can operate multiple lights at the same time to create more complex lighting effects.

If using two or more lights for our studio lighting techniques, the Octopad mount comes in handy to place the light wherever we need it in our possibly tight home studio.

octca001er 5

What’s nice about the Octopad is that it’s so small and portable. Whether you’re in your home, your backyard, or the local park, it’s easy to bring with you to support a light.

Depending on the camera you use, you can utilize the Octopad to stabilize it. Compact cameras, smartphones, and some mirrorless systems are ideal for use with this mount.

octca001er 6 

I also like that the Octopad has a non-slip surface on the bottom. I’ve put this thing on my dashboard and used it with my GoPro Hero 8 Black as a dashcam setup. 

Even when I took my Volvo off-road, the Octopad held firmly in place. Just imagine how stable it’ll be for your studio lights! 

Learn More:

Taking the Portrait: Camera Settings and Lighting

how to take studio portraits 4

 photo by CoffeeAndMilk via iStock 

To actually make the images, Here are some beginner studio portrait tips and beginner portrait techniques. 

Camera Settings

how to take studio portraits 5

Photo by ShareGrid on Unsplash 

One of the most important camera settings for portraits is to capture your images in RAW format instead of JPEG. The reasons for using RAW when you can is that RAW files contain a lot more exposure information than a partially compressed file such as a JPEG. 

This extra information allows for a whole lot of leeway in post processing the portraits for the best look possible. I like to use a program such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to take care of all the adjustments necessary for a showable or saleable portrait image. 

We talked earlier about using the kit lens on our entry-level DSLRs and mirrorless cameras for portraits. Yes, you can use a kit lens for portraits. You could even sell a portrait made with a kit lens and entry level camera.

ca85122afu 

A different lens such as prime - like this Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L shown above - or a fast zoom - like the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L - may give you more options for changing exposure settings to make use of selective focus techniques or bokeh. But if you haven’t picked up your next lens yet, your kit lens is likely to be very sharp and relatively distortion free.

The trick will be making use of the capabilities you actually have. A kit lens zoomed to short telephoto and with the aperture as wide as possible will still give you good options for selective focus and their bokeh is often quite nice. And if you record in RAW, you can really maximize your post processing program features.

Studio Lighting Techniques

studio lighting techniques

 photo by alvarez via iStock 

Outside of all other options you have in front of you, your use of studio lighting techniques will be where you show the difference from merely snapping a pic to creating a portrait as a photographer.  

Some lighting configurations can be made with one light, one light and a reflector, or two lights. Check the learn more links in this article for details on lighting setups. 

In addition to the lighting, you can improve the portraits you’re creating by encouraging good, relaxed posing. 

A big part of making the portrait subject comfortable enough to fall into natural looking poses is to have a good rapport with the subject. Especially when shooting in the smaller space of a home portrait studio do you need to be sure to have your portrait subject at ease with you and the photographic process. 

As a beginner, you make the subject comfortable by being in charge of the session. Not over controlling, but giving the subject confidence in you and your art. You can do this! For practice, work on taking portraits of a friend or a family member. 

Keep Taking Pics, But Make Them Better

We often speak about the difference between merely taking pictures and creating photographic images. Truth be told, there is nothing wrong with taking pictures, it’s fun! As photographers, we never really stop.  

What happens is that we want to improve and then we make the improvements. Your studio portraits show off your growing talent and  give your subjects images they can enjoy.  

In the video above, get a thorough tour of studio portraiture by Academy of Photography.

Learn More:

 



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Architectural Photography: Tips for Capturing Stunning Buildings and Structures

Architectural Photography Tips for Capturing Stunning Buildings and Structures

Photo by roman_slavic via iStock 

As an art form, architectural photography is a fascinating part of photography. 

It is different from other photos of buildings, such as in real estate photography. In some cases, you might not even see the building, only a part of it. Interior architectural photography, exterior architectural photography, and isolated elements of the structures can all be a part of stunning architectural photography. 

We’ll cover some tips and ideas for capturing outstanding images of buildings and structures as architectural photography. Shall we get started?

Table of Contents:

Definition of Architectural Photography

Definition of Architectural Photography

Photo by gremlin via iStock

An architectural photography definition helps us to get familiar with the genre. Have you ever seen a photo of a building that makes you sit up and take notice? What makes that happen? 

An eye for art is what makes the difference between photographing a building and creating architectural photography images. Many buildings and structures are aesthetically pleasing already; capturing that photographically is what lies at the core of what defines architectural photography.

Some people like to make abstract photo art of architecture; others want to make a mostly realistic impression of the structure being imaged. Both schools of thought work for making great architectural photography images.

Architectural Photography Lens Choices

Architectural Photography Lens Choices

Photo by vndrpttn via iStock

What is the best lens for architecture photography? Surprisingly, I actually have several answers to that question. 

The basic answer is that any lens you have on a camera can be used for creating these images of photography art. Capturing these artful images has much more to do with vision and how you interpret that vision into the final photo than with one magic lens option. 

I like to have several types of lenses available that I can use for what I have in mind as a final image, which highlights what is most important about architectural photography, namely, having an idea of what to show in an image and then working to create that goal.

Whatever you use as a normal lens can work marvelously, whether it’s a Nifty Fifty lens (or the equivalent for your format) or the normal range kit zoom lens. An ultra-wide angle can give some unique perspectives, and a longer telephoto can also be used creatively. 

What I find vital for architectural photography is to look at the structure, pick out some aspect of it you want to creatively highlight, and then choose the lens that turns that vision into an image. It could be a pic of the entire building, an interior space, or a small aspect of the building. The best lens for architectural photography is what makes your idea come true. 

Architectural Photography Equipment for Unusual Views

Architectural Photography Equipment for Unusual Views

Photo by Chunyip Wong via iStock

In my photo treks, I run across a lot of interesting places. Some buildings have exterior features I want to capture; for others, I’m more focused on interior architectural photography. 

Point of view can make a huge difference in how the photos turn out. Sometimes, getting way down low is the best choice for an artistic expression of what I’m seeing. I like to use a compact camera mount instead of a tripod for those low-angle images.

With interior architectural photography, the lighting is often rather low intensity, so a camera mount also helps with that, either as a way to hold the camera still or to place an LED light to enhance an aspect of the interior design. 

Octopad 2

The Octopad camera mount works awesomely for both uses. With a wireless remote and my camera down low looking up, fresh views of the structure open up. Since Octopad is inexpensive, I can have a couple on hand, one for the camera and another for a light.

I’ve bragged about Octopad many times in my hints and tips because it’s just so darn useful. With a small weighted disk with a non-slip bottom pad and a ball head on top, this camera mount is the perfect accessory for interior architecture photography. 

Use Contrast and Shadows for Architectural Photography

Use Contrast and Shadows for Architectural Photography

Photo by Stephen Harker via iStock

Some of the most fun we can have with architectural photography is to use light, shadow, and contrast to accentuate aspects of the structures or to create what could be virtually an abstract image. 

Look for the areas where bright light and deep shadow occur next to each other, which is common with several styles of architecture. It can be modern, made of metal or glass, or classic, crafted of rock, stone, brick, or wood.  

luminar neo banner

Of course, you need a rock-solid editor to help you bring your architectural images to life, so why not try Skylum's Luminar Neo?

Not only can Luminar Neo help you enhance the contrast and details of your architectural images using AI-powered tools like StructureAI - which uses content-aware tools to boost details without overprocessing - but you can also use traditional tools like layers, masking, and local adjustments to fine-tune your shots.

And since Luminar Neo is constantly evolving and adding new features, extensions, and capabilities, you can stay on the cutting edge of innovation and use tools that simplify the editing process.

luminar neo sky ai

But Luminar Neo doesn't stop there. In fact, there are many other tools at your disposal to elevate the quality of your architectural images:

  • SkyAI (shown above) makes sky replacement as simple as a couple of clicks.
  • Sky Enhancer gives you the tools to boost the interest in the sky of your architectural images.
  • AtmosphereAI adds realistic elements like fog and mist to take your architectural images to another level.
  • Tools like Color Harmony, Super Contrast, and Mood give you additional controls over the appearance of the image - all of which are easy to manipulate to get the perfect result.

No one ever said architectural photography is easy. But with tools like Luminar Neo, it's certainly a lot easier!

Get Luminar Neo today for MacOS, Windows, or as a plugin for Lightroom or Photoshop.

Rural and Urban Architectural Photography Ideas

Rural and Urban Architectural Photography Ideas

Photo by Alexander Bushkov via iStock

Old barns, schools, and town halls make excellent architectural photography subjects. I found it easy to come across older structures in rural areas, but there’s plenty of classic architecture in big cities, too.

Some modern buildings seem to be made to be more photogenic and aesthetically pleasing than is needed for the building, which works out great for architectural photography. 

Get off the beaten path, the well-used streets, and look for something that stands out. Once you find it, design the image in your head and then use your tools and techniques to make it happen. You’ll have tons of fun, I’m sure.

Recommended Photography Gear

Learn More:



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Automotive Photography Tips

automotive photography tips

Photo by gremlin via iStock

Car ads, in print, online, and on TV, have evolved into some of the slickest and well-produced images and videos in the world of advertising. Pictures of cars also look great on our own social media pages when done well. Here are a few automotive photography tips that can elevate your own car pictures.

My tips for automotive photography will cover:

automotive photography tips 2

Photo by jacus via iStock 

Before we start explaining these automotive photography tips, a few words on safety. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, airplanes, and other large vehicles we try to capture as images are inherently dangerous. They are large, motorized machines which can move suddenly and they also have numerous moving parts within the vehicle such as engines, wheels, and propellers. 

If we are on roadways or in parking areas while shooting a vehicle, we also need to guard against other people driving. High visibility clothing and having an assistant being an extra set of eyes can help minimize hazards.

How To Prep a Car for Photography

automotive photography tips 3

Photo by kelvinjay via iStock

Some reasons we like looking at and taking pictures of cars are that these machines are either interesting, pretty, powerful looking, or a combination of those. So if we’re intending to show the cars at their best, it’s often a good idea to clean up the vehicle.

In fact, one of the more useful automotive photography tips is to have the car, truck, or motorcycle detailed before our photoshoot. Detailing a vehicle involves a deep cleaning with an eye for, you got it, the details.

tips for automotive photography

Photo by Stephen Harker via iStock

Unless your intent is to show a different aspect of the vehicle being imaged. Perhaps you’re wanting to emphasize how tough a work truck is, or that the motorcycle is great for off-roading, or perhaps that the old vehicle has almost become a part of the landscape because of its deterioration. All of those situations don’t require a deep cleaning, but you may still end up doing some wiping off of fenders or windshields.

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Photo by sierrarat on iStock

Another prep that can add an extra dimension to our automotive photography is the road surface. On public property, we may not have too much control over this, but among the automotive photography tips that may surprise some is to wet down the surface where the vehicle is parked. Wet concrete looks so much better photographically than when dry, and black or dark surfaces such as asphalt gain a sheen which can be used as a reflector of sorts. Wet street night photography can really add some great interest in the final image.

If you’re planning on any motion photography for your vehicle photoshoot, don’t roll up your gear if it rains. As long as you safely do it, capturing a car driving on a wet street can give you some great results. 

Equipment Needed

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Photo by pixelfusion3d via iStock 

So, what automotive photography tips can we give about equipment choices? You need a camera that allows manually adjusting focus and exposure and preferably that records files in a RAW format so you have more to work with during post-processing.

A sharp, fast lens is another preference. Even though the exposure levels may not require a lot of lens speed, having a lens with a fast maximum aperture allows you to stop down to the sweet spot aperture while maintaining a good range of usable shutter speeds. 

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Photo by Pokec via iStock

The sweet spot aperture is preferable for automotive photography since it removes most of the lens aberrations at wide-open apertures but keeps your lens out of the smaller f-stops that can cause image degrading diffraction. So, a fast lens, either prime focal lengths or high-quality zooms will be preferable. Wider angle lenses tend to be a good choice since these allow you to get closer to the subject while keeping most of the subject framed in the shot.

Usually, some sort of camera support is necessary as well. An easy-to-transport tripod or a small tripod alternative like the Octopad can be used for car pictures. As a bonus in our automotive photography tips, adding an LED light or two can be quite useful. Especially since you could also add some interest by changing the color of one of the lights. The Octopad camera mount can also hold your small LED lights.

Octopad

For motion photography or for any videography, a handheld gimbal or a fluid head can be very useful. You don’t need to be shooting video to get great use out of a fluid video head. Those panning blur motion images can be captured with a good fluid head. It helps keep the subject sharp while doing the long shutter speed panning.

Filters are helpful, too. A circular polarizer (C-POL) filter can be used with those wet surfaces we listed earlier to help control how much of the car reflection we might be able to introduce into the image. Neutral density (ND) filters can give us longer shutter speeds for panning blurs or other motion blurs, and a graduated neutral density (GND) filter can help tame some of the dynamic range issues that come up in automotive photography.  

Learn More:

Automotive Photography Tips About Camera Settings

car pictures

Photo by RonBailey via iStock

Automotive photography tips about camera settings can cover almost any exposure and lighting situation you could imagine. Automotive photography can find us shooting at night or in other low light, we could be in a desert, a showroom floor at a dealer, or our own driveway or garage. 

The most important part of automotive photography tips concerning camera settings is to be prepared to adjust every setting manually. This includes focus as well as ISO, shutter speed, and lens aperture or f-stop.

You want to be in control of the ISO so you can maximize sharpness and reduce or eliminate digital noise. You want to be in control of shutter speeds so you can either freeze action or introduce motion blur. You need to be able to set lens aperture to make sure you have enough depth of focus and also to be able to use the lens’s sweet spot aperture. Shiny surfaces like a car finish can also play havoc with autofocus, so manually adjusting that is important as well.

How to Add Motion

car pictures 2

Photo by Mikkaphot via iStock 

Incorporating motion effects can create interesting images. Panning with the action while using a long shutter speed is one of the basic automotive photography tips you can employ in your own photo shoots. A fluid head can help keep your subject lined up as you want it.

While we’re at it, composition techniques such as Rule of Thirds and Leading Lines can either enhance the feel of motion or reduce it, whatever it is you're intending. Negative Space combined with other techniques can add to the feel of an image, plus it can give room for any ad copy that a paying client may add to the image.

pictures of cars

Photo by NeseriNvia iStock 

A chase vehicle and a good gimbal can help you make a different type of motion effect. Use the chase vehicle in front of the subject car and shoot back at it with a longish shutter speed. You may find yourself needing an exterior mount for the camera and triggering it remotely from inside the chase vehicle. 

A feeling of motion, actually of potential motion, can be acheived by using a lower camera angle and the Negative Space composition tool. This seems to work exceptionally well for sports cars and full-size trucks.

Post-Processing Automotive Photography Tips

pictures of cars 2

Photo by itsskin via iStock

Shooting in a RAW file format is the first and most important of the post-processing automotive photography tips. Without the extra color and exposure information in a RAW file compared to a JPEG, you won’t be able to enhance the final image as well as you may be needing or wanting.

We’re not talking Photoshop tricks (unless you want to use those) but rather making sure that you have the capability to pull out just what you need and balance highlights, midtones, shadow, and colors just enough to make an image the best it can be.

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Photo by NiseriN via iStock 

Again, we’re not talking about major changes usually, just tweaks, fixes, and enhancements. Using a full-featured program is necessary for getting everything out of a RAW file. A non-destructive editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, will make the processing easier and quicker.

It's important to note that once you process your images, your job isn't quite complete - you should select your best shot and have it made into a beautiful print!

I'm a huge advocate for printing your photos. It's a great way to celebrate your hard work and give others an opportunity to examine your photographic skills.

It's a great way to facilitate growth, too. When you see an image on screen, you might not notice certain triumphs or failures. But when that same image is a large-format print, those triumphs and failures are on full display.

artbeat studios

The key with getting large prints is to work with a company that's as committed to quality as you are. For that, I recommend Artbeat Studios.

I've worked with Artbeat Studios for years now, and have always been impressed with the quality of the prints I've gotten in the mail. For automotive prints, acrylic is an excellent choice as it has a luminous appearance that really brings the vehicle to life.

Artbeat Studios offers various sizes of HD acrylic prints, and gives you plenty of customization options in terms of wall mount, frame, and sizing. You can truly tailor the print to your specific needs so the image you select looks its best.

artbeat acrylic features

Best of all, Artbeat's process is second-to-none in terms of quality.

The image is printed on metallic paper, which is then face-mounted onto a clear acrylic that's UV resistant. This process generates a result that's incredible vibrant and sharp - just what you want for your automotive prints!

But don't take my word for it - head over to Artbeat Studios today to see for yourself!

Using these automotive photography tips will have you capturing images of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, as well as being able to use the same tips for photographing boats and airplanes, that can hold their own against those slick ads you’ve seen online. Try them out for yourself!

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Basic Photography Tips for 2024

Basic Photography Tips for 2024

Photo by David-Prado via iStock

If you are new to photography and want to improve in the upcoming year, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll share six basic photography tips for beginners that will help you see instant results.

We’ll explore everything from learning basic composition rules and stabilizing your camera to playing with different photography techniques and cleaning your camera regularly. Moreover, our tips cover all three stages of photography—pre-production, production, and post-production. 

Now, without further ado, join us on our journey to help make you a better photographer in 2024!

Check out the video above by Pat Kay to learn 20 essential beginner photography tips and how they will improve your photography quickly.

Table of Contents

Basic Photography Tips: You Don’t Need to Spend a Fortune to Take Good Photos

Basic Photography Tips You Dont Need to Spend a Fortune to Take Good Photos

Photo by pixdeluxe via iStock 

One of the most common misconceptions about photography is that you need expensive gear to take good pictures. That is 100% false. While professionals will benefit from high-end cameras, beginners will be fine with inexpensive cameras or even phones. For example, it’s easier to learn the basics of photography on an entry-level camera than on a professional one.

If you already have a camera (even if it's old) or have a phone with a built-in camera, there’s no need to rush to buy a new one. Start with what you have, and as your skills improve, or if you start making money as a photographer, you can upgrade your camera kit later.

If you don’t own a camera, we recommend getting a cheap DSLR, mirrorless, or point-and-shoot camera. Three of our favorites are the Canon EOS Rebel T5i, Sony Alpha a6000, and Sony Cyber-shot RX100 Mark III

Basic Photography Tips: Stabilize Your Camera for Sharper Photos

Basic Photography Tips Stabilize Your Camera for Sharper Photos

Blurry images are one of the biggest problems new photographers face when starting. Several factors can cause blurry images, but camera shake is the most frequent. How do you prevent camera shake? By using a camera stabilizer like a tripod or a gimbal.  

One of our go-to tripods is the revolutionary OctoPad. It’s a one-of-a-kind universal tripod compatible with all camera and smartphone models. Its unique design ensures it remains sturdy on every surface, including sloping, uneven, and wet/slippery surfaces. We have tested various other suction cup supports and mini-tripods, and none offer the stability the OctoPad provides.

Furthermore, its compact, lightweight, and durable design is a dream come true. It folds up super small when not in use and takes up nearly no space in a purse, backpack, or suitcase. This portability makes it perfect for traveling and everyday use alike.

Basic Photography Tips: Follow the Rule of Thirds (And Other Composition Rules)

Basic Photography Tips Follow the Rule of Thirds And Other Composition Rules

Composing attractive photos is another key to photography. Avoid placing your subjects near the edges of your photos or cutting parts of them off. An easy way to accomplish this is to use the rule of thirds.  

It is a rule that divides your frame into thirds (vertically and horizontally) and places your primary subject at one of those points. Doing this better highlights your subject and automatically captures people's attention. Other popular composition rules are leading lines, symmetry, and the use of negative space. 

Learn More:

Basic Photography Tips: Experiment With Different Angles and Perspectives

Basic Photography Tips Experiment With Different Angles and Perspectives

Photo by GuadiLab via iStock 

Get creative with your photography and experiment with different camera angles and perspectives. This is an easy way to learn what works and what doesn’t while having fun with your camera.

Whether you are shooting portraits, wildlife, or landscapes, you will be surprised by how much a simple adjustment can improve a photo's outcome. Drones and action cameras are two newer technologies that make it easy to shift angles and perspectives. 

Basic Photography Tips: Keep Your Camera Clean

Basic Photography Tips Keep Your Camera Clean

Photo by SonerCdem via iStock

Cleaning your camera (and doing it properly) is essential to taking great photos. For instance, if you are experiencing mysterious marks or dots in your images, you most likely have a dirty lens or sensor. But how do you safely clean your camera (especially the sensor) without damaging it?

It’s as simple as getting a camera cleaning kit. We like this Altura Photo camera cleaning kit. It comes with a cleaning pen, a brush, a lens cleaner spray, an air blower, 50 lens cleaner sheets, three microfiber towels, and more.

Basic Photography Tips: Don’t Overedit Your Images

Basic Photography Tips Dont Overedit Your Images

Photo by HDesert via iStock

Finally, photo editing has become a huge part of today's photography process. Both professional editing programs like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop and free mobile applications for editing photos on phones and tablets exist. 

Regardless of what software they are using, many new photographers get carried away when learning how to edit images. Overediting can ruin a breathtaking photo by adding too much noise and texture or making it look unrealistic. 

More Basic Photography Tips for Beginners

More Basic Photography Tips for Beginners

Photo by danr13 via iStock

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read this beginner photography guide. We hope you have found it informative on your journey to become a better photographer. As a bonus, here’s a list of more basic photography tips to help take your photography skills to the next level in 2024:

  • Find a photography buddy to practice with and motivate you. 
  • Know when to take the best photos (golden hour and blue hour). 
  • Learn the importance of the exposure triangle (shutter speed, aperture, ISO).
  • The more time you spend with a camera in your hands, the faster you’ll improve.
  • Have fun!

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Beginner Photography Books (and Other Helpful Stuff)

Beginner Photography Books and Other Helpful Stuff

Photo by Ilker C CATAK via iStock

When I first realized as a kid that I loved photography and that I was actually pretty good at it, I would go to the library (remember those?) and check out photography books. I would read beginner photography books, books on specific advanced photography subjects, the photo annuals from decades past, and even some of the more current photography magazines both from here and overseas. 

Fast forward to today, with the digital revolution being in our past and computerized cameras and complex programs allowing processing that we could only dream of once upon a time, and guess what? I still read books covering subjects from photography for beginners to advanced digital imaging methods.

For me, it’s a little bit recreation and a little bit wanting to be able to recommend the most useful beginner photography books and books on more advanced subjects to people who ask me. So, here are three great beginner photography books you can get right now, plus a few helpful photography gadgets I like.

Table of Contents:

Three Great Beginner Photography Books:

These beginner photography books are all available on Amazon right now. They are soft cover, physical books, and a couple of them can be found as Kindle books. Either way, they represent some of the best photography books you can find at the moment, in my opinion, at least!

The Beginner's Photography Guide: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera

The Beginners Photography Guide The Ultimate Step by Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera

 The first of our beginner photography books is The Beginner's Photography Guide: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Manual for Getting the Most from Your Digital Camera. It comes as a paperback (softcover), hardcover, Kindle book, and a spiral bound book.

It’s 192 pages full of checklists, guides at a glance, comparison illustrations of what settings do, and lots of ideas for taking your photography up to the next level.

This beginner photography book is usable by owners of DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and all levels of cameras, from entry-level to advanced.

BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro

BetterPhoto Basics The Absolute Beginners Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro

 Available on Kindle or as a softcover book, BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro is a guide that’s 240 pages of valuable instruction.

One of the nice things about this book is that if you just randomly open the book to any page, you right away see a helpful photography tip. Besides being one of the best beginner photography books, it also works for photographers more comfortable with advanced photography ideas.

DSLR Photography for Beginners

DSLR Photography for Beginners

 Next on our beginner photography books list is this fine book - DSLR Photography for Beginners.

It’s available as a paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook. Its title says DSLR, but it also works for mirrorless cameras and superzooms.

The 130 pages include excellent instruction, written in an easy-to-understand way, avoiding the super techy discussions often found in photography textbooks.

Bonus Book: National Geographic Photo Basics

National Geographic Photo Basics

I included National Geographic Photo Basics, a 256-page softcover book, because I love the National Geographic series of instructional books.

It’s a great book that explains the basics, from choosing a camera and gear to understanding focus, exposure, composition, and lighting. Beautifully illustrated as only a Nat Geo product could be. 

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Three Great Photography Gadgets:

And now, gadgets!

I find that no matter how fancy or basic the camera, there are some small, inexpensive accessories that can make your photography workflow easier and maybe even more fun. Their utility will be handy as you read more and more photography books and acquire more skills, too.

OctoPad Camera Mount

octopad

 The OctoPad Camera Mount is one of the best gadgets I’ve ever found for steadying a camera and lens.

When a tripod is unavailable or too big and cumbersome, the OctoPad is a great solution as a tripod alternative. Small, lightweight, and inexpensive, this gadget even works on surfaces angled up to 45 degrees.

Sutefoto RGB Video Lights

Sutefoto RGB Video Light

 Sometimes you need a little help with lighting to get the best shot. The Sutefoto RGB Video Light is battery-powered and can also add color as a special effect. Since it’s an LED continuous light, it is useful for video recording as well. 

4 Pack K9 Optical Crystal Photography Prism Set

K9 Optical Crystal Prism Set

 Photography gadgets can be a lot of fun. A case in point is this K9 Optical Crystal Prism Set which has four pieces and can be used for image manipulation, special effects, or as a teaching tool about optics and light.

These beginner photography books and fun and useful gadgets can help you out as a beginner photographer or if you’re more advanced. In addition to being useful and fun, these are also surprisingly affordable.

Becoming a better photographer isn’t about gear, of course (though it can help). Instead, focus your attention on learning new skills and practicing those skills - a lot. The books I outlined above can help you chart a course for becoming a more skilled photographer. And the gear I discussed will help you put those skills into practice!

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Beginner Photography Gear Guide

Beginner Photography Gear Guide

photo byMarioGuti via iStock

Some of the most fun I have is talking to photographers who are new to serious photography and giving a beginner photography gear guide. You have been taking  pictures with your smartphone and moved into interchangeable lens cameras in order to have more control and improve your art.  

The camera you have chosen is likely an entry level DSLR or  mirrorless camera with the kit lens that covers moderate wide angle to moderate telephoto. So, now you’re wondering “what camera gear do I need to help me grow as a photographer?” 

As you learn more about your new camera and photography in general, I must make a disclaimer before we continue about photography equipment for beginners. It is primarily your artistic vision and your skill in the craft that will help you grow and become a better photographer. But I can provide some beginner photography gear tips.

Photography Gear for Beginners

beginner photography gear guide 1

photo byMarioGuti via iStock

What beginner photography gear should you get first, next, and sometime in the near future? Most of the items in this list can be purchased for a reasonable price, though some may cost close to what you paid for your new camera. Here is a brief beginner photography gear guide: 

  • External Flash
  • Extra Batteries
  • Tripod Alternative
  • Gear Bag
  • Microfiber Cloth
  • Tripod
  • Filter Kit
  • Video Light
  • Extra Memory Cards
  • Lenses
  • Post Processing Program 

External Flash

beginner photography gear guide 2

photo byMubera Boskov via iStock

Almost every entry level DSLR and mirrorless camera available currently has a flash built-in, but an extra on-camera flash is one of the first other purchases of beginner photography gear you should pick up, for two reasons. One, the built-in flash has a very limited range and two, an external flash in the right style can bounce flash.

Bounce flash is an excellent way to modify flash from the direct light of on camera flash use. The extra range helps with that plus is useful for lighting subjects beyond the 10 foot range of the camera flash.

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Extra Batteries

beginner photography gear 3

photo by MarioGuti via iStock

The worst possible scenario for missing shots is when you’re about to snap a photo and the camera is dead. You didn’t even get a bad pic, you got none! Just one extra battery in your pocket or bag will save you from that scenario. Make sure the spare battery is charged!

Tripod Alternative

A tripod is a wonderful addition of photography equipment for beginners but some beginners shy away from them because of their size, weight, and possibly cumbersome use. Still, there are many times when some sort of camera is needed, so a small camera mount is a great alternative.

The OctoPad is one of the best compact camera mounts any photographer can carry. The OctoPad is a compact weighted semi-rigid disk with a ball head on top and a non-slip pad   underneath. It can hold a camera on many types of surfaces, even uneven ones or one slanted at up to a 45 degree angle. 

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Gear Bag

beginner photography gear 4

photo bymanusapon kasosod via iStock

Your camera kit probably came with a bag but an upgrade can hold the extra gear better and be easier to use. Case in point is the sling style of camera bag. It combines the best features of a shoulder bag, backpack, and gear holster. Sling bags are good protection for your new camera and lenses and the gear can be quickly accessed as well.

Microfiber Cloth

photography gear for beginners 5

photo byVeni vidi...shoot via iStock

A clean lens is required for the sharpest images and to guard against unwanted flare from smudges or dust. A small microfiber cloth can fit in your pocket and is the best way to clean a lens. A scarf, t-shirt, or paper towel is not recommended. 

Tripod

photography gear for beginners 6

photo byserts via iStock

Sometimes, a tripod is either the best way or maybe the only way to capture certain types of images. Long exposure photography, macrophotography, HDR photography are just some of the reasons to use a tripod. 

Shooting video is another reason to have a good tripod as beginner photography gear. Your new camera has excellent video capabilities but shooting video with a new DSLR or mirrorless is often disappointing at first. Because the footage is generally just too shaky. A tripod, especially a video tripod will immediately improve your video.

Filter Kit

what camera gear do i need 7

photo byIGOR SVETLICHNYI via iStock

Some filter kits for landscape photography or long exposure photography might cost as much as the camera did, but you can probably wait on those types of kits. A protective filter is a good idea for each lens and a circular polarizer is one of the most useful optical filters for serious photography. Remember, for more serious photography, the term filter usually refers to an optical lens accessory and not a smartphone app.

Video Light

what camera gear do i need 8

photo byBanksPhotos via iStock

A small continuous light source such as battery operated LED light that fits on the camera like a flash unit can help you capture better video, especially when filming people. These LED lights are small, light, and often very inexpensive.

Extra Memory Cards

beginner photography gear tips 9

photo bymanusapon kasosod via iStock

At first, we’re all thinking that the biggest memory card we can find is the only one we need, but it’s a good idea to have several backups, perhaps two or three of a smaller capacity instead of just one large capacity card. Though it’s rare, a card can fail, having more than one is a guarantee against that problem.

Lenses

beginner photography gear tips 10

photo byxxmmxx via iStock

As you take more photos, you’ll find yourself wanting more from your lens. Perhaps you want more reach from the telephoto end or you could use a wider view than your kit can provide, or maybe both extras are desirable.  

Lenses in the same style as the kit lens on your camera can be purchased in longer telephoto or a wider field of view wide angle lens. Other options for beginner photography gear lenses are a fast normal prime lens or perhaps a macro lens for ultra closeup views.

Post-Processing Program

photography equipment for beginners 11

photo bylechatnoir via iStock

Among the most important beginner photography tips I like to give is to start right away with a post-processing program to use on your computer. If you want to use RAW files instead of JPEG to get the most image information possible, you will need to use a post-processing program.

Post-processing can be just as easy to do as taking a photo in automatic but it’s the step beyond that which is at the heart and soul of being a serious photographer, having complete creative control. Many excellent programs are available at reasonable prices, some can be used on a constantly updated subscription basis. 

Use the ideas in my beginner photography gear guide to help you decide what other photography equipment can assist your continued growth and enjoyment in photography. 

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Beginner Photography Tutorial: Take Sharp Photos in Low Light

Beginner Photography Tutorial Take Sharp Photos in Low Light

 photo byMEDITERRANEAN via iStock

Taking sharp photos in low light is easy enough to do, provided you recognize the possible issues and know what you can do about them. 

A major issue with shooting in low light for beginner photography could be that the first basic beginner photography tutorial may not have even ventured into the area of lower light, perhaps assuming new DSLR and mirrorless shooters are going to be taking basic snapshots.

The whole reason so many people move into these camera upgrades from smartphones or point and shoot cameras is to move beyond basic snapshots, right? So, many beginner photographers with new entry level cameras are going to reach out for more and different picture taking opportunities.

Take Sharp Photos In Good Light

techniques for sharp photos 1

 photo byFluxFactory via iStock

Many of the same techniques for sharp photos can be used in bright light or in marginal and low  light. Here are a few thoughts for how to take sharp photos under varied conditions, including how to get really sharp photos in low light.

Stand Still

how to take sharp photos 2

 photo bySouth_agency via iStock

’m not really being facetious. A proper stance and good technique for hand held picture taking is an important habit to learn for all photography. If you’re transitioning from smartphones or point and shoot cameras, the proper way to hold your new DSLR or mirrorless may not be readily apparent.

The biggest difference is that with the phones we all use, in order to frame our shots we’re using the viewscreen and holding the camera away from our face. Using an interchangeable lens camera, we have the option to view through the eye level viewfinder, which could be optical or electronic.

Looking through an eye level finder actually gives us better stability than holding the camera out at arm’s length while looking at the rear viewscreen. We can keep our elbows tucked in towards our body which helps us keep the camera still. Standing with our feet about shoulder width apart also aids our personal stability.

All of this will go a long way toward eliminating unsharp pics because of inadvertently moving the camera as we release the shutter. In lower light, shutter speeds can drop down to a time that really shows any motion on our part. So, knowing how to take sharp photos in decent light gives us some useful techniques for sharp photos in lower light.

Camera Mounts and Tripods

beginner photography tutorial 3

One of the most recommended techniques for taking sharp photos in low light is putting your camera on a tripod. I really like tripods and there are many different types from large tripods to lightweight travel tripods. Another item I like using are tripod alternatives such as a camera mount.

One of the best new products I found recently is the OctoPad camera mount. OctoPad is a unique style camera mount to use for sharp photos in low light. It isn’t a tripod, not a clamp, nor even a suction cup. OctoPad is a weighted semi rigid pad with a non slip bottom and a ball head on top. You can place it on any surface up to a 45 degree angle. 

Since it’s super portable, you can easily bring it with you for taking sharp photos in low light in almost any type of area, indoors or outdoors.

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Turn On the Technology

beginner photography 4

 photo byrecep-bg via iStock

It’s a great time to get started in serious digital photography. So many cameras from entry level all the way to full fledged professional models have features unheard of just a few years ago. One of the most useful digital camera features for taking sharp photos in low light is the anti-shake technology or imagine stabilization. 

There are several different labels for this feature from the various camera and lens brands. Some call it IS for image stabilizer, others call it VR for vibration reduction, SR for shake reduction, OSS for optical steady shot, or any number of other branded labels. It can be in the camera body, the lens, or both.

We don’t need to perfectly understand the exact process behind the feature, just that it lets us take sharper pictures in low light and at slower shutter speeds. Combined with a good stance for hand holding, this feature is one of the best things to use for beginners and experienced photographers alike. Be sure to turn it off if using a tripod or OctoPad.

Careful With the Focus

sharp photos in low light 5

 photo byigoriss via iStock

Camera or subject motion is one type of issue that causes a lot of unsharp photos,  out of focus or otherwise poorly focused shots are another. Low light does more photographically than give slower shutter speeds, it also makes it harder to accurately focus.

An excellent technique to focus accurately for sharp photos in low light is to change your focus sensor selection to one spot and either use back button focus or the focus and recompose technique. 

Another issue with AF systems in lower light is that they may not be either too speedy or accurate so there are some techniques for this, too. If there is an edge that you can use for focus sensor placement, this helps out a lot. In other words, instead of trying to focus on someone’s skin like their cheek, focus on the lip crease or nose edge, or even better, the eye. 

Practice

take sharp photos in low light 6

 photo bySolStock via iStock

The most repeated piece of advice I am always giving is to practice all of these techniques and methods. The saying “film is cheap” has been used forever and it continues to be true now, especially with digital imaging memory.

Keep practicing these techniques and you’ll get better with each photo outing. It can be surprisingly simple to take sharp photos in low light by being still, using a camera mount, turning on stabilization technology when appropriate, and making sure you have good focus.

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Beginner's Guide for Creating a Beautiful Motion Blur Image

Beginners Guide for Creating a Beautiful Motion Blur Image

Photo by tunart via iStock

Those motion blur images we see online and in print have an appeal that causes people to get lost in appreciating the scene. They are peaceful, for one, and they show us a view of the scene that is not available to visitors with their naked eye.

A motion blur image may be created out of several different types of moving water, a stream, a waterfall, or wave movement. Some other motion blur imagery can be made from cloud movement in the sky or when taking photographs of busy locations full of people roving about. Sports and wildlife have a place in this discussion as well.

Do you want to try your hand at a motion blur image? Great, I have some tips, techniques, and equipment to assist you in creating a motion blur image. Let’s get started!

Table of Contents:

Motion Blur Image Basics

Motion Blur Image Basics

Photo by zorashuang via iStock

What is a motion blur image? In a lot of photography, we are concerned with capturing an image that doesn’t have unsharpness due to camera or subject movement. A motion blur image is different because we deliberately introduce blur caused by movement.

There are two basic types of motion blur images. The subject moves while the camera stays still or the camera moves. A hybrid motion blur image style combines subject and camera movement, the panning technique.

Shutter speed is the main control to allow motion blur. A fast shutter speed like what is available from many modern cameras will arrest all but the most rapid movement. Some mirrorless cameras are capable of shutter speeds as fast as 1/32,000th of a second! 

Motion Blur Image Basics Shutter Speed

Photo by temizyurek via iStock 

In order to create a motion blur of any type, we must use slower shutter speeds. A panning action photo of a fast car or bird in flight might only require about 1/15th or 1/30th of a second. Water blur might need several seconds up to a minute or more, while star trails might involve exposure times spanning multiple minutes.

Obviously, this means we must adjust one or both of the other two parts of the Exposure Triangle to complete a good exposure. ISO sensitivity and lens aperture or f-stop are the other two legs that complement shutter speed or exposure time. There is a gear hack we can also use; details on that a little later.

Water Motion Blur Image

Water Motion Blur Image

Photo by NirutiStock via iStock

A wonderful style of landscape photography is the deliberate blurring of moving water inside the scene. A small stream included in the scene’s point of view can add interest with a soft blur of water running over rocks. The moving water doesn’t even need to be the center of focus in the photo.

A waterfall is likely what many beginners will first imagine when thinking about a motion blur image. In this case, we would concentrate the compositional interest on the moving water or the waterfall itself. For a stream or a waterfall, exposure lengths of a long fraction of a second or a few seconds is all that’s necessary.

The wave action or tidal action motion blur image will require a much longer exposure time, perhaps getting into minutes or at least several seconds, adjusting exposure as needed to accommodate. With any of these styles of motion blur images, the camera remains motionless with the water moving.

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Clouds and Sky Motion Blur Image

Clouds and Sky Motion Blur Image

Photo by stephane_spatafora via iStock

Very similar to a water motion blur image, a cloud motion blur image uses the movement of clouds to add interest to landscape photography scenery. 

The motion of clouds can be relatively rapid, especially if the cloud deck is low, so a shutter speed in a large fraction of a second to a few seconds should be adequate. If the cloud deck is higher or the winds aloft aren’t moving those clouds very quickly, then exposure times of multiple seconds may be in order.

Clouds and Sky Motion Blur Star trail Image

Photo by Sander Meertins via iStock 

A sky motion blur image may also be referred to as a star trail photograph. It’s a form of astrophotography and is a simple and fun way to break into astrophotography for beginners. Exposure times of multiple minutes are usually needed for this. Alternatively, you could capture multiple shorter exposures and blend them together in post-processing.

For a cloud motion blur image or any astrophotography, the camera remains motionless while the sky interest moves rapidly or over a long stretch of time.

People and Wildlife Motion Blur Image

People and Wildlife Motion Blur Image

Photo by kimonofish via iStock 

A style of photography that is also fairly simple to do for entry-level photographers is the panning technique for action photography. It works for subjects as varied as a race car, a track and field sprinter, a bird in flight, or a pet dog chasing down a ball. 

It’s a handheld technique, though a tripod or camera mount with a pan head or gimbal could also be employed. You move the camera to follow the subject movement and continue your camera motion while snapping the photo. Shutter speeds only need to be in a slower fraction of a second, perhaps 1/30th or 1/8th of a second, depending on how fast the subject is moving.

People and Wildlife Motion Blur Image 2

Photo by Mlenny via iStock

One fascinating type of motion blur image made possible by digital photography is ghosting out people and maybe even vehicles when capturing a busy place such as a tourist spot. 

The way it works is to set up the camera on a tripod or camera mount and take several pics at whatever exposure is correct for a scene as it is. Then, you blend the exposures together using either a stitching or bracket and merge function in post-processing. 

The trick is you tell the software to “ghost out” any object captured in multiple spots of the scenes, such as people walking. Each program that allows this will call it something slightly different, and it won’t remove headlight or tail light trails from moving vehicles, but the results can be interesting.

Gear for Capturing a Motion Blur Image

Octopad

The camera must be stationary in many of the above motion blur image styles. A tripod is one good tool for this, but you might sometimes need to use a tripod alternative, such as the OctaPad camera mount pictured above. 

Octapad is nice in that it’s small and easier to transport than many tripods, plus it can be placed just about anywhere. It’s a compact disk with a little bit of heft to it. On the top is a ball head for attaching the camera, and underneath is a slightly flexible non-slip pad. 

That configuration lets you put it on uneven surfaces such as a tree stump, rock outcropping, or brick wall. The non-slip pad allows you to use it on surfaces angled up to 45 degrees! Very useful for many outdoor situations but also usable indoors.

NEEWER 100x100mm Square ND1000 Filter Kit

The exposure considerations may have some wondering how to accommodate the long shutter speeds and maintain correct exposure. Neutral dentistry (ND) filters are how we get this part done. Anywhere from 2X to 10X ND may be used. A 10X ND filter is great for landscape photographers and water or cloud motion blur images.

Some other helpful gear will include a remote release of some sort to reduce camera vibrations, a hard lens hood to protect from light glare and as a bumper, and a journal or notebook to keep notes so you can reproduce your efforts later.

Motion Blur Image Tips

Motion Blur Image Tips

Photo by amriphoto via iStock

Since we will be adjusting exposure times, ISO sensitivity, and lens aperture, it's a good idea to use an automatic mode that allows user input or to become familiar with manual settings and how to still use a meter when manually adjusting the camera.

Autofocus can be tricked by the varied elements within our scenes and those ND filters so that manual focusing may also be in order. Except for panning action shots. AF is very useful here, though you would want to change to servo AF or whatever your camera maker calls it.

Try it all out; I’m sure you’ll find entry-level motion blur image photography quite fun!

Recommended Photography Gear

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Best iPhone 11 Accessories of 2021

Best iPhone 11 Accessories of 2020

 photo bymolchanovdmitry via iStock

Best iPhone 11 Accessories

When I first got an iPhone, I knew I was living in the future. Apple has made an amazing tool and they keep updating the iPhone with new iterations, now up to 11. Apple iPhones have been great for photographers since the included cameras and camera apps are very high quality and full of useful features.

Since these are so good for serious and casual photography, we looked for some iPhone 11 accessories that photographers might like having. Hey! It’s not too early for holiday shopping, right? What does your favorite iPhoneographer want or what would best assist your own iPhoneography?

Octopad

iphone 11 accessories 1

If it’s a camera, at some point you could use a camera support. One of the best iPhone 11 accessories for camera support is the Octopad camera and accessory mount.  

The Octopad is a unique mount that isn’t a tripod, isn’t a clamp, and isn’t a suction cup. It’s a pad that’s weighted on the bottom and has a non-slip material that keeps in place on surfaces that angled up to 45 degrees.

You can add a small ball and socket head or an accessory arm to increase the versatility of this handy tool. For mounting the iPhone 11, you will need an iPhone adapter to hold it on the ball head or extendable arm. 

Some of the things that make the Octopad one of top iPhone 11 accessories are that versatility of placement, the options for holding a camera or other device, and the low price point. You could add a couple of these to your gear bag for around what I pay for iced lattes each week.

Joby GripTight GorillaPod

best iphone 11 accessories 2

My first two iPhone 11 gadgets are a way to hold the smartphone. If you need to be able to mount the iPhone 11 to a tree limb, fence post, chair back, or hat rack, the Joby GripTight GorillaPod is a good choice.  

What makes this device stand out is that the tripod legs double as a grip due to their articulated design. You will need to add a smartphone holder to have it fit your iPhone 11.  

In addition to the grippy legs feature, you can use the Joby GorrilaPod as a regular table tripod or travel tripod. Smush the legs together and it can be a hand grip for smoother video.

Tamoria 3D Oneness iPhone 11 Camera Lens Protector

top iphone 11 accessories 3

The iPhone 11 is a great photographic tool, so treating the smartphone like a camera will become a habit for many. Since I put protective filters on some of my lenses, it makes sense that a protective filter for the iPhone 11 lenses would exist. 

Tamoria 3D Oneness iPhone 11 Camera Lens Protector is the iPhone 11 equivalent of a screw in UV filter. We have been buying screen protectors for ages, a lens protector is one of my top iPhone 11 accessories ideas. 

It is an interesting little tool. It covers both lenses and has cutouts for the mic and the light. The cutout for the light (or flash) even has a black ring to prevent any light scattering from negatively affecting the image or video.

iPhone Headphone Adapter

iphone 11 gadgets 4

For some reason, Apple doesn’t put a headphone jack on any iPhones anymore. Since some of us may already have a favorite headphone we use, this little iPhone Headphone Adapter is worth its weight in music downloads.  

Using the iPhone 11 as a video camera, using a good pair of headphones is essential to monitoring the audio portion of the recording. This adapter does double the work with one socket for 3.5mm jacks and one for Lightning which connects iPhones to other Apple devices. 

For my money, and it isn’t much, about 1 ½ iced lattes to use my previous currency converter, I’ll take a little added versatility and capability in regards to plugging things in to my devices.

Cambond Waterproof Phone Pouch

top iphone 11 accessories 4

A waterproof pouch is very useful for outdoor photographers. Since we end up taking our smartphones almost anywhere, camera protection from the elements can become important in the case of inclement weather which can suddenly come up.

Cambond Waterproof Phone Pouch gives all weather protection and it floats. It’s great for skiing vacations, either at the beach or lake or at a mountaintop resort. Plus, if it rains on me, my iPhone 11 is safe.

Stay tuned for more iPhone fun in future articles. 

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Best iPhone 12 Accessories

Best iPhone 12 Accessories

photo byhsyncoban via iStock

For photographers, having the latest iPhone and iPhone 12 accessories is more like having a great camera that also texts and makes phone calls. Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max are among the best ultra compact cameras available.They are also  fully capable smartphones with features that would shock a sci-fi writer from just a few decades ago. 

The incredible iPhone family are truly mobile computer workstations, so saying they are cameras with phone features was tongue in cheek. There is more computer power in an iPhone 12 than was in the machines that landed men on the Moon (Earth's large, natural satellite) and brought them back safely.

iPhone 12 Photography Features

iphone 12 accessories 1

photo byjavitrapero via iStock

But let’s make no mistake, it really is the camera part of these devices that makes them extremely desirable to photographers and videographers. Fast lenses, large sensors (for a smartphone), image stabilization, RAW files, and advanced video features had us drooling from the moment they were announced.

Just as with our other cameras, having the best iPhone 12 Pro Max accessories can help us accomplish certain processes or make some things better or easier to do. What iPhone 12 photography accessories will help you out? There are a lot of fine iPhone 12 photography accessories, we’re showing 5 for this list.

The Right Case

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There are so many cases, it’s hard to choose just one best iPhone 12 case to recommend. For a couple of reasons, I like the Torras Shockproof Case. One reason is that it has an extra level of protection against drops and bumps. It has military grade drop protection, good for 2500+ drops from 6 feet or less. 

The other reason is that this case has a low key appearance. There are a lot of people who enjoy having bright, shiny, or personalized smartphone cases, but as a photographer, I prefer an understated appearance when filming video or taking pictures. 

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A Useful Mount

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OctoPad is one of the most useful iPhone 12 accessories for photography and videography. It is a semi rigid disk of material with a non-slip pad on the bottom and a ball head   on top that can hold a camera or other accessory on virtually any surface even if angled by up to 45 degrees.

With the small size and low cost of the OctoPad, you can use 2 or 3 of them at once, especially useful for videos. In addition to holding the iPhone or other camera without clamps or suction, you can also place a small light or a microphone on it and place it where needed.

iphone 12 photography accessories 4

Hand holding a smartphone or camera while filming video is not the best solution for most videographers since the extra movement caused by our own inability to be rock solid still will show up in our video as a distracting level of unsteadiness. For any video longer than a few seconds, having some support is best.

Using an OctoPad with an iPhone 12 opens up another fun opportunity, long exposures. Since the iPhone 12 has the features, might as well find a way to use them with some low price iPhone 12 photography accessories.

Protective Lens Filter

best iphone 12 pro max accessories

The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Max Pro have very high quality lenses. But, they are still a smartphone and prone to all the abuse we’re used to dishing out on a smartphone. We put them in a pocket, a purse, a car seat, or out on a table or desk. Keys, pens, coins, and forks can seriously mess up a lens front element, even when protectively coated as these iPhone lenses are.

One solution is to use a protective case or sleeve, another is a filter system like the UniqueMe Camera Lens Protector. These filters and others like them are optically neutral and can give active iPhone 12 photographers peace of mind by protecting the fine lenses on this smartphone.

Bright Lights

best iphone 12 pro max accessories 6

Pixel G1s RGB LED Light produces bright, clean light and has variable power and variable color output for matching to existing ambient light levels and colors. It has a built-in rechargeable battery and is actually a little smaller and lighter than the iPhone 12 Pro. 

Sometimes a scene, especially  when filming video, simply needs a little bit more light in order to enable the highest quality recording. You can hold it in your hand since it runs cool, or mount it on the OctoPad listed above.

More Power

best iphone 12 pro max accessories 7 

With all of the videography and photography you’re going to be doing with your new iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max, you will want to keep it charged up. Apple makes a charger which qualifies as one of the iPhone 12 Pro Max accessories, the Apple MagSafe Charger and Apple 20W USB-C Power Adapter.

You can use this charger anywhere that has wall power outlets to keep your iPhone and other Apple devices charged up. Unlike our other cameras, you can’t keep a spare battery in your pocket for most smartphones.

best iphone 12 pro max accessories 9 

Well, that’s a good start for the best iPhone 12 accessories for photography. Go to our user forums and let us know what other items you found yourself that qualify for a longer list of best iPhone 12 Pro Max accessories. 

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We Recommend


Best iPhone 13 Video Accessories

Best iPhone 13 Video Accessories

photo byMarioGuti via iStock

Apple recently released their newest iPhone, the iPhone 13, and it looks like a great tool for photography and videography. Some choice iPhone 13 video accessories will help you make it a very capable camera. 

We could get lost if we tried to review all of the iPhone 13 accessories available so we’re going to focus on how to take better iPhone videos with some versatile video accessories for iPhone 13 from various 3rd parties.

Turn It On Its Side

iphone 13 video accessories

photo byiprogressman via iStock

Here is a basic tip that will help us with how to take better iPhone videos: turn it on the side. In other words, use it in landscape orientation for videos. This will more closely match the standard aspect ratio for TVs, monitors, and other devices, plus it just makes better videos.

Unless, of course, your artistic vision tells you to use it in portrait orientation. Then, go ahead and do it, these aren’t rules, just guidelines, hints, tips, and techniques.

Gimbal Stabilizer

iphone 13 accessories

When recording video, camera movement, the unsteady, shaky kind of movement, will negatively affect how comfortable you and others can be with viewing the video. That’s why 4 of these suggestions for how to take better iPhone videos are things to either make movements smoother or eliminate them.

A gimbal stabilizer allows for freedom of movement to add action and interest to your videos, doing so in a very controlled manner with 3 axis stabilization. 

DJI makes a beautiful example of a small stabilizer with big payout for usefulness, the DJI OSMO Mobile 3 Combo. It has 3-axis movement, computer control, and several smart modes for tracking and special features.

Learn More:

Camera Mount

how to take better iphone videos

When you need the camera to stay put but you don’t have the option of using a tripod, the popular tripod alternative OctoPad Camera Mount will do the job. OctoPad is a unique camera mount that is a partially malleable heavy-duty solid disk that has a tripod mount on the top side and a non-slip pad underneath.

Add the optional smartphone holder to use it with your iPhone 13 for steadying the camera during videos or for photography. Because of the unique construction of the OctoPad, you can place it on virtually any surface, uneven or smooth, at up to a 45-degree angle, and it will keep your camera in place.

how to take better iphone videos 2

An extension arm can be added for extra versatility and since the OctoPad is one of the least expensive video accessories around, you can use 2 or more when filming to hold your smartphone, an external microphone, and video lights. 

It won’t bust most budgets and it is a simple task to carry one or 2 around in a small sling pack camera bag along with those video accessories.

Camera Cage

video accessories for iphone 13

Similar to how a camera cage adds versatility to a videography rig for our Full Frame, APS-C, and MFT format cameras, a cage for a smartphone will also provide benefits.

In addition to making the smartphone easier to hold, thus increasing our stability, it also adds mounting points for attaching other video accessories such as lights or a mic. The Neewer Plastic U Rig works well with any smartphone, allowing attaching various extra accessories.

It can either be handheld or mounted on a video tripod for extra stability or controlled motion techniques.

Action Harness

photography gear

A smartphone makes a great action cam once you strap it to you with the Stuntman Chest Harness for smartphones including your iPhone 13. 

The Stuntman harness is lightweight and comfortable and is very heavy-duty. Once you strap it down properly and tighten the adjustable holder, it will provide hours of action cam-style videography. 

There are some apps you can download for free or at low cost that may supplement the already full-featured capabilities of the iPhone 13 for filming video or for capturing photos.

Ring Light

Video Accessories

The last of the iPhone 13 video accessories for today is a ring light. A ring light for video is a continuous light source in the shape of a ring, a circle. The idea is that you film through the opening in the center of the “O” with the light source providing a shadowless illumination. 

Neewer makes several different sizes of ring lights, I like the 18-inch diameter version. The Neewer 18” Ring Light Kit comes complete with the 55w LED light, filters for adjusting color temperature, a medium-sized light stand, a remote control for adjusting the variable power, and a holder for either a smartphone or a camera.

Enjoy these useful iPhone 13 video accessories as you make videos with your new phone!

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We Recommend


Best Mirrorless Camera for Street Photography

Best Mirrorless Camera for Street Photography

I’ll give you three different options so you can tailor the answer of the best camera for street photography to your specific situation, needs, and desires. We’ll look at the best choice for many people, a bargain option as an affordable street photography camera, and a high-end camera.

To understand just what you need as the best mirrorless camera for street photography, we’ll also review what street photography is, discuss some street photography ideas, review easy-to-master street photography techniques, and go over some inexpensive accessories for street photography.

Table of Contents

What Is Street Photography?

street photography technique

 photo byOrbon Alija via iStock

My best answer to this question, especially as it relates to what may be the best mirrorless camera for street photography for you, is to point to some examples from the past.

Classic street photography artists such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, and Helen Levitt, are all pioneers of this craft.

Street photography can be random, candid photography, hastily posed portraits on the fly, documentary photography, or any combination of those or somewhere in between any of these street photography ideas.

Many of the classic era of street photographers gravitated toward the smaller 35mm rangefinder cameras from Leica, Contax, Canon, and Nikon. A fast normal lens or slightly wide-angle lens was most often used. A 50mm f/1.4 or a 35mm f/2.0 was commonly the lens of choice.

A lot more could be said about street photography techniques and ideas, but I’m sure you get the picture. The current crop of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are closest to the style of those older cameras. So, now let's look at my three choices of the best mirrorless camera for street photography. 

Best Mirrorless Camera for Street Photography

Olympus OM D E M5 Mk III with 12 45mm Pro lens

I will start with the MFT format Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mk III with 12-45mm Pro lens, which retails for a little under $1900.00. It has multiple features that make it a fantastic candidate as being the best mirrorless camera for street photography.

This camera has a 20MP MFT format sensor which provides outstanding image quality within a very compact camera body. MFT is one of what I consider the three formats best suited for serious photography. The other two are APS-C and Full Frame formats.

There is an in-body image stabilization function that gives up to 5 ½ stops of ability to handhold the camera in a wide range of exposure conditions. That helps make up for the lens being of modest maximum aperture, f/4.0, for allowing good image captures in street photography.

Olympus OM D E M5 Mk III with 12 45mm Pro lens 2

So, the photos you can get with this camera are going to be high quality, sharp, and full of exposure information when used in RAW file capture mode. That is a very desirable feature for any camera boasting to be the best mirrorless camera for street photography. 

The camera body and this pro lens are weather sealed for extra protection from the elements, another feature that benefits our choice of best mirrorless camera for street photography. 

This particular lens is well suited for a lot of street photography ideas since it has a range from wide-angle, through normal, up to a little bit of telephoto. There are many lenses from various manufacturers in the MFT mount, so this camera can do a lot for you besides being the best mirrorless camera for street photography. 

It isn’t the perfect camera for everything - it doesn’t have a built-in flash or 4K video. But I find it hard to beat as my top choice for best mirrorless camera for street photography. Now let’s see what other options we have.

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Best Mirrorless Camera for Street Photography - Bargain Version

Sony Alpha a6000 with 16 50mm power zoom lens

Sony Alpha a6000 with 16-50mm power zoom lens is my choice for the bargain version of the best mirrorless camera for street photography. It is an APS-C format camera with a 24.2MP sensor and retails for under $750.00.

Features of this camera which make it a bargain choice for best affordable street photography camera are its super-fast autofocusing, a huge array of lenses available, Full HD video, and a super-vivid tilting viewscreen for a lot of street photography ideas and street photography techniques.

Best Mirrorless Camera for Street Photography - High-End Version

Leica Typ 240 Full Frame format mirrorless rangefinder camera

Let’s go back to the camera brand which epitomized the classic era of street photography, the Leica rangefinder. Perhaps the closest to the spirit of the Leica III-G screw mount camera or Leica M3 camera with M-mount bayonet lenses is the 24MP Leica Typ 240 Full Frame format mirrorless rangefinder camera

Leica Typ 240 Full Frame format mirrorless rangefinder camera lens

If the budget works for you, a Leica rangefinder camera with a relatively fast medium wide-angle lens such as the Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2.0 is probably the best mirrorless camera for street photography that I could consider recommending.

The quality of all Leica products is nothing short of amazing, but you will pay for that privilege. This particular combo, for instance, will set you back around $9,300.00 or so to own this high-end version of the best mirrorless camera for street photography. 

Inexpensive Accessories for Street Photography

OctoPad Camera Mount

After the camera and lens, a few choice accessories will round out our gear for the best mirrorless camera for street photography. Three accessories I will focus attention on are a portable camera mount, a comfortable strap, and a versatile bag.

For street photography, flash is seldom used, but we may need a little more capability for low light shooting than is offered by our lens aperture and the camera image stabilization functions. But, using a tripod isn’t likely to be our best solution.

 OctoPad Camera Mount 2

The stability and portability of the OctoPad Camera Mount make it virtually indispensable for our street photography techniques and ideas. 

OctoPad is a lightweight, compact, inexpensive, and ultra-steady camera mount that pairs perfectly with our best mirrorless camera for street photography choice. It has a weighted disk base with a non-slip pad underneath and a ball head on top.

You can carry this camera mount with you for all types of street photography techniques and it even can be placed on surfaces with an incline of up to 45 degrees. It really is about the best accessory for your new best mirrorless camera for street photography. 

BlackRapid RS 4

Other useful accessories to combine with the best mirrorless camera for street photography are a sling strap such as the BlackRapid RS-4 and a heavy-duty bag such as the Hex Ranger for camera and gear protection.

That’s my take on the best mirrorless camera for street photography and some very useful accessories. I’m curious what your choices would be? 

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We Recommend


Camera Tripod Buying Guide

Camera Tripod Buying Guide

 photo by0804Creative via iStock

Best Camera Tripod

Is there really such a thing?

Well, that depends on what your budget is, the type of work for which you need a tripod, and various other factors. 

In this article, I’ll break down a few good choices that will guide you in selecting the right tripod for you.

As I’ve said before, it’s a good idea to max out your budget when it comes to buying a tripod. You want something solid and durable that will last you for years and years to come. In that regard, selecting the right tripod can become a great long-term investment.

Table of Contents

Best Camera Tripod Under $100: Dolica Proline Tripod With Ball Head

dolica 1

If you're looking for an inexpensive tripod that's not short on features, the Dolica Proline is a great choice.

Priced under $50, this tripod offers a maximum load capacity of 13.2 pounds and a maximum height of more than 62-inches.

It's super lightweight, too, making it an excellent choice for landscape photographers and travel photographers alike.

dolica 2

At this price point, you don't usually find a tripod with an included ball head. You certainly don't usually find one with a quick-release plate and a bubble level, either.

This tripod has quick-release legs for easy setup and takedown, and they are thick, too, meaning they offer more stability for your shots.

There's a center-column hook for adding ballast when the wind kicks up, a reversible locking center column, non-slip rubber feet, and foam grips on the legs as well.

All this in a package that weighs just 2.9 pounds and folds down to under 23-inches in length!

Learn more about the Dolica Proline Tripod With Ball Head

Best Camera Tripod Under $100 Runner-Up: Benro Slim Tripod Kit With Ball Head

best camera tripod under 100 4 benro 

This tripod Kit from Benro is lightweight, has a slim profile, and folds down to a compact size for easy carrying. 

It features twist leg locks that make deploying its legs a quick process, a grooved center column that prevents twisting, and a center-column hook for adding ballast in windy conditions.

It has a load capacity of 8.8 pounds, three leg positions for uneven terrain, and a removable ball head too.

Learn more about the Benro Slim Tripod Kit With Ball Head

Bonus Option Under $100: Octopus.Camera OctoPad

octopad 1

Okay, okay...I know the Octopad isn't a tripod. But this thing is so incredibly useful and works so well that I had to include it on this list.

Its size makes it far more maneuverable than even the smallest travel or tabletop tripods. But don't let its small stature fool you.

Its weighted non-slip mat design offers an incredible amount of stability - far more than more conventional mini tripods or suction cup mounts.

I typically use my OctoPad to stabilize my GoPro. I even sit it on my dashboard in my car and use my GoPro as a dashcam - even offroad!

octopad dashboard

This thing doesn't slip or slide, it doesn't tip over or collapse under the weight of my GoPro, and the ball head clamps securely. Just what you need out of a solid support device for your camera!

Add in a standard 1/4-20 bolt for attaching your own accessories, a cable strap to keep your camera cables organized and out of the way, and a handy clip grommet to secure the OctoPad with a lanyard or carabiner, and you have the makings of a small, portable, functional, and useful stabilization device for your action cam, smartphone, small camera, light...you name it!

And at $26.95, the OctoPad is the least expensive option on this list!

Learn more about the Octopus.Camera OctoPad

Best Camera Tripod Under $250: Manfrotto Element Traveler Tripod

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This is a big tripod in that it extends up to 65-inches, yet Manfrotto has worked its magic so that it’s lightweight and stable to provide your camera with the support it needs to capture clear, sharp images.

Like the Geekoto tripod described above, this one also offers both tripod and monopod functionalities.

Best Tripod For DSLR

You can enjoy a compact design that’s ideal for traveling, yet still have the support necessary to provide a stable base for a big DSLR with a big lens.

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It has three leg angles to give you versatility in the shots you take, a telescoping center column for a little extra height, an aluminum ball head with an independent pan lock, and 5 leg sections with easy twist-lock mechanisms.

It’s also priced well below the $250 threshold - at the time of this writing, you can pick this tripod up for just under $150. That’s a great value for a tripod that can handle 17.6 pounds of gear!

Learn more about the Manfrotto Element Traveler Tripod

Best Camera Tripod Under $250 Runner-Up: Vanguard VEO 2 264AB 

best camera tripod under 250 3 vanguard

Vanguard tripods have always gotten high marks for their quality of construction and functionality, and the VEO 2 264AB is no exception. 

Not only is this tripod easy to set up, but it also has an innovative central column that enables quick setup of the tripod - just 15 seconds total. That rapid setup is also helped by easy twist-lock leg locks that enable you to extend the four-section legs and lock them in place in mere seconds.

Like many other tripods on this list, this unit also has multiple leg positions and angles, a center column hook for ballast, and a ball head. It’ll support nearly 18 pounds of gear too!

Learn more about the Vanguard VEO 2 264AB

Best Camera Tripod Under $500: Peak Design 5-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod

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Peak Design is one of the premier tripod companies in the world, and it’s obvious why this is the case when you look at one of their tripods. 

This 5-section aluminum tripod was designed from the ground up to be small, lightweight, and super strong.

When folded down, it’s about the size of a water bottle, making it one of the most portable tripods on this list. Yet, despite its tiny size, this thing can accommodate a whopping 20 pounds.

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It’s also lightning-quick to setup and takedown, so you don’t have to worry about missing critical shots while you’re getting your gear in place. That’s due to the fast-locking, low-profile leg cams and rapid-deploy legs that extend, rather than flip over, like traditional travel tripod legs.

It has non-slip rubber feet, a center column hook, low and inverted modes for low-angle shots, and an omnidirectional ball head as well. It’s also backed by Peak Designs’ lifetime guarantee. Nice!

Learn more about the Peak Design 5-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod

Best Camera Tripod Under $500 Runner-Up: 3 Legged Thing Punks Brian Carbon Fiber 5-Section Travel Tripod

best camera tripod under 500 3 3 legged thing

Like the Peak Design tripod outlined above, this model by 3 Legged Thing is stuffed full of innovations.

Not only can it support up to 30 pounds of gear, but it has a tri-mount plate with hollowed spurs that allow you to use clip-on devices. The D-Ring and Toolz assembling allow for traditional spring hooks as well.

There’s a detachable monopod, multiple accessory options, a precision-engineered leg lock system that offers improved stability and rigidity, and an Arca-Swiss compatible quick release plate.

Add to that multiple spirit levels, a super ergonomic grip, and ultra-strong carbon fiber legs, and you have the makings of an excellent tripod.

Learn more about the 3 Legged Thing Punks Brian Carbon Fiber 5-Section Travel Tripod

Best Camera Tripod Under $750: Peak Design 5-Section Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod

best camera tripod under 750 1

This tripod is the same as the previous Peak Design tripod I featured above, the only exception being that this one is made of carbon fiber.

You get all the same goodies, including the same 20-pound load capacity, but with the added bonus of having ultra-durable carbon fiber construction.

Learn more about the Peak Design 5-Section Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod

Best Camera Tripod Under $750 Runner-Up: 3 Legged Thing Winston Carbon Fiber Tripod System

best camera tripod under 750 2 3 legged thing 

The Winston model from 3 Legged Thing sports precision-engineered aircraft-grade magnesium alloy construction that supports up to 22 pounds of equipment. In other words, it’s supremely strong and lightweight.

Its modular design means you get the benefit of being able to shoot photos from virtually on the ground up to 73 inches, and with its Paralock System, accidental disassembly is prevented while also adding further stability for the tripod. You get better grip too.

Furthermore, 3 Legged Thing designed this unit with a detachable leg to use as a monopod, a microphone boom, a camera boom, or a selfie stick.

Learn more about the 3 Legged Thing Winston Carbon Fiber Tripod System

Best Camera Tripod Under $1,000: Gitzo Mountaineer Series 2 GT2542 

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If you have the budget for it, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a tripod under $1,000 that’s better made than the Gitzo GK2542-82QD.

Sure, it’s name sounds more like an android from Star Wars, but this tripod is no gimmick - it means serious business.

This tripod and ball head kit is specifically designed for shooters that use a DSLR with a long lens (up to 300mm). As such, it is extremely sturdy and well-balanced with carbon fiber legs that offer excellent stiffness.

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As a result of this impeccable build quality, this tripod supports up to 40 pounds of gear.

The included ball head offers ultra-smooth and precise movements so you can get the exact shot you want. It has a quick-release adapter and is designed to work with other plates as well.

Learn more about the Gitzo Mountaineer Series 2 GT2542

Best Camera Tripod Under $1,000 Runner-Up: ProMediaGear Pro-Stix 34 Series

best camera tripod under 1000 3 promediagear

ProMediaGear makes some truly incredible tripods, and as a result, they’ve built a reputation as one of the best in the business.

Their Pro-Stix 34 Series tripod was built with professional photographers and videographers in mind. It’s tough, rugged, and can support up to 60 pounds.

The apex plate has a ⅜-16 mounting thread so you can add video heads or ball heads, sliders, or gimbals, just to name a few.

Its carbon fiber legs are constructed from 10 individual layers, meaning they are supremely strong. Add in tension-adjustable leg mechanisms, stainless steel foot spikes, and multi-adjustable leg angles, and you have the makings of a tripod that is strong, durable, and highly adaptable to your needs as well.

Learn more about the ProMediaGear Pro-Stix 34 Series

Best Camera Tripod Over $1,000: ProMediaGear Pro-Stix 4-Section Long Carbon Fiber Tripod

best camera tripod over 1000 1

Like the 34 Series tripod from ProMediaGear I outlined just above, this 4-section carbon fiber tripod was designed and built with professionals in mind.

This particular model is rated up to 125 pounds, so there is ample leeway for adding tons of gear to this rig.

The apex of this tripod has an interchangeable flat plate/bowl mount with several ¼-20 holes to add accessories. There’s even anti-rotation pin slots to add further gear to the tripod.

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The legs are made of carbon fiber for strength and have three adjustable angle positions that lock, that way you can adjust the tripod to suit virtually any shooting situation. Additionally, each leg has ¼-20 threads on the top collar for adding even more accessories.

With stainless steel foot spikes, you can use this tripod on slippery or uneven terrain without worry that it will slide around. That’s the peace of mind you want if you have 125 pounds of gear on it!

Learn more about the ProMediaGear Pro-Stix 4-Section Long Carbon Fiber Tripod

Best Camera Tripod Over $1,000 Runner-Up: Manfrotto 608 Carbon Fiber Tripod With Nitrotech Fluid Video Head 

best camera tripod over 1000 3 manfrotto

If videography is your game, this is the tripod for you.

Specifically designed for video work, the Manfrotto 608 holds nearly 18 pounds of gear and includes a fluid video head for precise control during shooting sequences.

The variable continuous fluid drag system offered by the video head enables ultra-smooth and judder-free pan and tilt movements while filming. The head also has a ⅜-inch easy link system with an anti-rotation system that allows you to add Manfrotto arms for adding accessories to your setup, like an external monitor.

The legs have multiple angle selections and four leg sections so you have good flexibility regarding the shooting angle and height.

This tripod even comes with its own carrying case for easy transport! 

Learn more about the Manfrotto 608 Carbon Fiber Tripod With Nitrotech Fluid Video Head

 



We Recommend


Cheap Camera Accessories You Need in Your Camera Bag

Cheap Camera Accessories You Need in Your Camera Bag

photo byRasulovs via iStock

Photography can be an expensive hobby, what with the high prices of new cameras, lenses, and accessories. We can save money as photographers in various ways, though.

A huge money saver is buying inexpensive camera gear through reputable used equipment stores. Another money saver is finding cheap camera accessories that can actually do the job we need them to do.

What is surprising to many newer photographers is that some of the best camera accessories for accomplishing certain jobs are also some of the most inexpensive camera accessories available. Here is a list of some of the best cheap camera gear that we have found to be extremely useful for all levels of photographers.

Octopus.Camera OctoPad

Octopus.Camera OctoPad

The small and very inexpensive camera and accessory mount OctoPad is one of my favorite items and is also one of the best cheap camera accessories around. It is such a simple idea that I’m surprised I never thought of it before. It’s not a bean bag, not a suction cup, not a clamp, not a tripod, it’s simply a weighted non-slip pad with a ¼-20 thread mounting screw.

The non-slip bottom is the key aspect of what makes this much more than a weighted bean bag. The OctoPad is designed into a specific shape which is maintained by the tight sewing of the canvas material and the semi-rigid rubbery bottom pad. 

Octopus.Camera OctoPad 2

The weight and the non-slip pad allows you to place the OctoPad on various surfaces that can be angled up to 45 degrees. Adding a small ball and socket head to the center threaded post gives you lots of available adjustment for exact camera or accessory placement and position.

You will no doubt find all sorts of uses for your own OctoPad, I use mine for my camera, small LED lights for video, an accessory microphone, and I have even mounted a small wireless video monitor. OctoPad is always on my short list of cheap camera accessories I can recommend without hesitation.

Camera Canopy

Camera Canopy

The Camera Canopy is a cheap camera accessory that allows you to keep shooting during inclement weather such as rain or snow. It is different from other inexpensive camera accessories for rain like bags in that it leaves your camera controls easy to access and is adaptable to various size lenses.

It is three hard pieces of plastic that mounts on top of your camera and can be adjusted to accommodate long lenses and also protect the backside of the camera. A lot of times, you will only need the two main pieces.  

They are angled like a roof line, providing protection from snow and rain, even with some wind involved. It is not 100% coverage for severe weather, but it works perfectly for most conditions I would be out in. 

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Neewer 5-in-1 Reflector Pack

CamKix Camera Cleaning Kit 1

If you’ve been following my articles, you know I am a big fan of the Neewer brand of inexpensive camera accessories and lighting. The Neewer 5-in-1 Reflector Pack is one of the most useful cheap camera accessories that can greatly enhance your lighting for photos or videos.

It’s a 43 inch reflector that collapses down to 15 inches for storage and transport. The 5-in-1 aspect of it is that it’s a translucent white frame with 4 different colors in covers that fit tightly over it. The translucent part can be used for diffusing light, the 4 colors, white, black, silver, and gold are reflectors.

CamKix Camera Cleaning Kit 2

The Neewer 5-in-1 is very lightweight and is super simple to use for either video or photos. I tend to use either the white reflector or silver reflector for my personal images since they don’t add much of a color shift. The gold reflector comes in handy for some portrait subjects to warm up their appearance.

The translucent white and the black are useful for toning down the intensity of the light falling on the subject with the translucent  white also diffusing the light making it softer.

CamKix Camera Cleaning Kit

CamKix Camera Cleaning Kit

In order to keep your camera and lenses in top condition, they will require periodic cleaning. The CamKix Camera Cleaning Kit has everything you need for cleaning lenses and the camera body but not for sensor cleaning. For sensors, you either need a specialty kit or use your favorite local camera store.

When cleaning lenses, it’s very important to use kits that are specially designed for cleaning optics. Regular glass cleaning supplies or our shirt tails are not good for the glass of our lenses or on camera bodies.

This kit has a blower to remove large chunks of dust and dirt, reusable microfiber lens cloths, soft brushes, and a solution for really stubborn smudges or oils. Hint: to avoid damaging your expensive gear, never apply any liquid directly to a lens or a camera, always apply to the tissue or cloth first.

Bargain Shop on Trusted Websites

inexpensive camera accessories

photo byjacoblund via iStock

To find all of the cheap camera accessories you want, you will need to find a couple of trusted websites that host valid reviews. You can usually tell a real review because they will tend to praise things without implying perfection and also tend to have some nitpicks included. 

I tend to gravitate towards specialty retailers like camera stores and the well established general sites, but I also find it fun to scour the internet for new ideas. If you find a good candidate for our next cheap camera accessories article or something else you would enjoy, post a notice in our message board forum and I promise that I’ll take a look. 

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We Recommend


Common Beginner Photography Mistakes

Common Beginner Photography Mistakes

 photo byNguyenDucQuang via iStock

Everyone makes mistakes in photography, some are easier to correct than others. Many of the most common beginner photography mistakes are very simple to fix. A large number of the problems that beginner photographers run into concern either being unfamiliar with photographic techniques or the equipment itself.

Basic photography tips will cover these beginner photography mistakes allowing you to identify what went wrong and how to correct it. Along the way, we’ll throw in some beginner photography tips which will help you avoid many errors to start with.

No Composition

beginner photography mistakes 1

 photo byPaula Jones via iStock

When people say that someone has an eye for photography, what they usually mean is that their photographs are visually appealing. Photographic composition will often play a large part in that enjoyment. A lack of good composition is usually nothing more than not thinking it through.

There are several beginner photography tips that will help us in creating good compositions. The rule of thirds and leading lines are two that are simple to master in most photographic genres including landscape photography. These rules of compositions are guidelines to creating pleasing images.

Part of taking care of composition is to also make sure there are no distracting elements in the image area. An item behind a portrait subject can appear to be growing out of the person’s head, or a trashcan intruding along the edge of the picture can distract from a classic building or a flower garden.

Bad Exposure

common beginner photography mistakes 2

 photo bypeeterv via iStock

Modern cameras are capable of handling a wide variety of exposure issues automatically, but these metering systems are not perfect by any means. Certain situations will require our input and intervention to capture a good image. 

Any scene with a large expanse of light or dark or a subject with very strong backlighting is likely not to be exposed correctly, even with evaluative metering. There are a couple of basic photographic tips we can use to correct these beginner photography mistakes. 

Changing to a different metering pattern and using AE lock or adding or subtracting on the exposure compensation dial are just one level of thought removed from full automation, so they are readily accessible to any skill level. There are online tutorials for most of our beginner photography equipment that will teach us these things.

Included in exposure related beginner photography mistakes are misunderstanding the built-in flashes of the cameras we’re using. Though they are great for many photos, they are not a substitute for a carefully crafted lighting configuration such as for a portrait. Plus, they aren’t that powerful, we won’t capture distant subjects with them. 

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Motion Blur

beginner photography tips 3

 photo bysanjeri via iStock

Shutter speed settings allow us to control a lot of motion issues but sometimes we just need to support and stabilize our camera. Subject motion can sometimes add to the photograph but camera motion rarely does.

Which is why we use tripods and other camera mounts to hold our cameras still. One of the beginner photography mistakes we can avoid is leaving our somewhat bulky tripod behind because it’s bulky but then not having anything to stabilize our camera.

beginner photography tips 4

Tripod alternatives are the answer for this problem. The OctoPad is one of the most useful of all of the tripod alternatives I’ve tested. It’s also compact and inexpensive, making it the perfect item to add to our beginner photography gear.

OctoPad is a weighted semi rigid pad with a non slip bottom and a ball head on top to hold our camera. It can be placed virtually anywhere indoors or out, even on slanted surfaces up to 45 degrees. Since they are cheap enough and small enough, we can carry a couple of them, one for the camera and one for a light, especially useful for video mode.

Focus Blur

problems that beginner photographers run into 5

 photo byFangXiaNuo via iStock

The other blur that is one of the more common beginner photography mistakes is poor focus. This is most often caused by the camera’s automation focusing on something other than what we intended. 

Taking control of the focus points will usually fix this issue. Dynamic AF is great for many situations but sometimes it’s better to set one focus point and use focus lock to control the focus. If the camera has back button focusing available, this is also a fairly straightforward solution.

Learning how to control depth of fieldto have a lot of the image in focus or a selective area in focus will also help us create better images. Lens aperture controls this to a large degree, but lens aperture is also part of the exposure triangle so we need to stay aware of that or we’re right back to the other beginner photography mistakes about bad exposure.

Dirty Gear

beginner photography equipment 6

 photo byPeopleImages via iStock

If there is something in your image that looks out of place in the image, it might be dust on the sensor. Though our beginner photography gear has great sensor dust control, if we don’t keep the camera clean, then we can cause this issue merely by changing lenses.

You may not want to tackle sensor cleaning yourself, but cleaning the lens and camera is a simple job and we might avoid the sensor dirt issue altogether if we keep our gear as clean as possible. Many local camera stores offer image sensor cleaning services for reasonable prices to help us out in case we get something stuck on it.

Sometimes, it’s our camera bag that causes part of the issue. The bag we got in our kit is rarely the ideal choice for carrying our gear, many times they’re just too small, other times we just get a little careless about what’s in them. A good bag that protects well and that we can keep clean will be a great aid to avoiding dirt, grime, and dust.

Correct By Avoiding

basic photography tips 7

 photo byMarioGuti via iStock

The best fix for all five of these common beginner photography mistakes is to avoid making them in the first place. Get your gear clean, learn the basic camera controls for flash, exposure, and focus, use a small camera support when necessary, and take a little time to concentrate on composition and your photos will be better.

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Compact Photographic Items Useful for Traveling

Compact Photographic Items Useful for Traveling

When I’m travelling for any purpose, I usually have a camera and other photo gear with me. You never know when you’ll come across a great opportunity for architectural photography, long exposure photography, nature photography, or landscape photography. 

Even when travelling for a photo job, luggage space is often at a premium, so compactness or multi use capability is often something to value. So, for general photography gear, an MFT format mirrorless camera might be an option. For long exposure photography gear, a camera mount and a filter holder system. For landscape and architectural photography gear, an ultra-wide-angle zoom could be in order. 

So, let’s look at some ideas for a compact camera, nature photography, and long exposure photography gear lists.

Compact Gear for Architectural Photography

compact photographic items 1

 photo byBackiris via iStock

Even though I usually check online for possible subjects in any city or town I’m traveling to, I’m always surprised by what I find off the beaten path. I want to capture the beauty of the buildings I find, so I bring a high-quality camera. 

High quality in the digital age can come in any size. The cropped format MFT (Micro Four Thirds) has excellent quality in a very compact size in the form of popular cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III and the Panasonic GH5. Add a compact sized ultra-wide-angle zoom lens and you have a very capable tool for capturing outstanding architectural images.

These mirrorless cameras and their lenses are very compact and deliver outstanding image quality. They are also excellent videography cameras so you get double duty out of your MFT rig this saving space in your gear bag.

Compact Gear for Long Exposures

travel photography 2

Using those same MFT cameras from the above paragraphs, we can capture ultra long exposures provided we have good enough support. As a long exposure gear guide for beginners, I like to extol the virtues and usefulness of a great tool I found, the OctoPad camera mount.

For long exposure photography, keeping the camera still is a prerequisite. Many times we would opt for a tripod, but when travelling light we can look for tripod alternatives. The OctoPad camera mount is an excellent way to keep our camera still for ultra long exposures. 

It’s a compact, weighted, semi rigid disk with a non-slip pad on the bottom. The top has a ball head and can be extended up with an accessory mount arm. The pad can hold several pounds of camera gear on almost any type of surface, even when that surface slopes up to 45 degrees. The OctoPad is compact, making it very useful for travelling.

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How To Pack Light for a Photography Trip

Long Exposure Photography Gear List

Compact Gear for Filters

lightweight photography gear 3

 photo byblanscape via iStock

Other gear for long exposure photography is also useful for general photography and architectural photography. A good filter holder system is worth its weight in gold. A filter holder system allows for using specialty filters on several different lenses.

Some of these specialty filters also qualify for inclusion in our long exposure photography gear list. A good filter holder kit for landscape and other photography can hold multiple filters at once, such as a C-POL filter, a GND filter, or a 10-stop ND filter for perfect landscape, architectural, or long exposure photography.

The Perfect Bag to Hold Them All

must have travel photography gear 4

The perfect grab bag for holding all of our compact photography gear is a sling bag, like the HEX Ranger Sling shown above.

Not only is a sling bag compact, they are also quite convenient for rapid access to our photo gear while traveling. Many sling pack style bags have extra features such as webbing and grommets that we can attach more to.

In this case, the original Ranger Sling and the Ranger Sling V2 offer loads of features that make traveling with your gear a breeze.

For starters, the bag hugs your body so you don't have to worry about it bouncing all over the place as you explore for the next shot. It's slim form factor is ideal for things like street photography, but don't think that because it's a svelte bag that it can't hold all your gear. You get eight liters of space for all your stuff, so you can be well equipped and still travel light.

In the case of the Ranger Sling V2, you get the added benefit of a stowaway rain fly, increased padding on the shoulder strap and the top of the bag, and a double-buckle strap for more sizing options.

As far as I'm concerned, when you need to travel light, there is no better bag than the HEX Ranger Sling!

Don’t Forget a Compact LED Light

photography gear 5

 photo byJag_cz via iStock

Since we’re using an MFT camera system, we shouldn’t overlook the awesome video capabilities most of these fine cameras have. In order to take full advantage of their video modes, we should be sure to carry a portable light source like the LitraTorch 2.0.

Continuous lights made with LED bulbs are available in sizes small enough to mount directly to the camera. Since they’re LEDs, they can be battery powered for true portability. In fact, I own several that are about as small as a deck of playing cards. A couple of those attached to their OctoPad could make up a complete portable lighting studio for videography or on location photography.

What About Smartphones?

must have travel photography gear 6

 photo byDrazen_ via iStock

I really prefer the extra capabilities that mirrorless or DSLR cameras offer, but when it comes down to being somewhere or at some time that makes a full camera impractical, then the cameras built into our smartphones are very capable photography and video tools, especially the newest models. Add a couple of versatile apps to get the most out of these always available cameras. 

A little planning and some compact photographic items in our bags will enable us to be ready to capture the awesome images and videos our creative minds see when traveling.  

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Critical Tips for Low Light Photography

Critical Tips for Low Light Photography

Photo by AlvaroHernandezSanchez via iStock

Capturing pictures in low light can result in amazing images, or it can be an exercise in futility. Follow these critical low light photography tips for making amazing photos in various low light photography situations and avoid the frustration of some of the common issues.

As we examine our low light photography ideas, I’ll also show you some great low light photography gear and talk about some useful low light photography settings you can use for making your own great images.

Table of Contents:

The Joys of Low Light Photography

Joys of Low Light Photography

Photo by ricardoreitmeyer via iStock

Low light photography is a lot of fun. I enjoy the results and all the steps leading up to presenting the final image. I’m wagering a lot of you do, too. 

For my definition of low light photography, I will exclude adding lights or a flash unit to brighten the scene. Instead, I see low light photography as capturing the scene with just me and my camera and some way to keep the camera still.

Using a flash or adding a light can be an easy solution that often alters what I see as the magic of a low light scene. In fact, unless it’s done really well, adding an external light source can completely change the feel of the final image.

That being said, there is nothing at all wrong with adding artificial light to a scene. But then, this becomes a discussion about lighting or flash use. For low light photography, I’m relying on capturing natural light.

Interestingly, if you’ve ever been on a movie set when they are shooting a “low light” scene, you’ll notice how much lighting gear is in use. Sometimes it’s more equipment than in a standard scene. The cinematographer, the guy in charge of the lighting configurations, may have some focused spots on one or two actors’ faces, and there are as many baffles and scrims as there are reflectors and lights.  

Seeing how much effort it takes to mimic a naturally occurring low light scene for cinema gives me more appreciation for the natural light we see all around us, including in a low light photography situation, which is what we’re attempting to capture in our still images of low light scenes and situations.

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Camera Settings for Low Light Photography

Camera Settings for Low Light Photography

Photo by JanStauffer via iStock

The optimum low light photography settings for our cameras are sometimes counterintuitive. We’re thinking, “open that lens aperture all the way,” and “use the fastest lens I have,” or “raise up the ISO so the settings fall into place.”

Those are all workable ideas, by the way. Sometimes that is the way to go. But, often, the wide-open aperture of a super fast lens doesn't give me enough focus depth. Or the higher ISO introduces too much noise. 

So, I opt for a moderate lens aperture, often choosing the sweet spot aperture for the best optical performance. And while my newer cameras have excellent high ISO quality, I pull back a little to ensure my shadow areas don’t look noisy. Unless that’s the effect I’m trying to get, that is.

This means that the shutter speeds for proper exposure may be on the slow side. You can hold a camera at longer shutter speeds with proper technique and practice. If your camera has image stabilization technology, that can help out quite a bit. Play around with your camera with shake reduction turned on and turned off to see what your personal limits are. 

Low Light Photography Gear Options

Low Light Photography Gear Options

Photo by Gwaigir via iStock

Your low light photography gear choices can greatly affect what you can accomplish as a final image result. For best performance, you want to have as large a sensor as you can. The three most popular sensor sizes, MFT, APS-C, and Full Frame, all will produce wonderful images, but there is a definite performance difference with the larger Full Frame sensor holding the edge.

Another interesting fact is that a lower megapixel (MP) count is better for low light photography than a comparable-size sensor with a high pixel count. Both of these sensor qualities are due to individual pixel sizes. A 12MP Full Frame sensor has larger pixels than a 24MP MFT or APS-C sensor, making the first sensor better regarding low light performance. 

Image stabilization features are great for many low light photography situations. Some newer mirrorless cameras have 5 to 7 stops of added stability, usable with virtually any lens. Put all of this together, and you can see that several cameras in the current lineup of Full Frame format mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, and Sony are low light photography powerhouses.

If you’re already using other Full Frame cameras or APS-C and MFT format cameras, many also provide excellent low light performance. Really, any camera can be used for great low light photography when you use good technique or a camera mount of some type.

Octopad

Since your shutter speeds can be on the slow side of the dial when shooting in low light, a portable stability device such as a monopod, a travel tripod, or the OctoPad camera mount becomes a valuable accessory.  

OctoPad is a handy item that should be in your low light photography gear bag. It’s more compact than a travel tripod and steadier than a monopod. OctoPad is a compact, flat disk of heavy-duty, weighted material with a ball head attached to the top. 

Octopad Bottom

Underneath is a non-slip pad that allows your camera to be placed on the uneven surfaces we may find in low light photography, even if that surface is angled up to 45 degrees. It can hold a large camera still for the long shutter speeds we use in lower light levels. I have found that OctoPad is also a must-have accessory for videography.

Low Light Photography Creative Ideas

Low Light Photography Creative Ideas

Photo by fcafotodigital via iStock 

Having good low light photography gear and implementing these low light photography tips will put you in a position to capture some great images. So, what should you photograph? Here are some ideas:

  • Night landscapes
  • Concerts, indoors and outdoors
  • Street lamp portraits
  • Bars and restaurants
  • Night cityscapes
  • Car photography
  • Boudoir and glamour
  • Libraries
  • Classic architecture
  • Window light portraits
  • Street scenes
  • Wildlife at dusk or dawn
  • Blue Hour and Golden Hour
  • Storms
  • Still life
  • Weddings and receptions
  • Sports events 

Take any of these low light photography subject ideas and change them up by exposing them for high-key or low-key photography. Also, do any of these in black and white. You’ll enjoy the results and the process of getting those awesome low light photography images.

Low Light Photography FAQs

Low Light Photography FAQs

Photo by miniseries via iStock

Do I need specialized gear for low light photography?

No, any camera with adjustable settings can be used for low light photography. However, some cameras are better suited for low light imaging, such as larger sensor cameras and faster lenses.

If my shutter speeds for correct exposure are long, how can I capture clear and sharp low light images?

Some method for steadying the camera is optimal for low light photography. Built-in image stabilization can be used in many situations, or a small camera mount like a travel tripod, monopod, or OctoPad can be used.

Should I use the highest ISO my camera has?

The highest ISO settings on digital cameras may not be best because of the increased noise this causes, which can degrade the image. However, higher ISO settings than what is typically used for daylight scenes are a good idea.

Where can I find more tips and techniques for making great images?

PhotographyTalk has articles and courses covering all aspects of serious photography and videography. Come back and visit anytime!

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Crucial Sports Photography Composition Tips

Crucial Sports Photography Composition Tips

Photo by Andreyuu via iStock

Sports photography is a fun genre to try. Similar to wildlife photography, we can use many of the same tips and gear for sports photography.

It may seem a little tricky at first to use composition tips in our sports photography, but it is surprisingly intuitive once you get started. Let’s see what sports photography tips and gear can assist in capturing great images.

Table of Contents:

What Is Sports Photography?

What Is Sports Photography

Photo by gorodenkoff via iStock

As we hinted at in the opening of this discussion, sports photography is very similar to wildlife photography, a field of photography that many landscape and nature photographers lean towards naturally. 

Many readers of this site are used to going out on a photo trek to capture a sweeping, majestic view of an area and also finding birds in flight or at rest, an elk or moose standing tall and proud, or a beautiful butterfly flitting between flowers.

In wildlife photography, some subjects are in motion, rapid or slower, and some are at rest. The same things happen with sports photography subjects. The subjects of both genres may be full of action, but they can also be stationary. The potential for action and movement is always present, even in a sleeping bobcat or a parked race car.

Basic Sports Photography Tips

Basic Sports Photography Tips

Photo by amriphoto via iStock

Some of the basic sports photography tips are deeply tied to motion. How are we showing or capturing the motion? Shutter speeds are an important tool for sports photography. A fast shutter speed can freeze motion, capturing details that zip by us as it’s happening. A slower shutter speed can actually show the action since it will blur the subject to a greater or lesser degree.

Panning with the action blends those two effects, keeping the subject relatively sharp and frozen in time while blurring or streaking the background. Panning with the action also helps set the subject off from a background that might otherwise be distracting. 

Another helpful sports photography tip is using a wide aperture for selective focus. This will also separate the subject from distracting elements since they will be blurred out in the background or foreground.

Some Awesome Sports Photography Gear

Octopad

 Some specific sports photography gear is beneficial to capture amazing sports photography images. A fast lens, a camera with a continuous AF mode, and a portable camera mount come to mind. 

Taking the portable camera mount first, the Octopad is an invaluable item to carry with us for sports photography, just as we would for nature and wildlife photography. Octopad is a disk of heavy-duty material with a ball head on top and a non-slip pad underneath. It can be put on virtually any type of surface, even if that surface is angled up to 45 degrees, giving you a sturdy platform.

That sturdy platform is handy when using techniques such as panning with the action. You want to stay flexible while steadying the camera, so its small size and light weight are helpful. 

 Octopad 2

Since the included ball head mounts to a simple ¼-20 thread on the top side of the Octopad, you could switch it out with a pistol grip action head to make following any action easier. A quick-release plate is also a good idea, letting you quickly switch to handheld action photography.

A fast aperture lens, zoom or single focal length prime, gives you more options for adjusting shutter speeds and makes selective focus effects possible in more lighting conditions. Plus, the faster aperture lenses from most manufacturers tend to be more rugged professional-style lenses, which you will appreciate in the sometimes harsher conditions of sports photography.

Most digital cameras with interchangeable lenses have a continuous focus mode for autofocus while tracking a moving subject. The intermediate and prosumer-style cameras often have more AF points, faster AF, and more advanced features than entry-level cameras, which can be utilized for better sports photography.

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Implied Motion vs Motion in Sports Photography

Implied Motion vs Motion in Sports Photography

Photo by IPGGutenbergUKLtd via iStock 

Sports photography is often filled with lots of action and motion. Capturing the motion by freezing movement or panning along with the movement results in great images. Sometimes, however, a subject can convey the action that’s about to happen, creating a very powerful image. 

As an example, we may be at a track and field event. So much action and movement! Practice those panning and freezing movement techniques with the runners racing along the track or a pole vaulter soaring over the bar. 

An image of a group of runners in the set position at the starting line projects an idea of a lot of action about to happen. The same thought works with that pole vaulter holding the pole and just about to start their lead-in run.

The subject is not moving, but the viewer of the images gets a very tangible feeling of the intense action that will happen next. That’s the difference between motion or action vs implied action. Both methods work well. Create a sequence of images using both techniques to give viewers the full experience.

The Value of Negative Space

Value of Negative Space

Photo by Artur Didyk via iStock

Negative space is an effective composition tool for sports photography, whether for implied or in-progress action. With the subject off-center in the composition, negative space tells the story of where they’re about to be or where they just were.

Combined with other sports photography techniques, such as panning with the action, we can leave a lot of negative space behind the subject with the blurred background becoming streaks of speed. Alternatively, we could use negative space in front of the subject, creating an image suggesting implied motion or upcoming action.

Peak of Action = Decisive Moment

Peak of Action Decisive Moment

Photo by gorodenkoff via iStock 

The decisive moment is a street photography term made popular by early masters such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, and Andre Kertesz. A decisive moment refers to capturing a unique and fleeting moment that exists for a brief instant of time. The term applies to sports photography in that the decisive moment is often the peak of action.

The peak of the action is seldom the fastest movement and is not always the end result or beginning of the action. Instead, more often than not, it’s that moment in time when one action stops, and another is about to begin.

For example, going back to that track and field event, the pole vaulter or high jumper has a peak of action at a decisive moment as they clear the bar. The upward movement of the athlete stops in midair right before the law of gravity brings them back down to Earth. 

They are motionless for a moment between going up and coming down. That’s the peak of action, a decisive moment captured in time by your camera. There is no motion, but the subject is surrounded in time by all sorts of action. 

This technique works with many other types of subjects in sports photography. A football pass play, the wind up of a baseball pitch or cricket bowler, a downhill skier turning on a slalom, and many other situations in all sorts of sports photography will work as the peak of action.

Leading Lines in Sports Photography

Leading Lines in Sports Photography

Photo by FangXiaNuo via iStock

The downhill skier on a mountain, a runner on an oval track, the catcher in a baseball diamond, and a football player on the sideline all have leading lines surrounding them. Whether capturing actual motion or implied motion, any of these leading lines can be incorporated into our sports photography.

Other leading lines ideas for sports photography could be the parts of a race car, the staggered lineup at the starting line of a relay race, a low-angle view of speed skaters or hockey players, the reins held by a jockey, and so on.

Will Rule of Thirds Work for Sports Photography?

Will Rule of Thirds Work for Sports Photography

Photo by Edwin Tan via iStock

Most photographers automatically think of the Rule of Thirds when considering composition tips. Will this guideline work in sports photography? Absolutely! Sports photography of all types allows us to mix and match the rules of composition we already know. 

Combining the rule of thirds with negative space, peak of action, selective focus, and creative exposure ideas can result in out-of-the-ordinary and creative compositions, giving us truly outstanding sports photography images. 

Where to Go for Practicing Sports Photography

Where to Go for Practicing Sports Photography

Photo by urbazon via iStock

Some of the best places for practicing our sports photography tips are right in our own backyards, figuratively and literally. A swingset for our child or a badminton or pickleball net stretched out in our yard can yield some great images.

Other local or nearby places could be a local high school or junior college with a football field, baseball diamond, or track and field pitch. Make sure you have permission if you try to be near the action. 

A local public park might also have opportunities to practice our sports photography. Disk golf, pick-up touch football games, or people playing with their pets can all be used for capturing sports photography images. Again, for some of these, please be sure to get the subjects' permission.

Like wildlife photography, sports photography can be a lot of fun. It can also provide you with outstanding images you can enjoy, share with others, or market as stock photography. Just do it!

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Do's and Don'ts of Low Angle Portrait Photography

Dos and Donts of Low Angle Portrait Photography

Photo by David-Prado via iStock

 Low angle portrait photography is a style that some photographers may have yet to try. For good reason, too! As a general rule, low angle portrait photography can be somewhat troublesome. Shadows, unflattering points of view, and perceived distortion can cause some issues.

 Still, some excellent reasons exist to incorporate low angle photography into our portrait poses and compositions. With that in mind, we’ll examine some do’s and don’ts of low angle portrait photography and see where it takes us.

Table of Contents:

Pros and Cons of Low Angle Portrait Photography

Pros and Cons of Low Angle Portrait Photography

photo bywoodstock via iStock

One truism I’ve come to appreciate over the years about photography advice is that if someone tells me not to do something, that’s a pretty good reason to try my hand at that something. 

 With regards to low angle portrait photography, a con to consider is that it can be unflattering to people if not done correctly. Shadows can block up, everyone gets a double chin, and forced-looking posing are all legitimate reasons to be careful about low angle portrait photography.

 On the other hand, when carefully executed, low angle portrait photography can add importance to the subject, create excitement, and open up all sorts of creative posing and composition ideas.

3 Don'ts of Low Angle Portrait Photography

Don’t Ignore the Background 

Dont Ignore the Background

Photo by ilkermetinkursova via iStock

Low angle portrait photography is somewhat out of the norm, so it shouldn’t surprise us that we might miss something as we’re taking these pictures that we would have otherwise been right on top of, such as a light pole or tree branch that looks like it’s growing out of the subject’s head. 

During any portrait session, we have a lot of things to keep in check. Adding in the non-standard views of low angle photography and it’s not surprising that we could lose track of some of those details. 

The fix for this is super simple. Just pay attention. We’re not using Kodak Brownie box cameras, our viewfinders and view screens show us what we’re framing. If that twig eight feet above our subject suddenly appears to sprout from the ear of our subject because we changed the perspective, move the camera a little bit until the problem disappears. It's quicker to do than I just took to type it out!

Don’t Add Distortion

Dont Add Distortion

Photo by RapidEye via iStock

It’s easy to add unwanted distortion - real or perceived - when shooting a portrait from a low angle camera position. The problem can be doubled with group or environmental portraits if we use a wide-angle lens. Those exaggerated limbs or facial features may not win us any appreciation from the subject.

This fix is simple as well. In fact, it’s pretty much the same advice - watch what we’re doing. In this situation, it could be remedied by changing the camera position or the subject placement. How they turn their head or move their arms or legs also factors in. Offer some posing direction to alleviate this issue - the subject is probably expecting that anyways.

Don’t Be Too Heavy

Dont Be Too Heavy

Photo by Natsco via iStock

The distortion issue detailed above can add some unflattering perspectives to a person’s face and physique. A person will naturally look down as we get low to shoot these angles, giving them a double chin effect that isn’t natural looking regardless of their body weight. Also, the shadows can bunch up under the eyes, under the arms, and so on, adding to the apparent unnatural proportions.

There are two fixes for this: watch those poses and positions. If the subject looks straight down at the camera, direct them to turn slightly to one side or adjust the tilt of their head. Light and shadow issues can be fixed by adding in light from a small portable LED light on a camera mount or a collapsible reflector.

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3 Do’s of Low Angle Portrait Photography

Do Emphasize the Subject

Do Emphasize the Subject

Photo by Aksonov via iStock

A great advantage of low angle portrait photography, in fact, one of the primary reasons many photographers try it out in the first place, is that the low angle emphasizes the subject, adding importance and interest.

It’s not just the low angle that does this. Creative posing and composition tricks add to the mix and create a mood in the photograph that centers on the subject and raises the implied value of the portrait subject concerning everything else in the image.

Do Add Implied Motion

Do Add Implied Motion

Photo by sad444 via iStock

The low angle can also exaggerate or emphasize the limbs and torso of the portrait subject, making it appear as though the subject is in motion. This can have the effect of adding even more importance to the portrait subject. 

It’s also a great method of signaling to the photograph's viewer that the subject has something more going on beyond the image. Athletes, dancers, business people, artists, and performers of all types will appreciate the flow of power that low angle portrait photography can import.

Do Use Composition Tools

Do Use Composition Tools

Photo by Koto via iStock 

All of those composition tools used in photography, such as the Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines, Negative Space, and so on, are also open to us when shooting low angle portrait photography. It’s only the camera and subject placement that changes what we do in portrait low angle photography. All the other rules and techniques of photography still matter.

Add in different lighting, exposure, and focus techniques, and we have a recipe for creating awesome images of our friends, family, or clients as we avoid the don’ts and employ the do’s of low angle portrait photography.

Helpful Gear for Low Angle Photography

Octopad

Earlier, we hinted at some photography gear we can use for our low angle photography. A collapsible reflector is worth its weight in gold for all sorts of professional photography. It doesn’t have to be fancy. As long as it is in our bag, we can use it for lighting and shadow control. Same for that portable compact LED light we may use for lighting control.

A low angle photography camera mount is invaluable for these styles of portraiture. If we’re hand-holding the camera, the mount can hold the LED light properly. Alternatively, we can mount the camera to it and free our hands to aim the reflector. Plus, it can save our knees from hard floors or rocky ground. 

Octopad is my number one choice for a low angle photography camera mount, whether shooting portraits or anything else. A weighted disk with a non-slip pad, Octopad can be put on all sorts of surfaces, even if that surface is angled up to 45 degrees. 

Low-priced and compact, I often bring 2 or 3 to a location for a photoshoot. They have a dozen or more uses, including holding things like mics for video recording.

Low angle portrait photography is an exciting technique to add to our repertoire of portrait skills. Following these do’s and don’ts will enable you to succeed with this fascinating style of portrait photography. 

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Essential Camera Accessories

Essential Camera Accessories

Photo by Djavan Rodrigues via iStock

You just purchased a high-quality camera and lens kit, either DSLR style or mirrorless, so now you are likely wondering what camera accessories are essential.

Your kit may have included several accessory items, but the essential camera accessories that make serious photography can be somewhat different than what the store offers as a package.

Below is a list of what a lot of experienced photographers consider as essential camera accessories for beginners. Just so you know, there is almost a complete overlap between essential mirrorless camera accessories and essential DSLR camera accessories. 

You might want to note that some accessories are more essential than others depending on what type of photography or video making you want to do. The first three on this list could get you started right away, while some of the others can be picked up soon enough.

Table of Contents

A Comfortable Camera Strap

Holdfast Moneymaker Solo

A number one priority of mine when setting up a new camera (whether brand new or used but new to me) is to change out that dang strap the camera maker put in the box. Ugh, I hate those skinny, uncomfortable camera brand advertising banners!

My preferred style of strap is the sling type that you wear across your body. It is more secure, allows rapid access to all controls, and is much more comfortable with how it distributes weight.

I have begun putting the Holdfast Moneymaker Solo sling strap or its sibling, the Moneymaker Dual Harness on most of my cameras.

Moneymaker Dual Harness

Holdfast Gear is a premier maker of high-quality leather straps, bags, and other accessories for photographers wanting useful and extremely durable gear. As a couple of plusses, they make everything right here in the USA, and their straps and bags are as gorgeous as they are usable.

If you want to invest in a strap that will outlast your camera, head over to Holdfast to check out the Moneymaker Solo!

Memory Cards

SD cards

The digital sensor in your camera is what we think of as the film capturing the image, but that’s actually only half of the job. The information from the sensor needs to be stored somewhere, which is what the memory cards are for. 

Back when everyone shot film, the saying was “film is cheap.” Meaning that your expensive camera gear wasn’t doing you much good if you ran out of film. For digital photographers, memory cards are cheap. Here’s a set of 4with 32GB capacity each as an idea of how little it costs to have several cards.

You always want enough room to store more pics, plus you want a backup for any possible failure of the cards. That doesn’t happen very often, but the one time it happens to you, it can pretty much ruin your photo day if you don’t have another card to capture images.

Portable Camera Support

OctoPad

Your new camera and lens have good image stabilization, but that can only go so far. Sometimes you just need a way to prop your camera up somewhere, whether for low-light photography such as sunsets, Blue Hour, or shooting the moon.

A portable camera support such as the OctoPad is also wonderful for shooting videos, especially those self-shot vlogs you know you’re going to keep doing now that you have a more capable camera.

The OctoPad is unique among essential camera accessories in that it functions similarly to a tripod without all the fuss of lugging around a full-size tripod. It is a compact, weighted, semi-rigid disk with a non-slip pad underneath and a ball head on top. 

You can put your camera rig almost anywhere - on many types of surfaces indoors and out - including surfaces angled up to 45 degrees. It’s also inexpensive, so you can use two or more when you want to add lights and a mic to your video shoots.

External Flash

Canon Speedlite 430EX II

Most entry-level cameras have a built-in flash, but they aren’t very powerful. So any flash needs beyond about 10 or 12 feet or taking flash pictures with either a wide angle lens or telephoto lens will have you wanting a more powerful external flash.

As you shop around for one, you might see some fairly high prices on some, but you won’t need the super flash units that cost multiple hundreds of dollars. As an example, Canon users can choose theCanon Speedlite 430EX II as a very capable external flash. It gives you all the power you need for most flash photography and has lots of useful features.

For other brands of cameras, be sure to get a flash that matches up properly or is dedicated to your particular camera.

Besides saving money by buying a modest flash unit instead of a top-of-the-line pro model, you can also save money by shopping on an online platform such as MPB, which specializes in high-quality used photography gear.

You can find all manner of gear at MPB, from flash units to mirrorless camera bodies to cinema cameras and much more.

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Tripod

Neewer 200cm Multifunctional Aluminum tripod

 Even with all that the OctoPad camera support can do for you, sometimes you simply need a tripod. You want it to be sturdy and stable, versatile, and easy to set up. Something like the Neewer 200cm Multifunctional Aluminum tripod is a great option. This tripod has lots of useful features for many types of photographic endeavors.

Remote Release

Pixel TW 283 DC2

 A remote release comes in very handy when you take photos on a tripod or other camera support. The Pixel TW-283 DC2 wireless release frees you from cords and adds some nifty functions such as interval timer and long exposure timer.

LED Light

KobraTech LED light kit

These next two items are essential camera accessories you will use if you shoot a lot of videos. A battery-powered portable LED light is easy to use and adds high-quality lighting for your videos. As an example, check out the KobraTech LED light kit.

Gimbal Stabilizer 

Zhiyun Tech Weebil 2

When recording video, essential camera accessories like a handheld gimbal stabilizer frees you from a static tripod but still smooths out your videos so the viewers don’t have to endure an unintentional shaky cam effect. Some of these may cost a little more than an external flash, but you can save money by shopping for used equipment on an online platform like MPB.

One I found that won’t break a budget is the Zhiyun-Tech Weebil 2 gimbal stabilizer. It is an active dynamic stabilizer and is very intuitive to use. As far as essential camera accessories for video recording, it’s hard to beat a good gimbal!

mpb homepage

And, as I mentioned above, shopping at MPB allows you to save money by buying used gear. You can put your savings toward buying additional accessories or keep that money in the bank to save for something else.

Additionally, you can trade your old gear in at MPB and use the money you get for your unused or unwanted gear to pay for new-to-you stuff. It really is a fantastic way to outfit your kit with the gear you need!

Durable Bag

Sightseer 2 modular system bag

A bag to put everything in is often neglected in lists of essential camera accessories, but I find a good bag to be a vital piece of photography equipment. Holdfast makes a variety of excellent bags, including the small and efficient Sightseer 2 modular system bag

As with the Moneymaker Solo sling strap, the Sightseer 2 is beautifully made and also provides lots of room with great protection from bumps and bangs that inevitably happen when engaging in serious photography. 

Your Next Lens

Your Next Lens

As you figure out just what your photographic style is and what your needs are, you’ll be searching for your next item of essential camera accessories, another lens or two. Regardless of your needs - ultra-wide-angle, super telephoto, fast multipurpose zoom, macro prime - you’ll find a huge selection of lenses  for current cameras at the online platform MPB. 

MPB carefully inspects all items that come to them and rates them clearly in the description of individual items, has a generous return or exchange policy on most items, and also offers warranties on the gear, so you can save money by buying used photography gear while enjoying the peace of mind of dealing with a reputable dealer.

There are more than ten items you could include as your personal essential camera accessories, polarizer filters, neutral density filters, backdrops, light stands, reflectors, rain shields, and so on. This list of 10 essential camera accessories should get you going in the right direction.

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Essential Tips for Photography While Hiking

Essential Tips for Photography While Hiking

photo byprimeimages via iStock

More and more outdoor recreational sites such as national parks and local attractions are opening up with the warmer weather, the general optimism concerning the pandemic, and kids getting out of school. 

Since so many outdoor enthusiasts enjoy photographing while hiking, it almost seems like taking pictures is a basic activity when hiking outdoors. Let’s talk about how to take good hiking photos and other ideas and tips for photographing the great outdoors.

Nature Photography Tips

photographing while hiking

photo byjacoblund via iStock

What are some of the better nature photography tips and techniques? An important tip for all outdoor photography is to charge up the batteries and carry enough memory cards. When you’re 12 hours from home and 2 hours into a hike is not the time to think about battery charge or if your cards are full. Carry extras, too.

I also prefer my landscape photography gear to have certain features to begin with, many of which I consider before any purchases or upgrades, so it may be a little different for some just starting out photographing while hiking.

Those features usually concern weather sealing and ruggedness as well as exposure control such as spot metering, exposure compensation, and auto bracketing. If your current gear doesn’t have these features, put it on a back burner until you're ready for your next upgrade or find a way to do it otherwise.

Hiking Photography Tips

hiking photography tips

photo bynattrass via iStock

Weather sealing is one of the more important hiking photography tips, since there will be situations that test your nature photography gear. Many newer cameras in the different levels (entry level, prosumer, full fledged professional) have improved weather resistance quite a bit over models from just a few years ago.

If the camera you’re using doesn’t have weather sealing, you can easily add that capability with some inexpensive protective covers. I’ve used rain shields, rain sleeves, padded tactical camera bags, and a plastic freezer bag with a hole cut in it to help protect my gear from my slips and falls and  inclement weather such as snow or drizzle.

Speaking of dealing with water, I want to recommend a non photographic item that I consider ultra important to photographing while hiking, superb footwear. A great pair of hiking boots and some moisture socks will definitely add to your enjoyment of photographing while hiking.

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Landscape Photography Tips

nature photography tips

photo bymustafagull via iStock

A large part of my photographing while hiking will be landscape photography. Hiking away from the paved roads or developed fields tends to result in a scenic view that is just begging to be captured. Other parts of my nature photography outing will involve close up and macro views of interesting things and taking photos of wildlife.

A couple of methods that have had a gigantic impact  in landscape photography are ND filters and bracket and merge HDR photography. Both of these landscape photography tips and techniques are used to control exposure dynamic range issues.  

Neutral density filters and graduated neutral density filters (ND and GND) are used to either change exposure settings for longer exposure times or wider apertures for selective focus tricks, and GND filters are used to balance out a scene with both extremely bright and extremely dark exposure elements. 

High dynamic range or HDR photography, also known as bracket and merge technique, is a method where multiple frames of the same exact scene are taken at several different exposure levels optimizing for deep shadows, bright highlights, and everything in between. 

These two techniques are used to create amazing looking images of nature and landscape scenes. They require extra effort, both while taking the exposure and afterwards in a post processing program. The resulting images can be outstanding when these tools and methods are used creatively.

Hiking and Nature Photography Gear

 photo by eugeniek via iStock

Several of these hiking photography tips and techniques require specialty equipment or using existing equipment in a specific way, so the use of certain landscape photography gear is necessary. 

Using ND filters and GND filters means we need to have these filters on hand. I like to use a filter holder system for this style of photography. A filter holder system is versatile and saves money in the long run since you can adapt one set of filters to many lenses. 

Filter holder systems usually include another important nature and landscape filter, the circular polarizer, one of the basic and first filters we should obtain.

Using ND and GND filters or engaging in HDR photography pretty much means you’ll need a tripod or some sort of support to deal with needing the camera to be completely motionless. If carrying a tripod while hiking isn’t practical or maybe just too cumbersome, try out some of the excellent tripod alternatives for photographing while hiking.

nature photography gear

One of my favorite tripod alternatives is the low cost, compact OctoPad camera mount. It is a weighted, semi-rigid disk with a non-slip pad underneath and a tripod mount on top. You can use it with a ball and socket or add an extension arm for more reach. 

OctoPad is small enough to fit in most backpacks or hiking camera bags like a padded tactical sling pack and is inexpensive so you can use two or more at once for some styles of videography, too. 

Rain sleeves, rain covers, and a microfiber cloth are also valuable accessories for photographing while hiking, since you often run into situations like a passing rain shower or fording a small stream while out in nature searching for great photography subjects.

So as you go out and go places, do things, and take tons of photos, stay safe, watch out for snakes, and enjoy your outdoor photography!

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Exploring Camera Tripod Materials: What Suits Your Needs?

Exploring Camera Tripod Materials What Suits Your Needs

Photo by scyther5 via iStock

 Using a camera tripod or tripod alternative is an essential task for many photographers seeking a special image or operating under certain conditions. But what kind of tripod should you get, and more to the point, what material should your tripod be made of?

 In this guide, we’ll explore all things tripods so you get a better feel of what material suits your needs the best. We’ll even highlight a tripod alternative that might help you ditch that big, bulky tripod in favor of something lightweight, compact, and easy to transport.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents:

When a Camera Tripod Is Necessary

When a Camera Tripod Is Necessary

photo by lapandr via iStock

I use a camera tripod during a lot of my landscape imaging for the extra stability it gives me, which results in better image sharpness. It helps with my leveling camera if I’m using an ultra-wide lens or shooting panoramas. It lets me line up the gradient line in a gradual neutral density (GND) filter, too.

A camera tripod gives the steadiness required for longer exposure times, macro focusing, or long telephoto lenses. It also lets us place the camera in one spot while designing a lighting setup, such as for portraits or repetitive shots used in product photography.

Astrophotography is another application where a camera tripod is necessary, as seen in this video from the Photo Genius YouTube channel:

A camera tripod or some tripod alternative is also necessary for video recording, especially if we are in the video ourselves, as with a YouTube promotional or instructional video.

>Why It Seems Like a Chore to Some

Why It Seems Like a Chore to Some

Photo by Pekic via iStock 

All that being said, using a camera tripod or other stabilizing rig is sometimes seen as a bit of a chore. A likely cause of this feeling is the cumbersome nature of some tripods. 

A camera tripod ties you down to a location; a tripod is heavy to carry around; a tripod slows you down; tripod use is challenging to master. All of these are reasons I’ve heard for not wanting to use a tripod. And they are valid reasons.

To me, it actually shows that maybe we simply need to know about camera tripods, what they are, and how they can be used. Because, in actuality, a camera tripod or a tripod alternative is a vital tool in photography and videography.    

Camera Tripod Materials Make a Difference

Camera Tripod Materials Make a Difference

Photo by GeloKorol via iStock

What can make a difference in how we view a tripod or other type of camera mount is what material is used in its construction. 

Three primary materials are used in tripod construction: wood, metal, and carbon fiber. Each has advantages and drawbacks. Using alternatives to a camera tripod, such as a low-profile camera mount, introduces some other ideas for materials.

Metal Camera Tripods

Metal Camera Tripods

Photo by AzmanJaka via iStock

Most camera tripods are made of metal, aluminum being the most used option. Metal camera tripods are generally inexpensive for whatever size they are, and they offer a very stable platform. Aluminum is lightweight, meaning these tripods aren't extremely heavy.

Still, a large metal camera tripod can weigh several pounds. A heavy-duty metal tripod with a specialty tripod head attached can add significant weight to our gear kit. Metal gets cold and hot in weather extremes, making using one somewhat uncomfortable.  

A metal camera tripod is usually very rugged and able to handle years of heavy use without breaking, bending, or failing in some other way. I have a couple of used camera tripods older than some classic B&W TV shows that are still operating perfectly.

Carbon Fiber Camera Tripods

Carbon Fiber Camera Tripods

Photo by Phillip Thurston via iStock

Carbon fiber is a lightweight alternative to metal for many applications. Cars, airplanes, and sports equipment made from carbon fiber are both lighter and, in some cases, stronger than their metal versions.

When referring to camera tripods, carbon fiber is generally used for the legs. The weight difference between a large metal tripod and one with carbon fiber legs can be significant. They’re also great in weather extremes since they aren’t affected as much as metal tripods.

Carbon fiber isn’t just light and strong; it also quickly dampens vibrations. This benefit is useful in the field of telephoto photography, macro photography, and special filters such as GND or split field filter. It’s also a big plus when using a camera tripod for video recording.

Comparing a carbon fiber camera tripod with an equivalent version in metal, the carbon fiber one will almost always be more expensive. If those benefits listed above are important, the extra cost is worth it.

Wooden Camera Tripods

Wooden Camera Tripods

Photo by grandriver via iStock

In the beginning of photography, almost every tripod was made out of wood. Now, very few camera tripods are made from wood - the ones more likely to be found under a high-end video or cinema camera. 

Wood is a wonderful building material for many applications. Furniture, homes, and fences are made of wood because it’s a very stable material. Treated properly, a wood tripod can last as long as a well-made house. 

If you find a wooden camera tripod today, it will probably be somewhat expensive. They’re either special-purpose cinematography tripods, tripods for very large format film cameras, or classic and collectible antiques.

Genius Level Camera Tripod Alternatives

The Importance of a Steady Camera

An issue I run across from time to time is needing a very stable method for holding my camera but not having a lot of room to carry something or a good place to spread the tripod legs.

An alternative for a camera tripod for those situations that is close to genius level is the Octopad camera mount. The ones I use have a ball and socket tripod head for holding my camera and lens; it’s what’s underneath that’s the genius design.

The Octopad is a weighted disk of heavy-duty but slightly pliable material. It has the ¼-20 screw on top for the ball head (or extension arm and then ball head), but underneath is a rubberized non-slip pad. 

Octopad Bottom

This design lets me place the Octopad on virtually any surface, from a soft chair back to a rocky fence to a large tree limb. Since non-slip material is on the bottom, I don’t have to find a level spot, either; I can place it on a surface angled up to 45 degrees.

General construction is a heavy-duty, rugged canvas-type material. It holds up well to all sorts of weather and surface conditions. I have yet to wear one out, and I put my stuff to some pretty heavy use at times.

Octopad Universal Compatibilty

Besides being an alternative to a camera tripod, I use mine to hold other accessories I need outdoors or at events. I can mount a portable LED light or two and place them anywhere I need them to be. I will often use one to place a mic near my subject when recording video.

The Octopad is a very useful camera tripod alternative. Additional benefits are they are lighter than a tripod, smaller than a tripod, and cheaper than a tripod. I tend to carry several with me for various photography and video shoots. It's truly a genius-level design.

Camera Tripods - Getting the Most Out of One

Camera Tripods Getting the Most Out of One

Photo by Ranta Images via iStock

True, sometimes, using a camera tripod can be a bit of a chore. However, the benefits of a tripod or tripod alternative far outweigh the inconvenience. In fact, some styles of videography or still photography are virtually impossible without one.

Find out what camera tripod material works for you. Don’t forget to look beyond tripods for alternative camera mounts. The end result for whatever level of chore using one might be will be great images and better video.

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Five Reasons Why the Octopad is an Invaluable Photography Accessory

Five Reasons Why the Octopad is an Invaluable Photography Accessory

Octopad is one of my favorite finds in photographic accessories of the past several years. It’s an extremely versatile camera mount that is compact and inexpensive to boot. You have probably seen Octopad featured in various articles on PhotographyTalk.com.

I often include an Octopad in features and tip articles covering various aspects of photography and videography. Today, I will tell five reasons why I consider the Octopad an invaluable photography accessory.

Table of contents:

Octopad Camera Mount

Octopad Camera Mount

Let me give you a descriptive overview for anyone not yet familiar with the Octopad. It’s a weighted circular flat disc with a ¼-20 post on the top and a non-slip pad underneath. The heavy-duty material of the disc has a slight amount of give to it, allowing the non-slip pad to conform somewhat to uneven surfaces.

That post on the top normally has a ball head attached for positioning your camera, but you can also attach other things to it. An extendable arm is a good option that allows a wide range of positions for whatever is attached.

The non-slip pad and that slight amount of give help with one of the best benefits of the Octopad - you can place it on an angled surface up to 45 degrees. 

Though weighted for stability, the Octopad is actually not too heavy to include in your camera bag or backpack and can easily be transported anywhere. Since it is compact, not very heavy, and quite reasonably priced, I often find myself using several of them at once for holding different photography and video accessories in addition to the camera.

Octopad for Long Exposures

Octopad for Long Exposures

Photo by Bike_Maverick via iStock

One of the first things I used an Octopad for was as a substitute for a tripod while hiking. I like to take long exposures of moving water with the help of ND filters for exposure control, and an Octopad is a simple way to keep my camera rock steady.

Some other long-exposure situations for which the Octopad is perfect are twilight scenes, such as the transition from Golden Hour into Blue Hour or vice versa. Astrophotography is another situation in which the non-slip pad is a bonus here.  

Likewise, any situation with slightly longer shutter speeds calls for the Octopad. Choosing a small lens aperture for deep depth of field while using a polarizer filter will often cause me to use an Octopad. Since macro photography can also benefit from smaller lens apertures, that is yet another scenario for using this handy device.

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Octopad for Vlogging 

Octopad for Vlogging

Vloggers can get a ton of use from an Octopad or two. With portable battery-powered lights and a compact video camera or a super smartphone, 2 or 3 Octopads will allow you to record or live broadcast from anywhere you are. 

The Octopad and a smartphone can be mounted inside a ring light, too, for a one-piece rig that can be wireless or plugged in, depending on your light. I present more on vlogging with Octopads in the following two sections.

Use Octopad as a Light Stand

Use Octopad as a Light Stand

Since Octopads are inexpensive and compact, they can be used as several together without breaking a budget or weighing you down too much. 

I like to set up two portable LED lights on a couple of Octopads in a classic 3:1 lighting ratio for a sophisticated feel to a video or a still portrait. A simple 45-degree angle and balanced lighting give a smooth look to videos or for small product still imaging.

Another nice lighting use for an Octopad is as a background light. Take one of those small LED lights, adjust it to a white balance with the other lights or set it to a color that can light the background itself or as a backlight of any color and power level.

Hold Mics with Octopad

Hold Mics with Octopad

Outside of a wireless lavalier mic, a shotgun mic mounted on an Octopad will provide very natural sound for videos with little to no background noise. But you have to place the mic mount somewhere to point it properly, which is a use for which the Octopad excels.  

Super Telephoto and an Octopad

Super Telephoto and an Octopad

Photo by Andrew Haysom via iStock

Finally, if you use an APS-C or MFT camera, you have likely noticed how nice these cameras are for using telephoto lenses. 

This is due to crop factor and not a real optical phenomenon, but who doesn’t like taking a super telephoto lens out into the wild and capturing close-up views of wildlife? A 300mm lens for Full Frame format gives the same angle of view and apparent magnification on an APS-C format camera of 450mm. For MFT format, that’s now 600mm.

Regardless of any image stabilization features, having the camera and lens rock steady to start with will always provide you with better, sharper images. So an Octopad is a great method for holding that rig still while out in nature.  

How many more uses can you find for your own Octopad?

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Five Winter Photography Tips That Will Drastically Improve Your Photos

Five Winter Photography Tips That Will Drastically Improve Your Photos

Photo by svetikd via iStock

It’s Winter! What are your favorite winter photography subjects? For many photographers, winter is a great time to capture beautiful landscapes. For others, it’s all about the people and the events. 

Whatever type of photography you enjoy this time of year, we have some winter photography tips and gear recommendations to help you capture images in this wonderful season.

Table of Contents:

Winter Photography Tips for Lighting Conditions

Winter Photography Tips for Lighting Conditions

Photo by martin-dm via iStock

Different seasons of the year have varying lighting qualities. The sun is lower in the sky during winter, and the weather is obviously different. Both affect the lighting quality and how long certain outdoor lighting periods last.

Winter landscape photography tips are filled with discussions on exposure compensation, too, and for good reasons. A landscape view covered with snow requires adjusting metering settings to capture bright whites instead of muddled grays.  

Many cameras are good about making these changes automatically with evaluative metering. Still, sometimes it may work better if we take control of the exposure ourselves, either with fully manual mode or dialing in the proper amount of exposure compensation. Plus two stops of exposure is a good starting place on a bright day with lots of snow in the scene.

Golden Hour during winter months is much shorter than that same period in the summertime. Some areas can be extremely short when the daylight hours are shortest. But the results are worth it. A winter landscape or a cityscape photographed in Golden Hour can be amazing, so try it out as part of your photography tips for winter.

Accessories that Help

Accessories that Help OctoPad

Some accessories that are vital to have on hand for taking advantage of winter photography tips on lighting and exposure are a circular polarizer (C-Pol) filter, a graduated neutral density (GND) filter, and a tripod alternative like the OctoPad camera mount.

Looking first at the tripod alternative OctoPad, we find a low-cost and simple alternative to carrying a tripod. It’s a weighted disk that is super heavy-duty and can be used virtually anywhere, indoors or out. 

The secret to the usefulness of the OctoPad is that the low-profile disk has a non-slip pad underneath, which allows you to put it on uneven and angled surfaces, even if angled up to 45 degrees. The ball head on top lets you point your camera anywhere, and the entire setup is rock solid and steady.

With the OctoPad, add a filter holder system to take advantage of a GND filter that lets you balance out exposure issues in landscape and cityscape photography. Filter holder systems are great because they allow stacking of filters, such as adding a C-POL, and you can move the gradient line of a GND to exactly where it's needed.

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Winter Photography Tips for Weather

Winter Photography Tips for Weather

Photo by satamedia via iStock

Most of us don’t need to winterize our cameras, but having weather-resistant cameras is nice. Keeping batteries charged is a significant part of any winter photography tips. In digital photography, if the batteries die, there is no taking pictures. Keep extra batteries in your pocket or a pouch to access them quickly. 

It’s important to keep our feet and hands warm too. The day is miserable if your feet are cold, but most of us can last a long time if we have the right type of clothing. Of course, some places aren’t that cold, but it helps to be prepared just in case.

Astrophotography During Winter

Astrophotography During Winter

Photo by Imgorthand via iStock

I like to include astrophotography in our winter photography tips for a couple of reasons. One, some fantastic deep sky sights are best seen or sometimes only seen during this time of year. And two, the colder skies have less atmospheric disturbances that can affect the sharpness of our views.

Digital camera astrophotography can be extremely rewarding because we can stack exposures for better imaging and increasing apparent sharpness by reducing or eliminating noise. 

Obviously, we need fully charged batteries and a good camera mount, either a tripod or a tripod alternative such as the OctoPad. Another method utilizes telescopic equatorial mounts for deep sky imaging. Any way you do it, astrophotography during winter produces wonderful images.

People and Events Winter Photography Tips

People and Events Winter Photography Tips

Photo by AntonioGuillem via iStock 

Winter is a good time for gatherings and family events. So another of our winter photography tips is to stay prepared for these holiday gatherings by brushing up on our natural light, flash photography, and post-processing techniques and skills. 

A simple flash diffuser can turn a holiday party pic from a snapshot into a well-crafted portrait. Putting that OctoPad to another use, have one or two to place on furniture or ledges with a portable, battery-powered LED light mounted to them.

Included in our winter photography tips is to remember that so many of these photo tips also transfer well to become videography tips—especially the ones covering lighting. A single LED light can make it possible to record better videos for holiday vlogs and other videos.

Post-processing winter photography tips are relatively simple as well. Capturing images in RAW is a good idea for several reasons. Mixed lighting can be adjusted for color temperature, deep shadows and bright lights in the same view can be balanced out, and we can even add subtle softening effects to people’s faces for more flattering results.

Holidays are Short

Winter Photography Tips

Photo by Akiromaru via iStock

The holidays are only a short part of the winter timetable. Winter photography goes on beyond holiday celebrations, both for landscapes and for capturing people's pics.

Some of the best action photography during winter months can be found on ski slopes well after December and New Years. The travel issues and burdens are lessened as well. One of my winter photography tips is to plan on photo treks during the weeks between the traditional western world New Year and the start of Spring.

Bonus Winter Photography Tips

Bonus Winter Photography Tips

Photo by Su Arslanoglu via iStock 

Some bonus winter photography tips we like to include are to try out film photography and to search for some trips to take as photo treks, either near our own homes or to a location far away. 

And on those days when we simply don’t want to get out because of it being too cold or very difficult to get around, we can use that time to hone our post-processing skills and maybe even take a short course on some aspect of photography or videography in which we want to improve.

Whatever your approach this season, winter photography can have you reap nice rewards for your skills and efforts.

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Four Phone Photography Accessories You Need for 2023

Four Phone Photography Accessories You Need for 2023

I am so excited that smartphone photography has progressed to its current point. My personal phone and many other models have large (for a phone) size sensors with multi-megapixel resolution, excellent lenses of varying focal lengths, and camera apps that allow operations similar to DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Mine even records images in a RAW format!

Our smartphones also have amazing video capabilities. The video is so good on some of these that the companies have filmed parts of their own TV commercials for their phones with their own phones. So we want to match up some great phone photography accessories to take advantage of the capabilities we have at our disposal.

Here are four phone photography accessories to supplement your primary smartphone photography gear to enable you to make full use of the phone photography capabilities at your fingertips.

Table of Contents:

Using Phone Photography Accessories

Just as with DSLR and mirrorless photography and videography, the reason for using phone photography accessories is to allow you to do something you couldn’t do without them or do something much better with them. 

My list of four phone photography accessories includes:

  • The perfect pouch.
  • An amazing camera mount.
  • Lighting for still photography and videography.
  • A wireless microphone system for superb audio during video recording.

HoldFast Sightseer Cell Phone Pouch

HoldFast Sightseer Cell Phone Pouch

The Holdfast Sightseer Cell Phone Pouch is the perfect method for carrying your smartphone while hiking, working, or out specifically to capture images and video. Made from American Bison leather and heavy-duty waxed canvas, it’s lined with Aztec flannel fleece for good protection.  

HoldFast Sightseer Cell Phone Pouch on Money Maker strap

You can carry the pouch by itself, but it’s better utilized by attaching it to something. HoldFast makes a leather belt, various bags and cases, and the best camera strap in existence, the MoneyMaker camera harness strap. Your new cell phone pouch attaches to any fine photography accessories. 

Above, enjoy a short video from the HoldFast Youtube channel covering the Cell Phone Pouch.

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OctoPad Camera Mount

octopad

 The OctoPad Camera Mount is an ingenious solution for needing a light stand, microphone holder, or something like a tripod, but without the size and weight for your smartphone photography and video recording. 

Octopad 2

It’s a weighted disk that’s mostly rigid, but the base has a little bit of give to conform to uneven surfaces. It also has a non-slip pad, allowing it to be placed on surfaces angled up to 45 degrees. 

On top is a ¼-20 thread that lets you replace the included ball head with any number of other phone photography accessories and clamps for whatever you need to do with your phone photography gear.

Neewer 18” Ring Light Kit

Neewer 18 Ring Light Kit

 A ring light is one of the most useful lighting units a photographer could ask for. It provides soft, shadow-free light when used close up and a pleasant wash of light when used at greater distances, such as recording a video for your YouTube channel.

Most video recordings can benefit from at least a little light modification. This Neewer 18” ring light is useful for still photography portraits and is virtually invaluable for small product photography or instructional videos.

Synco G1L Wireless Lavalier Mic

Synco G1L Wireless Lavalier Mic

Since our smartphones are so capable with all their modern features, you’ll notice I’m leaning a bit toward making use of their fine video performance in my list of top phone accessories. 

Much like wireless earbuds, the wireless lavalier Synco G1L mic connects wirelessly to provide clear audio of your subject or yourself while recording. It even has vocal special effects and an earpiece jack for you to monitor just what’s going on in your video. 

Whatever style of smartphone photography or videography you're doing, these four phone photography accessories will help you do it more easily.

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We Recommend


Four Simple Ways to Improve Your Photography Workflow

Four Simple Ways to Improve Your Photography Workflow

Photo by RossHelen via iStock

Your digital photography workflow is an important consideration regardless of the type or style of photography in which you work. You will want to know what it means to have a photography workflow, why a streamlined yet comprehensive workflow in photography is advantageous, and what techniques, tips, and products can help you with your photography workflow.

Table of Contents:

What a Photography Workflow Is

What a Photography Workflow Is

Photo by Pekic via iStock 

What is a digital photography workflow? Simply put, it’s the progression of steps required to create a finished image. For professional photographers working full-time, part-time, or doing gig work, it also includes finishing the job, getting paid, and setting up for future business.

We all know how to take good pictures. What we’re talking about with a photography workflow is everything we need to do from start to finish. This includes taking the photo but also requires so much more. The tips to follow will benefit an absolute beginner up to a seasoned, in-demand professional.

Ways to Improve a Photography Workflow

Ways to Improve a Photography Workflow

Photo by Mumemories via iStock 

One of the best ways to improve our photography workflow is to take a lesson from the masters. As you probably know, Ansel Adams was among my greatest inspirations for getting started in my main joy of photography, landscape photography. 

Here’s how looking at a master like Ansel Adams can help our photography workflow: previsualize. Ansel Adams and Fred Archer invented the Zone System in the 1940s just for that purpose. Ansel Adams was a landscape photographer, and Fred Archer was a portrait photographer. Both worked primarily in black and white film and created incredible images with amazing detail in the shadows and the highlights of each scene.

We sometimes think about the Zone System as an exposure and contrast guide, but using it as Adams and Archer intended, requires a person to consider the entire job step by step.  

When Ansel Adams looked at a mountain view and decided to put a particular part of it at Zone V, he then worked out everything he needed to do to get that result. It involved choosing which film to use, how to expose it, what filtration to employ, what developer for the film and for the paper would be best, which paper to print on, and where to dodge and burn in the printing stage.

What controlled the entire process was his decision from the very start about what he wanted the final print to look like when he examined the scene. Previsualization was the key, the guiding hand of his photography workflow. The same basic principles can help us in our digital photography workflow. Envision what you want from the start and then decide what to do to achieve that result.

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Some Gear Is More Helpful than Others

Octopad

Once we have envisioned what we want, we can make decisions based on that. Some of those decisions may require us to use different photography gear. Two things that come to mind right away for an improved photography workflow are lens filters and a camera mount.  

Our lens filter choices will depend upon what type of photography we’re doing. As a landscape photographer, the filters that could be most useful are a polarizer filter (C-POL) and a graduated neutral density (GND) filter. Portrait photographers could also use these, or we might decide on a subtle soft focus filter. All of these filters can be found together in some filter system kits.

When using a GND filter, placing the line of transition is important, and the exposure might be longer than we want to handhold. For portrait or small product photography, we could use a way to place our lighting where we need it. A small camera mount such as the Octopad is an excellent choice for that. 

Octopad is a small portable camera mount with a weighted disk with a non-slip pad underneath and a ball head on top. It’s inexpensive, easy to carry, and can hold a full-sized camera with lens, photography lighting, or other items such as a shotgun mic for video.

The Importance of Keeping Records

Importance of Keeping Records

Photo by Paul Hart via iStock

When we find a good photography workflow style, documenting our steps will enable future projects to run smoother and quicker. A photographer's log can be very helpful, and you can use either a digital app or a physical journal.

I prefer a physical photographer’s journal for taking notes while in the field. The advantage is that I can include a small illustration sketch along with what I’m writing down. Plus, I’m simply the type who likes how a real journal makes me consider my photography workflow while creating images.

Another vital set of records for professional photographers is a client list with details and billing information. Various applications of business management software exist to keep a photographer organized. Using the proper software for managing our business eases our photography workflow tremendously.

Post-Processing Presets

Post Processing Presets

Photo by Stephen Harker via iStock

As any serious photographer soon realizes, post-processing is as important as capturing the image in the first place, although, it can add to our timetable for completing the job or project. Post-processing presets and non-destructive editing are the primary things that we can use for this part of our workflow.

Presets are a package of actions all put together for a specific purpose. They can include exposure adjustments, color enhancing or correction, softening or sharpening, and so on. They are especially useful for wedding and portrait photographers as we usually have a lot of image files with the same basic information embedded.

Non-destructive editing saves our computer disk space and our working RAM, meaning our time spent on post-processing is lessened, thus simplifying our photography workflow. A program such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom employs non-destructive editing and has hundreds of pre-sets available from a lot of sources.

Know the Craft

Know the Craft

Photo by JPWALLET via iStock 

To get the best results from our photography and to make sure we know what’s involved in our photography workflow, a good tutorial on some aspects of our crafts or ideas from others who have improved their own can greatly benefit us. 

Anyone can improve photography as an art, craft, and science at any time. I like to use photography tutorials on websites such as Udemy and LinkedIn. We have several great courses here at PhotographyTalk, including the Master Class series. Check them out!

Photography Workflow Final Thoughts

Photography Workflow Thoughts

Photo by ljubaphoto via iStock 

The biggest thing to remember when trying to improve our photography workflow or some other aspect of our craft or the business side of things is that there will always be an opportunity to improve.

With that mindset, we’ll consistently be on the path to excellence. Enjoy!

Recommended Photography Gear

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We Recommend


Get Better at Landscape Photography

How to Get Better at Landscape Photography

photo byDieterMeyrl via iStock

Landscape photography is my first love in photography, going all the way back to my childhood. From that early beginning, I have since branched out into several genres of photography and videography, but I always find a way to do more landscape photography for both fun and profit. 

I learned how to get better at landscape photography and eventually how to master landscape photography by trial and error, reading a lot, attending classes, and joining other landscape photographers for mutual encouragement and trading landscape photography tips. 

If you really love engaging in landscape photography and want some simple ideas at how to get started in it or get better at it, we have come up with a short list of six landscape photography tips for beginners including some useful landscape photography gear.

Get to Know Your Subject

landscape photography tips

photo byEloi_Omella via iStock

With any form of photography, the art begins before you even pick up your camera. With just a small amount of research, you can find out how to turn a nice-looking picture into an amazing image of the beauty in the natural world. 

Google is a good place to start, lots of popular places have had many, many photos taken and shared, some of them might give you ideas of what other views exist of the place. You can also take a look around as you get there, try to find the view that enables you to make an image designed how you want it to look.

Understand the Exposure Triangle

landscape photography tips 2

photo bykrblokhin via iStock

Exposure is an important calculation to get right with regards to landscape photography, but there are so many variables to consider in any light situation. Additionally, there is more than one “correct” exposure available, depending on what we want the image to look like.

Since shutter speed can change certain aspects of an image, especially with regards to moving water or clouds, knowing how to adjust the other parts of the triangle to get the desired results is important. 

The same can be said with regard to lens aperture. Depth of focus, deep or shallow, can change the entire feel and impact of the image, so knowing why and how to make adjustments to the other two parts of the triangle to get the aperture you want is also important, perhaps more often than changing shutter speed for the vast majority of landscape photography. 

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Try Many Composition Techniques

landscape photography tips for beginners

photo by sara_winter via iStock

There are so many composition techniques besides the super well-known (but often misunderstood) Rule of Thirds. Look for natural occurrences of other compositions, perhaps even using your Exposure Triangle tools, lens choice, and camera position to enable these other techniques.

Some composition tools that could improve your landscape photography are the Golden Spiral, Leading Lines, S Curves, Negative Space, and Symmetry. You may see some opportunities occurring obviously, others you may to work at, but it will all improve your landscape photography and photography in general.

Support Your Camera

how to master landscape photography

Based on your use of the other landscape photography tips, sometimes we need to add accessory landscape photography gear such as adequate camera support.

We don’t always have the ability to carry a tripod with us, but we may want to use a longer shutter speed for water motion effects, or a smaller lens aperture for greater depth of field which would require longer shutter speeds to get correct exposure. 

A tripod alternative that fits in a backpack or medium-sized sling pack is the OctoPad camera mount. OctoPad is a low-profile disk that has a ball head on top and a non-slip of the bottom. It’s slightly pliable so it fits well on a variety of surfaces, even if the surface is angled up to 45 degrees.

With the right adapters, you can also use OctoPad with a smartphone camera, or for placing a small light to illuminate macro subjects. You could also use it to hold a microphone if you try out your camera’s video mode.

Use Filters

landscape photography gear

photo byMisha Kaminsky via iStock

While we don’t need to use nearly as many filters in digital photography as we once did in film photography, there are 3 that are pretty much considered standard filters for a lot of landscape photography.

The important filters for landscape photography as part of our landscape photography gear are neutral density (ND) filters, graduated neutral density (GND) filters, and circular polarizer(C-POL) filters.

All three of these filters have the potential to help you create exactly the landscape photography image you have in mind creatively. Getting familiar with these filters is one way to learn how to get better at landscape photography. 

Post-Process

landscape photography

photo bykonradlew via iStock

Many beginners to serious landscape photography have an aversion to the thought of post-processing their images, perhaps thinking it is too difficult to learn or changes the image too much. 

Post-processing with current programs can be as easy to pick up as learning composition techniques and exposure rules. Also, one never has to adjust their image files beyond simple enhancements to color or exposure. In fact, among professional photographers, post-processing is more likely to be a minor tweak as opposed to a radical change. 

Using these landscape photography tips and continuing to experiment and learn will allow you to continue to grow as a landscape photographer creating fine images.

Learn More:



We Recommend


Get Ready for Summertime Travel Photography With This Crucial Gear

Get Ready for Summertime Travel Photography With This Crucial Gear

Photo by wildart via iStock

With summer right around the corner, it’s that time of year when people start getting antsy for their upcoming summertime travels. For photographers especially, summertime offers endless opportunities to capture stunning images in new and exciting locations. 

With that said, to make the most of your summer travel photography adventures, having the right gear is crucial. And in this article, we'll delve into some of the essential gear you should invest in if you hope to improve the quality of your travel photography content. 

We'll share the importance of owning the right travel photography gear, such as a good camera and lens combo, a lightweight and versatile tripod, a durable and comfortable photography backpack, rain gear, and more! That way, you can ensure you're prepared and well-equipped to capture breathtaking images this summer. 

Whether you're planning to explore vibrant cityscapes, relax on sun-drenched beaches, or embark on thrilling outdoor adventures, every piece of gear covered in this gear will help you get the job done. Now, without further ado, let’s dive in and discover the must-own summertime travel photography gear all photographers should have in their kit! 

Table of Contents

Get a Rock-Solid Camera & Lens Combination for Travel Photography

Sony Alpha A7R II

The first thing you need for travel photography is a rock-solid camera and lens combination. Thanks to their portable and compact sizes, the two best options for travel photography are mirrorless cameras and point-and-shoot cameras. However, mirrorless cameras are our top recommendation because of their ingenious interchangeable lens system. 

With that in mind, a great mirrorless body for travel photography is the Sony Alpha A7R II. It features a high-resolution 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor and a Bionz X image processing engine. The pair delivers unbelievably sharp images and helps make the autofocus fast, accurate, and responsive.  

Other notable features of the A7R II include 4K video capabilities, in-body image stabilization (IBIS), and built-in Wi-Fi. 4K video is ideal for hybrid photographers/videographers. IBIS boosts both photo and video quality. And the Wi-Fi lets you instantly transfer files to your mobile devices. Now, here’s an in-depth look at the key features and specs of the Sony Alpha a7R II: 

  • Camera Type: Mirrorless
  • Sensor: 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO: 100 - 25,600 (expandable to 50 - 102,400)
  • Lens Mount: Sony E Mount
  • Speed: 5.0 fps
  • Autofocus: 399 focus points
  • Video: 4K/30p & 1080p/60p
  • Size/Weight: 127 x 96 x 60 mm / 625 grams
  • Battery Life: 290 shots
  • Stabilization: Yes
  • Touchscreen: Yes
  • Pre-Owned Sony A7R II Price: $804 - $944

Once you have the A7R II body, our favorite lens for traveling is the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM. Its versatile focal range can capture everything from dramatic landscapes to beautiful portraits and street photography. 

On top of that, its constant f/2.8 max aperture will enhance your camera's low-light performance and create gorgeous bokeh effects. A weatherproof coating also makes the lens more durable and will help protect the lens when you are on the road. Here’s a closer look at the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM specs:

  • Lens Type: Wide-Angle Zoom Lens
  • Camera System: Full-Frame
  • Lens Mount: Sony E Mount
  • Focal Length: 16-35 mm
  • Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
  • Minimum Aperture: f/22
  • Minimum Focusing Distance: 28 cm
  • Filter Size: 82 mm
  • Focusing system: Autofocus & Manual Focus
  • Maximum Magnification: 0.19x
  • Size/Weight: 89 x 122 mm / 680 grams
  • Optical Image Stabilization: No
  • Used Lens Price: $1,389 - $1,549

Check out the video above by aows to learn why the Sony Alpha a7R II is still a great camera for travel photography in 2023. 

Ditch the Big Tripod for a Handy Tripod Alternative

Octopad

Another crucial piece of travel photography gear is a lightweight tripod, and one of the best of the bunch is the one-of-a-kind OctoPad. Its innovative and patented design allows it to stand stably anywhere, even on sloped, slippery, and uneven surfaces. Moreover, it’s compatible with cameras, phones, GoPros, and other travel photography equipment.

And with a small footprint and weighing less than two pounds, it takes up almost no space in a checked bag or carry-on. We also love how quick and simple it is to set up, making snapping spontaneous selfies or recording epic time-lapses super easy.  

For more information about this nifty little travel tripod, check out our OctoPod Hands-On Review

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Give Yourself Shelter From Summer Storms

hands free umbrella by GoShelter

You must be prepared for bad weather when traveling, even during the sunny summer months. That’s because photography equipment and other electronics are expensive, and the last thing you want is for your gear to be damaged or destroyed when some rain rolls in. 

While rain jackets and standard umbrellas will do the job in most situations, we prefer traveling with the hands-free umbrella by GoShelter whenever we have our cameras. It will keep you and your camera dry during rainstorms, and its hands-free design even allows you to keep shooting while it’s raining. 

Furthermore, its adjustable and spacious make-up means you can wear it even if you already have on a backpack. To learn more about this fun and unique product, read our full GoShelter Review.

Invest in a Do-Anything Backpack for Travel Photography

Vanguard VEO Adaptor R48GY

Last but not least, investing in a good quality travel photography backpack is essential. And while a quick Google or Amazon search will yield hundreds of results, not all camera backpacks are created equally.

We have tested tons of different bags throughout the years, and the one company that continually impresses us with its products is Vanguard. Having said that, due to its comfortable design and carry-on-friendly size, we particularly like the Vanguard VEO Adaptor R48GY for travel photography. 

The main compartment is 100% customizable and can safely store a camera body and up to eight lenses. Additionally, it boasts a protective laptop sleeve, multiple pockets for holding/organizing small gear, and an ergonomic harness system that helps evenly distribute weight across your back, shoulders, and hips.

For more information and photos about this backpack, watch my full video review above! 

More Travel Photography Gear for Summer

More Travel Photography Gear for Summer

Photo by EKKAPHAN CHIMPALEE via iStock

While those are a handful of the most crucial pieces of equipment for travel photography, they are far from the only things worth investing in. For more gear recommendations, check out the list below:

  • One or two spare lenses
  • An action camera or drone (or both!)
  • A camera cleaning kit
  • Lens filters
  • Extra memory cards and batteries
  • A portable SSD hard drive
  • Peak Design Camera Clip

Wrap It All Up in a Beautiful Print

acrylic1c

An acrylic print from Printique is a beautiful way to display your favorite summertime travel photo.

It's one thing to take fantastic summertime travel photos; it's another thing to edit them and turn them into beautiful prints!

Printing your images completes the deal. It gives you a way to enjoy your favorite memories over and over again and also gives you practice in fine-tuning your images so they look their best in print form.

When getting prints made, it's critical to partner with a trusted printing company so you get the best results. For that, Printique is one of my top choices.

frame1

A framed print from Printique is a tasteful option for displaying summer photo memories.

Printique - an Adorama company - has a long track record of success in the printing industry. They offer the finest quality materials and are known for their attention to detail and craftsmanship. What's more, Printique has a wide range of print options for your favorite summertime travel photos:

Whether you want to print a portrait, landscape, architectural photo, or something in between, these substrates will make your image shine and give you years of enjoyment as you see it hanging on your wall!

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We Recommend


Getting Started in Vlogging - What You Need and Best Practices

Getting Started in Vlogging What You Need and Best Practices

photo byjacoblund via iStock

So, you’re thinking about vlogging and you’re wondering if you really need to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on your equipment.  

No. You don’t. You just need the basics. But, you’ll want to make sure your vlogging gear will still last you a long time. 

Here’s a list of everything a vlogger can’t live without. 

Camera: GoPro

getting started in vlogging 1

Photo by Arindam Raha from Pexels

You’re definitely not going to get very far as a vlogger without the most basic of vlogging gear: a good camera. 

I think the most important thing when purchasing a camera is to remember that it’s 2020 and most cameras are going to be more than enough for your new vlog. Don’t overspend here and not be able to purchase the other vlogging gear essentials.

getting started in vlogging 2

While you can use just about any DSLR or mirrorless camera out there, I’d recommend purchasing a GoPro because GoPros are definitely the easiest vlogging camera for traveling and shooting outside of a studio. 

They’re rugged, easily portable, and packed with features that make them a well-rounded camera. Besides, you can get a GoPro Hero 8 Black for $400, which is a great price for all the functionalities you get: 

  • 12MP sensor
  • 4K video at 60p or 1080p video at 240p
  • 8x Slo-Mo video
  • HyperSmooth 2.0
  • TimeWarp 2.0
  • Live Streaming
  • LiveBurst
  • SuperPhoto + HDR

You may not be planning to shoot anywhere other than your house, but if the need arises, you’ll have wished you went with a GoPro!

vlogging tips 3

Quick Tip: You’ll want to invest in a quality external microphone to go with your GoPro. I’ve used the RODE VideoMicro and loved its sound quality and compact size. It’s a perfect addition to a GoPro because it’s rugged and portable, just like the GoPro! And at just $59, it’s budget-friendly too!

 

Recommended Videography Books:

 

Light: LitraPro 

vlogging tips 4

You’ll want to use natural lighting for your vlog as often as possible, but sometimes it’s not. In these times, you’ll want a natural-looking light to ensure your face doesn’t have any awkward shadows. 

I use the LitraPro because it is 100% dimmable, has adjustable color temperature, can run for up to 10 hours on one charge and is waterproof up to 90 feet. 

You can use it in your studio, on that epic surfing trip you’ve been planning, or on your trip to Machu Picchu and points in between.

It’s hard to find a light that is this bright, this rugged, and this portable. You can purchase a Litra Torch LitraPro on Adorama for $220. 

Learn More:

Tripod: Octopad

vlogging tips 5 

People who write about vlogging best practices will always recommend getting a tripod, but I’ve found something just a little bit better. 

The Octopad does everything a tripod can’t through its patent-pending technology. It doesn’t slip or slide, it doesn’t cave under weight and it never loses suction - because it doesn’t use suction!

It’s weighted bottom keeps your GoPro, LitraPro, microphone, and other vlogging accessories perfectly stable, even on uneven surfaces. Heck, I often use my GoPro and Octopad as a dashcam setup - I set the Octopad on the dash, hit record on the GoPro, and we’re off.  

As soon as you buy this, you’ll have wished you had it in your camera bag over the years because it makes taking video and photos so much easier.  

The Octopad is available for only $27 on Adorama. 

Handheld Mount: HandlePod

how to start vlogging 6

Finally, before getting started in vlogging you’ll need a handheld mount. 

I chose the HandlePod because it works with GoPros, and you can use it in a variety of ways.

I typically use it as a handheld mount, but you can also use it as a tabletop mount or even mount it to a stable object, like a tree or a fencepost. 

Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty and weighs just 4 oz so you can take it everywhere. 

This camera stabilizer is available for less than $30 on Adorama.  

Pro Vlogging Tips

vlogging best practices 7

photo by NoSystem images via iStock 

Now that you’ve got all the equipment you might need, you’ll need some information about getting started in vlogging. 

The first thing you’ll need to do is establish the “why” behind your vlog. Are you getting started in vlogging to educate your audience? Do you want to entertain them? Are you just looking to make some extra cash to take your family on vacation every year?

Once you have your “why,” other parts of your vlog will come more easily, like your story outlines, your purpose, and your filming dates. 

Next, you’ll need to get really good at editing, like Matti Haapoja.

Most people stop watching videos within the first two minutes, so you need to prove to your audience that your material is worth sticking around for. That means editing the crap out of your vlogs.  

Anything that isn’t 100% necessary to fulfill the purpose of the vlog needs to get cut. As a beginner vlogger, you should be aiming for videos that are no longer than 5 minutes. 

Finally, you should be doing a ton of market research. Watch other vlogs, both those who you consider your competitors and those who aren’t. Figure out what you love about watching vlogs and then try and emulate that. 

Learn More:

 



We Recommend


Gifts for Photographers Under $50 - 2020 Edition

Gifts for Photographers Under 50 2020 Edition

photo byelenaleonova via iStock

The holidays are coming in hot, and for many of us, finding gifts for the photographers in our lives is a tough task. 

Photographers can be a finicky bunch. We’re loyal to certain brands. Many of us already have an ocean of photography gear, too.

So what do you buy the photographer on your list with a budget of $50?

We’ve curated a list of top options that will hopefully make your holiday shopping a little easier.

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: H&Y 37-49mm RevoRing

One of the most innovative photography gadgets of 2020 is also one of the most inexpensive!

A couple of months ago, H&Y unveiled RevoRing, which is a variable step ring. This is so innovative because it eliminates the need to carry a bunch of individual step rings to make filters and filter systems work with different lenses.

Instead, the photographer on your list can have this one variable step ring in their camera bag and use it to adapt their filters to a variety of lenses.

This particular RevoRing is 37-49mm in range, giving your favorite photographer lots of leeway in terms of which filters they use with which lenses.

It’s dead simple to use too - just twist the RevoRing, attach it to the lens, and it’s ready to rock!

There simply aren’t that many truly innovative photography gifts for under $25, but RevoRing certainly fits the bill.

If you want to surprise your loved one with a gift that is unique, functional, and will legitimately help them improve their photography workflow, look no further than RevoRing!

Learn more about the H&Y RevoRing

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: CanvasHQ Print 

One of my favorite gifts to give (and to get, while we're at it) is a big, beautiful print.

Personally, I like canvas because of the texture the canvas gives to the print. Besides, a canvas print is something that will continue to give joy to the person that receives it for years and years to come!

Now, I know what you're thinking...canvas is so old-school.

But if you order your canvases from the right printers, you can get something that is beautiful, well-made and looks modern, even if the substrate is perhaps a bit old-school.

I have tons of canvases in my home, the vast majority of which are fromCanvasHQ.

These are some of the best canvas prints I've ever purchased. The sharpness of detail, the color accuracy, and the overall build quality of these prints is next-level good.

Part of the reason for this is the materials CanvasHQ uses. We’re talking archival-grade canvas, commercial-grade inks that are water and UV resistant, and kiln-dried pine frames to keep everything straight and true.

But CanvasHQ isn't just tops in the quality department...

They have excellent customer service that makes you feel heard and as though you're the only customer they have to worry about at that moment.

These guys are committed to getting it right, so if something doesn’t go as planned, you won’t be hung out to dry.

If you have questions, they’ll answer them. If you have a problem, they’ll fix it. If you need assistance with uploading your photo or even picking the best finishes for your canvas, they’ve got your back. 

In the video above, you can see how one of my CanvasHQ prints stacks up against similar prints from other printing companies. I think you'll see why I'm so loyal to CanvasHQ!

Start shopping for your favorite photographer today on CanvasHQ.

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: GoPro Light Mod for Hero 8 Black

GoPro Light Mod for Hero 8 Black 1

The GoPro Hero 8 Black is an awesome camera for still photography and videos. It’s functionalities and flexibility are undeniable, and with a wide array of add-ons, mods, and accessories, you can extend the usefulness of this camera even further.

If your favorite photographer has a GoPro Hero 8 Black, a great holiday gift idea is the GoPro Light Mod.

This little guy connects easily to the Hero 8 Black via the Media Mod (sold separately) or it can be attached to multiple GoPro mounts and other accessories for off-camera lighting.

GoPro Light Mod for Hero 8 Black 2 

It has four levels of brightness up to 200 lumens so you can easily highlight the subject with crisp light.

As you’d expect, the light is built to tough GoPro standards and is waterproof up to 33 feet. The built-in rechargeable battery offers up to six hours of runtime, so whether the photographer in your life is shooting stills, videos, is working underwater or above, they’ll have reliable, clean light to help them achieve their creative vision! 

Learn more about the GoPro Light Mod for Hero 8 Black

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Artbeat Studios 11x14 HD Metal Print

Nothing says happy holidays like a gorgeous metal print, especially when the person you’re buying for is a photographer! So why not surprise the photographer on your list with an incredible HD metal print from Artbeat Studios?! 

Metal is a gorgeous substrate for all manner and type of photos. The crisp, clean detail and modern look is just what the doctor ordered for highlighting a beautiful image.

Artbeat Studios’ HD metal prints are so impressive in part because the image is heat infused directly into the metal. The result is unsurpassed resolution and color vibrancy.

What’s more, Artbeat Studios uses Chromaluxe® brand aluminum sheets. This brand of aluminum has a 3x better permanence than Kodak Silver Halide Prints and resists fading for more than 65 years. So not only is an HD metal print a great gift for this holiday season, but it’s a gift that will keep on giving for decades!

You can customize the look of the print by choosing different finishes, surfaces, and mounts. Additionally, you can choose from two different hanging systems and two different mounts. The result is a breathtaking and custom print that your favorite photographer is sure to love!

Learn more about Artbeat Studios’ HD Metal Prints

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Octopus.Camera OctoPad

octopad

If you’re rushing around trying to find that perfect gift for your favorite photographer, you might consider the Octopus.Camera OctoPad as an excellent choice.

The OctoPad offers what many other stabilization devices don’t - it doesn’t collapse under the weight of gear it’s supporting and it doesn’t slide around, even if it’s placed on a smooth or an uneven surface thanks to its weighted non-slip mat design.

octopad 6

The OctoPad has a built-in male 1/4-20 inch threaded bolt for attaching accessories and a high-capacity removable ball head that also has an adjustable 1/4-20 inch threaded male bolt.

That means that not only is the OctoPad well-equipped to stay in place, but it can also support a wide range of gear, from a GoPro to a smartphone to a light or microphone.

octopad 2

There’s even a built-in cable strap to keep cables from getting in your way and a clip grommet for attaching a lanyard to easily carry the OctoPad.

What photographers want in a gift is something that’s versatile and functional, and the OctoPad is definitely both. Best of all, it’s well below the $50 threshold, so you can give an awesome gift without busting your budget!

Learn more about the Octopus.Camera OctoPad

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Ikan Stratus 15mm Static Lens Support

ikan 15mm 1

If the photographer on your list has a bunch of accessories for their camera, an Ikan Stratus Cage is all but a must.

And to make the Stratus cage even more functional, you can give the gift of a 15mm static lens support this holiday season.

The support attaches to the non-rotating part of a lens and helps support its weight.

ikan 15mm 2

With 7/8-inches of vertical leeway, this gadget can support a lens in a number of positions.

It's easy to use, too - one of the 15mm rod mounts is open and angled, so it can be slid onto the rods from above or from the front.

And at $34.99, it's a bargain gift as well!

Learn more about the Ikan Stratus 15mm Static Lens Support

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Holdfast Camera Leash Leather Wrist Strap

holdfast camera leash 1

Not every photographer wants or needs a neck strap or camera harness, so why not give them the gift of a tough, useful, and gorgeous leather wrist strap? 

The Camera Leash by Holdfast is impeccably made and comes in a variety of materials, including bridle leather, water buffalo leather, American bison leather, and python skin. There are also several colors available to suit your favorite photographer’s specific tastes.

holdfast camera leash 2

This strap is multi-functional, too.

Use it to carry your keys and attach them to a belt loop. Secure a water bottle to your backpack. Use two of them together to carry a third camera on the Holdfast MoneyMaker harness. There’s few products under $50 with that much functionality!

Plus, these things look absolutely incredible with fine details that scream, “I’m handcrafted!”

It’s a photography gift that your favorite photographer is sure to love. 

Learn more about the Holdfast Camera Leash

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount 

handlepod 1

Does the photographer on your shopping list like to go out and adventure with their GoPro or other action cam?

I have the ideal gift idea for them - the HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount.

handlepod 2

This ingenious gadget is a comfortable grip for shooting handheld video as well as a handy tabletop stand (or a stand for any horizontal surface for that matter).

Furthermore, it has an integrated elastic cord so you can lash it to stationary objects (i.e., a lamp post) for super steady hands-free recording.

The mount has 360-degree movement so you can capture smooth video and easily position it for the ideal still image as well.

handlepod 3

When used as a tabletop stand or lashed to a vertical surface, its four rubber feet keep it in place for anti-slip performance.

Perhaps best of all, it weighs just 4 ounces and fits in your pocket, so your favorite photographer can always have a stabilizing mount with them for their GoPro activities.

Learn more about the HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Snaptiles

snap tiles

If you’re in need of a killer photography gift, look no further than Snaptiles. Snaptiles are a patented Magnetic Photo Tile that is 8”x8”x1” and super lightweight.

This innovative system uses a single wall mount with a built-in level to anchor a central print to the wall. Then you can snap together the other tiles onto the first! The wall mount uses four adhesive strips that don’t damage the wall, yet offer all the support that’s needed to display up to 12 tiles. Just make sure you press down firmly for 10 seconds. You can also push in the 4 included thumb tacks for additional support, then mount up to 30 tiles on the first tile! Not a bad tradeoff for 4 little pin holes in your wall.

The process is simple: just attach the wall mount to the wall, mount the anchor tile to it, and then begin to create an array of mixed tiles by adding additional Snaptiles.

snaptiles how they work

Each tile connects with strong magnets, so there’s no worry of the tiles sagging or slipping.

Best of all, though, this system enables you to swap images out as you get new photo tiles, rearrange them in the display, and create different shapes with an array of images.

It really couldn’t be any easier!

snaptiles how theyre made

The images are printed on a premium SBS Acid Free archival paperboard to give you long-lasting durability. On top of that, the UV protective lamination on the tiles has a beautifully soft touch.

I just ordered 25 of these photo tiles for my son’s room. He loves art and he loves building, and I think he will love putting his Snaptiles together (with my help of course!) on his bedroom wall.

This isn’t just a great last-minute gift, but it’s also a fun project you can share with whomever you give them to. It’s a win-win!

Learn more about Snaptiles

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: HDRsoft Photomatix Essentials

hdrsoft

Ask any photographer, and they’ll probably tell you that the toughest part of photography to master is exposure.

All too often, you get photos that have highlights that are too bright or shadows that are much too dark. 

But by using the power of HDR photography - high dynamic range - photographers can combine multiple exposures into a single shot, thereby getting a well-exposed image throughout.

Photomatix Essentials by HDRsoft makes that process super easy with dozens of HDR settings and presets for getting the perfect HDR photo.

HDRsoft has even incorporated multiple HDR styles to give photographers further control over how their HDR images look. Truly, creating eye-catching photos has never been easier! 

PLUS...HDRsoft is giving Photomatix Essentials away at the moment as part of their Quarantine Giveaway. You can’t get cheaper than free!

Learn more about HDRsoft Photomatix Essentials 

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Amazon Gift Card

Totally stumped regarding gift ideas for photographers on your list?

Why not go the easy route and get them an Amazon gift card?

Though a gift card isn't exactly the sexiest gift, when the photographer in your family sees that you have given them carte blanche to get what they want, they'll be stoked!

With an Amazon gift card, they can put the card amount towards whatever they want - a new lens, a second camera body, lighting gear, a laptop - you name it!

As far as flexibility goes, there's nothing better to give a photographer than a gift card.

Learn more about Amazon gift cards

 



We Recommend


Gifts for Photographers Under $50 - 2021 Edition

Gifts for Photographers Under 50 2021 Edition

Photo by SDI Productions via iStock

If you're looking for the ideal gift for the photographer on your holiday shopping list, but you have a smaller budget of $50, don't worry - there are plenty of gift ideas for photographers for 2021.

In our latest collection of gifts for photographers, we have all sorts of useful gadgets that any photographer will love.

From a camera wrist strap to photo restoration services to beautiful metal prints, you can't go wrong with these options!

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Artbeat Studios HD Metal Print

arbeat studios metal prints

If you ask me, one of the best gifts for photographers is a print of one of their favorite photos. It's a great way to honor their craft while also giving them a gift that truly keeps on giving!

And I know what you're thinking...metal prints for under $50 must be pretty low quality. Happily, though, that's just not the case!

Artbeat Studios is known as an industry leader for high-quality metal prints. One of the reasons for this is because Artbeat Studios’ HD metal prints have the image heat infused directly into the metal. The result is unsurpassed resolution and color vibrancy.

Metal is a gorgeous substrate for all manner and type of photos, too. The crisp, clean detail and modern look is just what the doctor ordered for highlighting a beautiful image.

artbeat studios wall mount options

What’s more, Artbeat Studios uses Chromaluxe® brand aluminum sheets. This brand of aluminum has a 3x better permanence than Kodak Silver Halide Prints and resists fading for more than 65 years. So not only is an HD metal print a great gift for this holiday season, but it’s a gift that will keep on giving for decades!

You can also customize the look of the print by choosing different finishes, surfaces, and mounts. One of the newest additions to the options list is the textured matte surface for a true fine art look. 

Whatever options you choose, the result is a breathtaking and custom print that your favorite photographer is sure to love that won't bust your budget!

Learn more about Artbeat Studios’ HD Metal Prints

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Holdfast Camera Leash Leather Wrist Strap

HOLDFAST CAMERA LEASH LEATHER WRIST STRAP

If you really want to impress the photographer on your list, you might think about gifting them a beautiful (and functional!) camera strap.

A prime option is the strap shown above and below - the Holdfast Camera Leash.

As you can see, this camera strap is made of the finest materials, including high-quality leather and stainless steel hardware. There are multiple colors to choose from as well, so you can customize the look of the strap to best fit the photographer on your list.

HOLDFAST CAMERA LEASH LEATHER WRIST STRAP 2

This strap is multi-functional, too.

Use it to carry your keys and attach them to a belt loop. Secure a water bottle to your backpack. Use two of them together to carry a third camera on the Holdfast MoneyMaker harness. There’s few products under $50 with that much functionality!

Plus, these things look absolutely incredible with fine details that scream, “I’m handcrafted!” - because they are! They're individually hand-tooled and painted in Oklahoma.

It’s a photography gift that your favorite photographer is sure to love!

Learn more about the Holdfast Camera Leash

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Octopus.Camera OctoPad

octopad

One of the best gifts you can give the photographer on your list is versatility, and that's exactly what the Octopus.Camera OctoPad delivers.

You can use the OctoPad with a camera, a light, a GoPro, a microphone - you name it! And unlike many other small stabilization devices, it doesn't collapse under the weight of the gear.

Instead, it offers a sturdy, stable base for photo and video equipment. It doesn't slide around, either, because of its non-slip mat design.

The OctoPad has a built-in male 1/4-20 inch threaded bolt for attaching accessories and a high-capacity removable ball head that also has an adjustable 1/4-20 inch threaded male bolt.

octopad 2

There’s even a built-in cable strap to keep cables from getting in your way and a clip grommet for attaching a lanyard to easily carry the OctoPad.

The functionality, size, portability, and price of the OctoPad are just too good to pass up. If you want to truly impress your favorite photographer this holiday season, serve up an OctoPad!

Learn more about the Octopus.Camera OctoPad

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: GoPro HERO9 Black Protective Housing

GOPRO HERO9 BLACK PROTECTIVE HOUSING

While GoPros are ruggedly built, having a little added protection will give your favorite photographer additional peace of mind that they can capture the action without worry about their camera.

This case was purpose-built to keep water, mud, dirt, and other debris from contacting the GoPro. In fact, it's waterproof down to 196 feet, so if the photographer on your list has deep-sea diving on their schedule, this GoPro accessory is a must!

GOPRO HERO9 BLACK PROTECTIVE HOUSING 2

The cover offers a skeleton backdoor that gives easy access to the touchscreen. It also enables improved audio capture.

The flat glass lens ensures that users can still get high-quality, sharp images whether they're above or below the water.

Likewise, they'' be able to see what they're doing thanks to the accessibility of the front LCD screen, even with the cover on.

And since it's an official GoPro accessory, you know it will fit the GoPro HERO9 like a glove!

Learn more about the GoPro HERO9 Protective Housing

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Snaptiles

snap tiles

A unique gift idea for the photographer on your holiday shopping list is Snaptiles.

Snaptiles are a patented Magnetic Photo Tile that is 8”x8”x1” and super lightweight.

What makes Snaptiles so unique is that they use a single wall mount that enables you to hang multiple prints without having to put tons of holes in the wall. Here's how it works:

  • Place the wall mount on the wall and use the built-in level to anchor a central print to the wall.
  • Then you can snap together the other tiles onto the first! The wall mount uses four adhesive strips that don’t damage the wall, yet offer all the support that’s needed to display up to 12 tiles.
  • Just make sure you press down firmly for 10 seconds. You can also push in the 4 included thumb tacks for additional support, then mount up to 30 tiles on the first tile! Not a bad tradeoff for 4 little pin holes in your wall.

snaptiles how they work

Each tile connects with strong magnets, so there’s no worry of the tiles sagging or slipping. Instead, they'll give your favorite photographer a clean, crisp photo display to enjoy year-round.

Best of all, though, this system enables you to swap images out as you get new photo tiles, rearrange them in the display, and create different shapes with an array of images.

It really couldn’t be any easier!

snaptiles how theyre made

The images are printed on a premium SBS Acid Free archival paperboard to give you long-lasting durability. On top of that, the UV protective lamination on the tiles has a beautifully soft touch.

Aside from being well-made and easy to install, Snaptiles offers you the chance to enjoy designing wall displays with the photographer on your list. The manner in which you hang the tiles is really limited only by your imagination. It's a fun way to hang out and enjoy each other's company!

Learn more about Snaptiles

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: PhotoRepairPro

Why not give the gift of making old new again this year?

If the photographer on your list is anything like me, they likely have tons of old photos in boxes in the basement or the attic. Some of those photos have probably seen better days, too.

That being the case, a great gift idea is to have a photo restored to its original glory!

For $34.99, you can give your favorite photographer a repaired photo, including an online proof, a JPEG download, and two 5x7 prints of the image. You even get free shipping on the prints!

No matter if the original image is faded, has creases, or needs to be colorized, PhotoRepairPro has your back.

What's more, they'll improve portraits by removing glare from eyeglasses, smoothing skin, or even changing the background.

There are simply a wealth of possibilities for breathing new life into old memories!

Learn more about PhotoRepairPro

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: HDRsoft Photomatix Essentials

hdrsoft

Ask any photographer, and they’ll probably tell you that the toughest part of photography to master is exposure.

All too often, you get photos that have highlights that are too bright or shadows that are much too dark. 

But by using the power of HDR photography - high dynamic range - photographers can combine multiple exposures into a single shot, thereby getting a well-exposed image throughout.

Photomatix Essentials by HDRsoft makes that process super easy with dozens of HDR settings and presets for getting the perfect HDR photo.

HDRsoft has even incorporated multiple HDR styles to give photographers further control over how their HDR images look. Truly, creating eye-catching photos has never been easier! 

Learn more about HDRsoft Photomatix Essentials

Gifts for Photographers under $50: Pre-Owned SanDisk 32GB Extreme PRO 300MB/s SDHC Card

mpb sandisk 32gb memory card

Every photographer needs reliable memory cards, and multiple memory cards at that! 

With MPB's great deals on pre-owned memory cards, you can help the photographer on your list ensure they have the storage capacity they need without spending an arm and a leg.

This SanDisk Extreme PRO SDHC memory card offers up to 300MB/s transfer speeds and shot speeds up to 260MB/s. That kind of speed is what photographers demand!

These cards aren't just ideal for photography, either...

They offer sustained video capture of 30MB/s with up to 128GB of full HD video and cinema-quality 4K video.

In other words, these cards will give photographers the uncompromising performance they demand.

Learn more about the SanDisk Extreme PRO 32GB SDHC Memory Card

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Ikan Stratus 15mm Static Lens Support

ikan 15mm 1

If the photographer on your list has a bunch of accessories for their camera, an Ikan Stratus Cage is all but a must.

And to make the Stratus cage even more functional, you can give the gift of a 15mm static lens support this holiday season.

The support attaches to the non-rotating part of a lens and helps support its weight.

ikan 15mm 2

With 7/8-inches of vertical leeway, this gadget can support a lens in a number of positions.

It's easy to use, too - one of the 15mm rod mounts is open and angled, so it can be slid onto the rods from above or from the front.

And at $34.99, it's a bargain gift as well!

Learn more about the Ikan Stratus 15mm Static Lens Support

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Amazon Gift Card

Totally stumped regarding gift ideas for photographers on your list?

Why not go the easy route and get them an Amazon gift card?

Though a gift card isn't exactly the sexiest gift, when the photographer in your family sees that you have given them carte blanche to get what they want, they'll be stoked!

With an Amazon gift card, they can put the card amount towards whatever they want - a new lens, a second camera body, lighting gear, a laptop - you name it!

As far as flexibility goes, there's nothing better to give a photographer than a gift card.

Learn more about Amazon gift cards

 



We Recommend


Gifts for Photographers Under $50 - 2022 Edition

best gifts for photographers under 50 2022 edition

Photo by Atstock Productions via iStock

When you think of photography gear, you probably think of expensive stuff - cameras, lenses, and the like.

But there are tons of photography accessories you can buy your loved one this holiday season that won't drain your bank account.

In fact, some of my favorite photography accessories are less than $50...see what they are below!

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Canvasprints.com canvas print

canvasprints website

I don’t know about you, but I find that there are two common problems when searching for gifts for my loved ones. First, I have a lot of people in my life that are difficult to shop for. And second, it can be difficult to find gifts that have long-term utility.

I think I’ve found a solution for both problems, though…

This year, I’m giving canvas prints to many of the people on my holiday shopping list. Why? Well, it’s easy! Even the most difficult of people to shop for enjoy a good photo. What’s more, the chances are high that they have wall space to put a printed photo.

On top of that, a canvas print is something that can be enjoyed for years - decades, really - to come. It isn’t a one-and-done gift that offers flash-in-the-pan excitement during the holidays, then finds its way into a closet somewhere. 

Instead, by giving someone a gorgeous photo that’s been hand-crafted just for them, you can give them the gift of time - time to enjoy the print each and every day.

So, the question is, where do you get a good canvas print?

what to look for in a canvas print

Earlier this year, I ordered a canvas print from CanvasPrints.com. It was my first such order, so I wasn’t completely sure what to expect.

Well, what I got in the mail was a superb canvas print!

As I shared in this post, the canvas I got from CanvasPrints.com ticks all the boxes in terms of quality:

  • The printing process was flawless, with no ink smudges or stains.
  • The high-quality canvas is tightly wrapped around the frame, with no waves or puckering.
  • The frame is well-made with square corners and a center support to ensure it stays square.
  • The canvas is attached to the frame with plenty of staples to further ensure the canvas remains tight.

quality canvas stretched tightly

Additionally, I like that CanvasPrints.com uses a wire hanger on the back rather than the more typical sawtooth hanger. I find that sawtooth hangers are often not attached to the frame in the center (and often aren’t level, either), which obviously complicates hanging the print level. With a wire hanger, there’s no concern there!

canvas print build quality

In other words, my first experience with CanvasPrints.com could not have gone better. As a result of that, they’ve earned my business for additional prints for myself and for my loved ones this holiday season. You should entrust them to create a beautiful print of your images as well!

canvsprints frame support

I should note that the materials used to create these prints are American-made and of the utmost quality to ensure the print that arrives at your door looks incredible. If something goes awry, no worries - CanvasPrints.com offers a 100-percent money-back guarantee with your print.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your holiday shopping done, get a fantastic gift that keeps on giving, and give the gift of a special moment in time with a CanvasPrints.com print!

Learn more about CanvasPrints.com

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Octopus.Camera OctoPad

octopad best gifts for photographers under 50 2022

One of the best gifts you can give the photographer on your list is versatility, and that's exactly what the Octopus.Camera OctoPad delivers.

You can use the OctoPad with a camera, a light, a GoPro, a microphone - you name it! And unlike many other small stabilization devices, it doesn't collapse under the weight of the gear.

Instead, it offers a sturdy, stable base for photo and video equipment. It doesn't slide around, either, because of its non-slip mat design.

The OctoPad has a built-in male 1/4-20 inch threaded bolt for attaching accessories and a high-capacity removable ball head that also has an adjustable 1/4-20 inch threaded male bolt.

octopad 2

There’s even a built-in cable strap to keep cables from getting in your way and a clip grommet for attaching a lanyard to easily carry the OctoPad.

The functionality, size, portability, and price of the OctoPad are just too good to pass up. If you want to truly impress your favorite photographer this holiday season, serve up an OctoPad!

Learn more about the Octopus.Camera OctoPad

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Unique Gifts from Saal Digital

saal digital photo brick

One of the best things about holiday gift-giving is that there are so many options for giving personalized, meaningful gifts to the people on your list. What better option than to take a favorite photo and turn it into a unique holiday gift?!

Saal Digital has a host of holiday gift options to consider, all of which are less than $50.

For example, you can have a favorite image printed on photo bricks (shown above), which can then be used to create a fun and interactive photo display. Likewise, a photo puzzle offers another interactive and meaningful gift idea to give someone this holiday season.

saal digital glass cutting board best gifts 2022

While you're at it, you might consider giving the gift of a glass cutting board for the holidays. These cutting boards feature your favorite image that your loved one can enjoy every time they cook. The board has a glass top and a polymer coating on the bottom, in addition to four rubber feet. It's also heat resistant up to 370 degrees for added versatility.

metal boxes saal digital

Saal Digital also has beautiful, personalized metal boxes that you can customize with a favorite image. These metal boxes can be used for a host of purposes (in addition to highlighting a fun photo, of course).

Really, no matter what your particular tastes or the interests of the person for whom you're buying, Saal Digital has photo gifts that fit the bill!

Learn more about Saal Digital

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Pre-Owned Canon EOS Rebel XTi

canon xti

If you have a loved one that is just getting started in photography, a pre-owned DSLR is a fantastic gift idea.

For example, the Canon EOS Rebel XTi has a 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor that offers plenty of resolution for posting images online and printing images as well.

canon xti back

The compact body of the camera makes it easy to use and hold, even for long periods of time, while its host of features (like manual shooting controls) are the perfect way to learn the technicalities of photography.

This is an older camera, but still offers excellent features, especially for beginners. And with a price less than $50, it's a gift you can give without breaking the bank! And since this camera comes from MPB - a trusted online platform that thoroughly inspects and grades gear - you can buy with confidence. The included six-month warranty and seven-day return period are icing on the cake!

Learn more about the Canon EOS Rebel XTi

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Vanguard VS-82 Table Top Tripod

vanguard tripod

Not only is this handy little tripod a great addition to a photography bag, but it can also be used for hunting and range shooting by supporting a spotting scope. Giving a gift that provides extra utility makes it an even better gift!

This tripod's small size and lightweight aluminum build make it easy to carry, set up, and take down. If your loved one does a lot of traveling or backpacking, this is the tripod for them!

The two-way 360-degree pan head offers a nice range of motion for a camera or scope, and the maximum height of nearly 10 inches provides plenty of vertical space between the camera or scope and the surface on which the tripod stands. What's more, the tripod maintains a stable base with non-slip rubber feet on each leg. So, even if things are wet or slippery, this tripod will reliably maintain its position so your loved one can take their best shot!

Learn more about the Vanguard VS-82 Table Top Tripod

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Holdfast Camera Leash Leather Wrist Strap

HOLDFAST CAMERA LEASH LEATHER WRIST STRAP

If you really want to impress the photographer on your list, you might think about gifting them a beautiful (and functional!) camera strap.

A prime option is the strap shown above and below - the Holdfast Camera Leash.

As you can see, this camera strap is made of the finest materials, including high-quality leather and stainless steel hardware. There are multiple colors to choose from as well, so you can customize the look of the strap to best fit the photographer on your list.

HOLDFAST CAMERA LEASH LEATHER WRIST STRAP 2

This strap is multi-functional, too.

Use it to carry your keys and attach them to a belt loop. Secure a water bottle to your backpack. Use two of them together to carry a third camera on the Holdfast MoneyMaker harness. There’s few products under $50 with that much functionality!

Plus, these things look absolutely incredible with fine details that scream, “I’m handcrafted!” - because they are! They're individually hand-tooled and painted in Oklahoma.

It’s a photography gift that your favorite photographer is sure to love!

Learn more about the Holdfast Camera Leash

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Pre-Owned Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

canon ef 18 55

If you invest in the pre-owned Canon EOS Rebel XTi I mentioned earlier (or any Canon DSLR, for that matter), you might consider adding a quality pre-owned lens to the package.

A good basic lens is the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. This lens offers a nice range of focal lengths while also being image stabilization-capable. The lens is small and lightweight, too, making it an ideal addition to the EOS Rebel XTi.

canon ef 18 25 best gifts under 50

Since this is an EF-mount lens, it will work with virtually any Canon DSLR camera made in the last two decades. So, if the photographer on your list has a Canon DSLR already, but needs a solid zoom lens, this is a great option.

Again, since this lens comes from MPB, you can buy with confidence knowing the lenses have been inspected by photography professionals and that the lens you get in the mail will be just as it was described. With a six-month warranty and seven-day return window, your online purchase can be made knowing that MPB has your back!

Learn more about the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS from MPB

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Snaptiles

snap tiles

A unique gift idea for the photographer on your holiday shopping list is Snaptiles.

Snaptiles are a patented Magnetic Photo Tile that is 8”x8”x1” and super lightweight.

What makes Snaptiles so unique is that they use a single wall mount that enables you to hang multiple prints without having to put tons of holes in the wall. Here's how it works:

  • Place the wall mount on the wall and use the built-in level to anchor a central print to the wall.
  • Then you can snap together the other tiles onto the first! The wall mount uses four adhesive strips that don’t damage the wall, yet offer all the support that’s needed to display up to 12 tiles.
  • Just make sure you press down firmly for 10 seconds. You can also push in the 4 included thumbtacks for additional support, then mount up to 30 tiles on the first tile! Not a bad tradeoff for 4 little pinholes in your wall.

snaptiles how they work

Each tile connects with strong magnets, so there’s no worry of the tiles sagging or slipping. Instead, they'll give your favorite photographer a clean, crisp photo display to enjoy year-round.

Best of all, though, this system enables you to swap images out as you get new photo tiles, rearrange them in the display, and create different shapes with an array of images.

It really couldn’t be any easier!

snaptiles best gifts for photographers under 50

The images are printed on a premium SBS Acid Free archival paperboard to give you long-lasting durability. On top of that, the UV protective lamination on the tiles has a beautifully soft touch.

Aside from being well-made and easy to install, Snaptiles offers you the chance to enjoy designing wall displays with the photographer on your list. The manner in which you hang the tiles is really limited only by your imagination. It's a fun way to hang out and enjoy each other's company!

Learn more about Snaptiles

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Vanguard VEO RANGE21M BG Shoulder Bag

vanguard bag

Not every photography outing requires every piece of gear you own, nor does it require a big, heavy bag that's full of all that gear. Instead, sometimes you just need your camera and a single lens to do some running and gunning. 

For those occasions, a small shoulder bag like the Vanguard VEO Range21M is a perfect solution. It makes a great holiday gift, too!

The bag measures roughly 11x6x9 inches and weighs just over one pound, so it's an ideal bag for travel photography, street photography, and other pursuits when a small kit is all you need.

vanguard bag 2

The light-colored interior makes it easy to see what gear is where, while the dedicated pockets give you places to keep small items like batteries, memory cards, and personal essentials like money, credit cards, and so forth.

The top flap offers easy access to the gear inside, yet the bag doesn't scream "camera bag," so there's less worry of someone snatching your bag for the expensive gear inside.

With tons of padding for your gear and a nice, well-padded shoulder strap, this bag will be a great companion for your travels or for the photographer on your holiday shopping list!

Learn more about the Vanguard VEO Range21M 

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: SanDisk 256GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Memory Card

sandisk

The SanDisk Extreme SD UHS-I memory card provides 256GB of storage capacity for photo and video. The card offers read speeds of up to 180MB per second and write speeds up to 130MB per second.

With 256GB of space, UHS Speed Class 3 capability, and Video Speed Class 30 functionality, this card is ideal for shooting 4K UHD videos. The sustained capture rate of 30MB per second for video enables real-time video recording as well.

This card also offers the ability to shoot in burst mode for still photography and capture large sequences of high-resolution photos.

Learn more about the SanDisk Extreme SD UHS-I memory card



We Recommend


Gifts for Photographers Under $50 - 2023 Edition

best gifts for photographers under 50

Photo by Ziga Plahutar via iStock

Gifts for photographers under $50...is there such a thing?!

I know photography isn't the most budget-friendly hobby, but there are plenty of awesome gifts you can give the photographer in your life this holiday season without exceeding a $50 budget. I've listed some of my favorites below!

These are items that have stood the test of time in the industry as useful, functional items that a photographer can use to make their life easier. Check them out below, and get your holiday shopping off on the right foot!

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: OctoPad

octopad 1

When it comes to finding the perfect gift for the photography enthusiast in your life, versatility is the name of the game. And that's precisely what the OctoPad delivers in spades.

The OctoPad is a game-changer. It's not just a tripod alternative; it's a creative companion that can elevate your photography and videography to new heights. Imagine having a stable platform for your camera, light, GoPro, microphone, and more - the OctoPad can handle it all!

What sets the OctoPad apart from the rest? Unlike many other small stabilization devices that can buckle under the weight of your precious gear, the OctoPad stands firm, offering a rock-solid, stable base for all your photo and video equipment. Say goodbye to shaky shots and hello to professional-grade quality.

octpad 2

Worried about it slipping and sliding around? Not with the OctoPad! Thanks to its ingenious non-slip mat design, your equipment stays put, allowing you to focus on capturing that perfect shot without any frustrating distractions.

But the magic doesn't stop there. The OctoPad is packed with thoughtful features that photographers and videographers will adore. It boasts a built-in male 1/4-20 inch threaded bolt for attaching accessories, and it comes with a high-capacity removable ball head featuring an adjustable 1/4-20 inch threaded male bolt. This means you can customize your setup to suit your specific needs.

Cable clutter and tangled wires? Not on your watch! The OctoPad includes a built-in cable strap, keeping those pesky cables neatly organized. Plus, there's a clip grommet for attaching a lanyard, making it super easy to carry your OctoPad around for on-the-go shooting.

octopad 3

Now, let's talk about the real icing on the cake - the OctoPad's unbeatable combination of functionality, size, portability, and price. It's a powerhouse of a gift that won't break the bank. For under $50, you're getting a versatile and dependable tool that will impress and empower any photographer.

So, this holiday season, go ahead and serve up an OctoPad to your favorite photographer. Whether they're a professional or just starting, this gift will make their creative journey smoother and more exciting. Don't miss out on the chance to brighten their holidays with this fantastic, budget-friendly gift!

Learn more about the OctoPad

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Printique Wood Print

printique wood print 1

This year, give the gift of timeless memories and artistic expression with a unique and eco-friendly touch. Printique's wood photo prints are the perfect choice to delight the photographer or art enthusiast on your holiday gift list.

What makes these wood prints a standout present is the blend of craftsmanship, eco-consciousness, and striking visual impact. Printique uses wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a testament to their commitment to preserving the environment. This ensures that every wood print comes from a source that regulates its impact on the environment, making it a responsible and sustainable choice.

printique wood print 3

The magic truly unfolds when you see the photo directly printed onto the wood. The result is a clear and vibrant reproduction of your chosen image, capturing the essence and beauty of the moment. It's not just a picture; it's a piece of art that's bound to make a statement in any space.

Printique's wood photo prints are a substantial 3/4 inch thick, giving them a solid and durable feel. The sanded edges add a touch of refinement to the presentation, making each print a work of art in its own right.

But what sets these prints apart even further is their practicality. They're water and heat-resistant, ensuring that your cherished memories remain intact for years to come. This feature not only safeguards the print but also allows for versatile display options, from your living room to your kitchen or even the bathroom.

printique wood print 2

Printique offers a range of sizes, from 8x10 up to 10x10 (and others that are more than the $50 threshold). This means you can choose the perfect size to suit your loved one's space and style.

In summary, Printique's wood photo prints are more than just photographs; they're heartfelt gifts that blend artistry, eco-friendliness, and durability. These prints are a tangible way to encapsulate the beauty of memories and showcase them with elegance. This holiday season, make a statement with a gift that's as meaningful as it is visually stunning. 

Learn more about Printique's Wood Prints

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Vanguard Alta Rise 33 Messenger Bag

vanguard 1

Searching for the perfect holiday gift for your photography-savvy friend? Look no further than the Vanguard Alta Rise 33 Messenger Bag – it's a present that blends style, versatility, and protection in one sleek package.

The Vanguard Alta Rise 33 is designed with photographers in mind, making it a go-to choice for DSLR owners, compact camera enthusiasts, and those with Compact System Cameras (CSC) who are always on the move.

vanguard bag 2

One of its standout features is the "+6" expandable design, allowing your photography friend to effortlessly adjust the bag's capacity with a single zipper pull. Whether they're heading out for a quick shoot or a day of exploration, this bag is ready to adapt to their needs. Quick-action top access means they won't miss a shot, ensuring that their gear is always within reach.

Comfort is key when carrying precious photography equipment, and the Alta Rise 33 delivers. The well-padded, anti-slip shoulder strap ensures that lugging gear around is a breeze, even during long outings. Plus, with a dedicated rear pocket for travel documents and a wallet, this bag keeps everything secure and organized.

Photography gear requires the utmost protection, and this bag doesn't disappoint. It boasts an enhanced, padded camera gear insert and dividers that safeguard cameras, lenses, and accessories. And for those who combine their love for photography with work, the bag can accommodate a 13" laptop, making it a business-friendly companion.

gifts for photographers under 50 vanguard bag

No more fumbling around for essentials! The bright-colored interior makes finding items effortless, while dedicated pockets keep everything neatly organized. You'll never have to worry about misplaced memory cards or chargers again.

The Alta Rise 33 doesn't just excel in functionality – it's also designed with durability and the elements in mind. With feet on the bottom, it stays clean and dry, even when placed on wet or uneven surfaces. And for unpredictable weather conditions, it comes with a total coverage rain cover, ensuring that gear stays protected, come rain or shine. Talk about a great gift!

Learn more about the Vanguard Alta Rise 33 Messenger Bag 

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Pre-Owned Nikon SB-600 Speedlight From MPB

nikon flash

Looking for an ideal holiday gift for your photography enthusiast? Let me introduce you to the pre-owned Nikon SB-600 Speedlight, a fantastic and budget-friendly addition to their photography gear.

This versatile mid-range Speedlight flash is designed to be compatible with the Nikon D70 and D2H Creative Lighting System cameras. What sets the SB-600 apart is its incorporation of Nikon's latest i-TTL monitor pre-flash metering technology. This innovative feature ensures precision and consistent exposure, resulting in brilliantly lit photos every time.

The SB-600 is not just about power; it's also about affordability. It offers an attractively priced solution for photographers seeking a reliable main flash for general photography. Whether your friend is a seasoned pro or just starting, this Speedlight will prove to be an invaluable tool in their creative arsenal.

best gifts for photographers under 50 nikon flash

What's truly impressive is the SB-600's ability to work in harmony with other SB-600 Speedlights. When used in groups and controlled by a Master SB-800 or the 'Commander' function of the Nikon D70, it offers fully automatic exposure control. This means that your photographer friend can experiment with creative lighting setups to achieve stunning results.

The SB-600 simplifies the user experience with its intuitive button layout, making it easy for anyone to grasp its functionality. It's packed with practical features to meet the diverse lighting needs of creative digital photographers. Whether it's portraits, landscapes, or indoor photography, this Speedlight has got it covered!

Learn more about a Pre-Owned Nikon SB-600 Speedlight From MPB

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Lumaprints Peel-And-Stick Art Prints

peelstick art print

This holiday season, bring the joy of art and photography to your loved ones without the stress of traditional framing and hanging. Lumaprints presents a brilliant gift idea: Peel and Stick Art Prints. These prints are a beautiful and easy way to transform any space.

What sets these art prints apart is their sheer simplicity. Installation is a breeze; no need for nails, hammers, or any wall-damaging tools. Just peel and stick, and your favorite art pieces or cherished photos instantly adorn your walls. The best part? They can be removed, repositioned, and replaced without a trace of damage, making them a fantastic choice for renters, indecisive decorators, or those who like to change their surroundings frequently.

The magic of Peel and Stick Art Prints is in the material itself. These prints are crafted on high-quality woven fabric, ensuring stunning, true-to-life colors and sharp details. Lumaprints offers a wide array of standard, custom, and large print sizes, so you can choose the perfect dimensions to suit any room.

lumaprints peel and stick

What's more, Lumaprints doesn't keep you waiting. With a swift production time of 2-3 business days, your gift will be ready to impress in no time. These prints are created using the Giclee method, which ensures breathtaking clarity and precision, and eco-solvent inkjet printing that's environmentally friendly.

With a $50 budget, you can give a print of up to 40x60 inches, allowing you to turn a plain wall into a breathtaking canvas for your friend or family member's memories and artwork.

In other words, Lumaprints' Peel and Stick Art Prints are the ultimate holiday gift for those who appreciate art, photography, and decor. They offer an effortless way to elevate any space and a hassle-free method to update it as often as one likes. This season, give the gift of creativity and beauty with these easy-to-install and gorgeous art prints!

Learn more about Lumaprints' Peel-And-Stick Art Prints

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Pre-Owned Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

canon 18 55 1

If your loved one has a Canon DSLR, adding a quality lens to the package is a smart move. The Canon EF-S 18-55mm is an excellent basic lens that offers a versatile range of focal lengths. What sets it apart is its image stabilization capability, ensuring that your photographer friend can capture sharp, shake-free images in various shooting conditions.

This lens is not only high-quality but also incredibly practical. Its compact and lightweight design makes it the ideal addition to any Canon DSLR. Whether you're shooting landscapes, portraits, or everyday scenes, this lens has you covered.

One of the standout features of the Canon EF 18-55mm lens is its compatibility. As an EF-mount lens, it can work with virtually any Canon DSLR camera made in the last two decades. So, if the photographer on your gift list already owns a Canon DSLR and needs a reliable zoom lens, this is a fantastic option.

canon 18 55 2

What makes this gift even more appealing is that it's coming from MPB, a trusted source for pre-owned camera gear. You can buy with confidence, knowing that the lens has been thoroughly inspected by photography professionals, ensuring it's in excellent working condition. The lens you receive will be exactly as described, meeting all your expectations.

And there's more good news. MPB provides a six-month warranty and a seven-day return window, offering peace of mind with your online purchase. This means you can shop with confidence, knowing that MPB has your back.

So, this year, surprise the photographer in your life with the gift of creativity and versatility. The Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens is not only a budget-friendly choice but also a reliable and quality addition to their camera gear. It's a gift that will help them capture stunning moments and express their artistic vision with confidence.

Learn more about the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS from MPB

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Saal Digital Photo Mug

saal digital photo mug

I have to start my day with a cup (or two or three) of coffee; otherwise, I feel like a zombie wandering through my morning. And since I run a photography business, what better way to start my morning than a photo mug with one of my favorite images on it?!

A photo mug like mine from Saal Digital is a thoughtful, budget-friendly gift offering tons of utility. Saal Digital even offers text and clipart customization to enhance the photo you select for the mug.

Better still, Saal Digital offers a wide range of mugs in different materials and designs, so you can truly design the ultimate photo mug for your loved one. On top of that, these mugs start at barely more than $25 (when not on sale), so you can give a fun, useful gift that's well below your $50 budget!

Learn more about Saal Digital's Photo Mug

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: SanDisk 256GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Memory Card

sandisk

The SanDisk Extreme SD UHS-I memory card provides 256GB of storage capacity for photo and video. The card offers read speeds of up to 180MB per second and write speeds up to 130MB per second.

With 256GB of space, UHS Speed Class 3 capability, and Video Speed Class 30 functionality, this card is ideal for shooting 4K UHD videos. The sustained capture rate of 30MB per second for video enables real-time video recording as well.

This card also offers the ability to shoot in burst mode for still photography and capture large sequences of high-resolution photos.

Learn more about the SanDisk Extreme SD UHS-I memory card

Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Amazon Gift Card

Totally stumped regarding gift ideas for photographers on your list?

Why not go the easy route and get them an Amazon gift card?

Though a gift card isn't exactly the sexiest gift, when the photographer in your family sees that you have given them carte blanche to get what they want, they'll be stoked!

With an Amazon gift card, they can put the card amount towards whatever they want - a new lens, a second camera body, lighting gear, a laptop - you name it!

As far as flexibility goes, there's nothing better to give a photographer than a gift card.

Learn more about Amazon gift cards




We Recommend


GoPro Hero 11 Specs, Features, and Must-Have Accessories

GoPro Hero 11 Specs Features and Must Have Accessories

The GoPro Hero 11 is the latest in the GoPro lineup of action cameras, and it is awesome!

While the form factor remains unchanged from its predecessor, the Hero 11 has some massive improvements under the hood.

Read on to learn about the GoPro Hero 11 Black and some excellent GoPro accessories to add to your purchase.

Table of Contents:

What IS an Action Camera?

What IS an Action Camera

 Some photographers look at all the excitement surrounding the release of a new GoPro camera, such as the GoPro Hero 11, and wonder what all the hoopla is about. In order to understand why the excitement for the GoPro Hero 11, maybe a quick review of just what is an action cam might help.

An action cam is a small camera designed for video and still images that is small, very heavy-duty, and is meant to be used in action settings. Action settings may be sports such as motocross, oval track racing, skydiving, snow skiing, wakeboarding, biking, horseback riding, surfing, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling…you get the picture. 

Action cameras, such as the GoPro lineup of cameras, are very small, usually cube-shaped or close to cubes, and have wide-angle lenses. As you can see in the video above by GoPro, the Hero 11 is waterproof, shockproof, and has excellent video modes. It can be used in a huge variety of ways depending on what GoPro accessories you buy.

GoPro Hero 11 Specs

GoPro Hero 11 Specs

The biggest news concerning the GoPro Hero 11 is the new sensor. For an action cam, it’s huge! It is 27MP, 1/1.9” size, and has a new aspect ratio for GoPro of 8:7, which I’ll explain in a bit. Here is a list of the GoPro Hero 11 specs: 

  • 27MP 1/1.9” sensor
  • 8:7 aspect ratio
  • Cinematic 5.3K60, 4K120, and 2.7K240 video
  • HyperSmooth 5.0 video stabilization with Horizon Lock
  • Waterproof to 33 ft
  • Cold-Weather Enduro Battery
  • Automatic Highlight Videos
  • Water-repelling lens cover
  • Dual LCD Screens
  • 24.7MP stills from video feed
  • 8X Slo-Mo
  • 27MP still photo capture
  • Hindsight video capture
  • Time-Lapse scheduled capture

GoPro Hero 11 Black Features

GoPro Hero 11 Black Features

The biggest new feature to talk about for the GoPro Hero 11 is that new sensor. Not only is it very high megapixels, it’s larger than any previous GoPro Hero. And it has a new aspect ratio, 8:7. 

What this means is that you can just shoot and then later crop the footage or images into any number of other image and video aspect ratios, vertically and horizontally. Many users of the GoPro Hero 11 will probably leave it in that capture mode for the majority of videos and still pics. 

Some other GoPro Hero 11 features that will be liked are the HyperSmooth stabilization and the Hindsight video capture, which provides 30 seconds of video before you start shooting, ensuring you don’t miss the action.

Here is a great video tutorial that will help you get started using the GoPro Hero 11 features to the full. It’s from the GoPro Tips YouTube channel, which has many excellent videos to answer your GoPro questions.

Learn More:

OctoPad Camera Mount

Octopad

Some of the most useful GoPro accessories are mounts. One that I love for using a GoPro as a vlogging camera or as a B-Roll camera is the OctoPad camera mount. This compact mount allows you to securely place a GoPro Hero 11 on almost any type of surface, including those angled up to 45 degrees.

It’s a semi-rigid weighted disk with a tripod mount on top and a non-slip pad underneath. I use several of these when shooting video since they are easy to carry and very budget-friendly. Besides the camera, I mount auxiliary microphones or video lights to flesh out the captured footage.

GoPro Protective Housing

GoPro Protective Housing

While the GoPro Hero 11 is waterproof already down to 33 feet, some users will want to go deeper. The GoPro Protective Housing is in the official GoPro accessories category and allows deep diving to 196 feet. It also provides extra protection above water for truly extreme action videos.

Dual Battery Charger

Dual Battery Charger

 You don’t want your GoPro Hero 11 to go dead in the middle of your outing, so get an extra battery and also the GoPro Dual Battery Charger. It uses USB connections and charges a dead battery to full in about 2 hours.

Aluminum Tripod Mount

Aluminum Tripod Mount

 In order to use your new GoPro Hero 11 on other camera mounts like the OctoPad, you need to adapt the GoPro Accessories mount to a standard ¼ - 20 tripod screw. This all Aluminum Tripod Mount from HSU will fit perfectly with your GoPro Hero 11 action cam.

Final Thoughts GoPro Hero 11

Final Thoughts GoPro Hero 11

You’re going to love the GoPro Hero 11 for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest draws for many action cam users is the large sensor with the large area aspect ratio. It really is a game changer for lots of videographers.

The GoPro Hero 11 is the best GoPro action cam yet. I’m sure newcomers will fall in love with it, and experienced GoPro users will want the extra flexibility and high quality of the new large sensor.

Learn More:



We Recommend


GoPro Hero 12 Holiday Shopping Guide

octopad gopro hero 12 holiday shopping guide

I love GoPros. I've had many of them over the years and have held onto several in spite of getting newer models each year (I have the GoPro Hero 12, Hero 11, and Hero 10).

For me, there is nothing like a GoPro - a small, compact, highly functional, and versatile camera that I can use in many different applications - yes, please!

But as good as the GoPro Hero 12 is, it can be made even better by adding a few accessories. And since the holidays are coming up, I figured why not put out a GoPro Hero 12 holiday shopping guide to point you in the direction of some awesome GoPro accessories for you or a loved one?

So, with all that said, let's check out some awesome gear for your GoPro!

Table of Contents

GoPro Hero 12 Specs & Features

gopro hero 12 1

The GoPro Hero 12 is a powerhouse of an action camera that redefines the limits of what you can capture. This latest addition to the HERO series takes GoPro's already impressive image quality to new heights, making it the best HERO camera ever created. Let's dive into some of its standout features and specs.

At the core of the Hero 12 is the introduction of HDR (High Dynamic Range) video and photo capabilities. This means that your images and videos will be more vivid, with a stunning 5.3K and 4K video resolution. This is a game-changer for anyone who demands exceptional video quality in their action footage. Whether you're capturing stunning landscapes or the most thrilling adventures, the Hero 12 will do justice to your memories.

One of the standout features is the upgraded HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilization. It takes smooth footage to a new level and even includes the 360° Horizon Lock, ensuring your videos are incredibly steady no matter how much action is happening. It's perfect for those on-the-go shots, whether you're biking down a rocky trail or taking on white-water rapids.

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The Hero 12 offers an industry-leading 177° field of view when combined with the Max Lens Mod 2.0, allowing you to capture more of the scene and create cinematic, immersive footage. This is particularly exciting for videographers who want to push the boundaries of their content.

To ensure you never miss a moment, the Hero 12 features a redesigned power management system that offers improved thermal performance and up to 2x longer runtimes. This is a game-changer for those who need extended shooting sessions, ensuring you're ready to capture the perfect shot without the worry of running out of battery.

For those who value audio quality, the Hero 12 introduces Bluetooth audio support, allowing you to use your Apple AirPods or other Bluetooth audio devices for wireless sound recording and voice control. This enhances your ability to capture clear audio and give voice commands remotely.

The Hero 12 offers a wide range of video resolutions, including 5.3K60, 4K120, and 2.7K240. These options cater to various filming needs, from ultra-high resolution for stunning visuals to ultra-smooth slow-motion for dramatic effect.

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The camera boasts a large image sensor that captures an ultra-wide 156° field of view in an 8:7 aspect ratio, ensuring you get more in the frame. Additionally, it can capture 27-megapixel photos and extract stills with impressive 24.7 megapixels from video, giving you plenty of room for creativity in post-processing.

And don't forget about the GoPro Hero 12's ruggedness. It's waterproof to a depth of 33 feet, maintaining GoPro's legendary durability. You can take this camera with you on any adventure, knowing it can withstand the elements.

Furthermore, the Hero 12 introduces the ability to wirelessly synchronize multiple cameras at once using Timecode Sync, perfect for multi-camera setups and advanced video production. It also includes GP-Log and LUT support for professionals who need precise control over their footage.

Having said all that, I think it's safe to say the GoPro Hero 12 is a revolutionary action camera that's setting new standards in image quality, stability, and creative potential. With HDR, HyperSmooth 6.0, wireless audio support, and so much more, it's the ultimate tool for capturing your adventures and creating stunning content. It embodies the GoPro spirit of durability, ensuring you get the shot, no matter the environment. Whether you're an extreme sports enthusiast, an aspiring filmmaker, or simply looking to document your travels with the utmost clarity, the Hero 12 is the ideal companion for your journey.

Best GoPro Hero 12 Accessories: Octopad

OctoPad Universal Stability Mount

If you're on the hunt for the perfect holiday gift for someone who owns a GoPro Hero 12, the OctoPad is a must-have accessory that they'll absolutely love. It's not only incredibly useful, but it's also the first thing many GoPro enthusiasts (including me!) reach for when they're ready to capture their adventures. Let's take a closer look at the OctoPad and how it can enhance their GoPro experience...

The OctoPad is a versatile tripod base stand that's designed to provide perfect and stable support on a wide range of surfaces, including slopes, uneven terrain, and even smooth surfaces. What sets it apart is its patented weighted non-slip mat design, which offers an unmatched level of stability, surpassing traditional mini tripods and suction cup supports. This means that your loved one can confidently set up their GoPro Hero 12 in unique and challenging locations, whether they're out in nature, on a city street, or at home. And, as you can see in the images below, this bad boy works great in snow, water, and more!

octopad in river

One of the key benefits of the OctoPad is its universal compatibility. It features a standard 1/4 interface, making it adaptable to a wide range of devices, including cameras, DSLRs, smartphones, GoPros, gimbals, lights, flashes, monitors, microphones, webcams, projectors, and more. This versatility ensures that it's not just a GoPro accessory but a versatile addition to their entire photography and videography setup. With a 360° universal ball-head that securely clamps devices in place with non-slip silicone, it's easily adjustable and can be reconfigured as needed.

The OctoPad is all about convenience and efficiency. Its small footprint, measuring 6.3" x 6.3" x 4", ensures that your loved one can achieve a lower and stable angle for their shots without the need for traditional tripod legs that might accidentally end up in the frame. This is a significant advantage, especially for tabletop, macro, and time-lapse photography, where precision and stability are essential. It's much quicker and easier to set up than a traditional mini tripod, saving them valuable time and helping them capture the perfect shot without any hassle.

octopad in snow

Moreover, the OctoPad boasts a well-thought-out design, including a cable strap for efficient cable management. This ensures that cables from their devices remain neat and organized, avoiding tangling or getting in the way during shooting. On the side, a clip grommet can be used with a carabiner or lanyard (not included) to secure the OctoPad further, making it an easy and convenient tool to carry around.

The OctoPad is constructed with premium-quality materials to ensure durability and longevity. The weighted base is grippable and robust, while the top material is made of strong, tear-proof Oxford fabric with reinforced stitching and spill-proofing. The base has a high-friction rubber coating for a secure grip on surfaces. It's a dependable accessory that's built to last, making it a valuable addition to your loved one's GoPro kit.

octopad in river 2

Best of all, Octopad is budget-friendly at around $30. But this little guy hits far above its weight class in terms of its bang for your buck. Not only can it be used with any GoPro, but it can also be used with other action cameras like the Insta360 GO 2, the DJI Osmo, and others, in addition to all the cameras and accessories I listed earlier. This is truly a do-it-all accessory!

The OctoPad is a versatile and essential accessory for anyone with a GoPro Hero 12. Its stability, compatibility, and convenient design make it a game-changer for capturing unique and breathtaking footage in various settings. This holiday season, give the gift of enhanced creativity and efficiency with the OctoPad. It's a thoughtful and practical addition to their GoPro gear that they'll reach for time and time again to take their adventures to the next level!

Learn more about Octopad

Best GoPro Hero 12 Accessories: GoPro Media Mod

gopro media mod gopro hero 12 1

The GoPro Media Mod is the perfect holiday gift for GoPro enthusiasts looking to take their action-packed videos to the next level. This sleek and versatile accessory is designed to enhance your GoPro Hero 12 (or Hero 9, 10, or 11!) experience with an array of fantastic features.

The GoPro Media Mod comes complete with a removable windscreen, vertical mounting buckle, and thumb screw, making it a comprehensive package for anyone seeking to elevate their filming capabilities. With its built-in directional microphone, this accessory ensures crystal-clear audio while effectively reducing wind and ambient noise. Whether you're capturing the roaring waves of the ocean or the tranquility of the great outdoors, your audio will be crisp and clear.

gopro media mod gopro hero 12 2

For content creators who want to customize their setup, the Media Mod offers two cold-shoe mounts that allow you to attach your favorite lights, microphones, or LCD screens. This flexibility empowers you to create professional-grade videos with ease. If you're after even more enhanced audio, the Media Mod provides a 3.5mm mic port, enabling you to connect an external microphone for superior sound quality.

The GoPro Media Mod doesn't stop at audio enhancements. It also features an HDMI-out port, providing you with the ability to monitor or play back your footage on a larger screen. This is perfect for reviewing your shots in more detail or sharing your adventures with friends and family on a television or monitor.

gopro media mod gopro her 12 3

What sets the Media Mod apart is its unique and compact wraparound design. This portable expandability ensures that your GoPro remains versatile and easy to mount in various situations, making it an ideal companion for capturing your holiday adventures. Plus, it's specially designed to work seamlessly with the Display Mod and Light Mod, but it doesn't stop there – it's also compatible with a wide range of third-party accessories.

For the adventurer, vlogger, or filmmaker in your life, the GoPro Media Mod is the ultimate gift choice this holiday season. Give the gift of enhanced audio, versatility, and expandability, and help your loved ones take their GoPro experience to the next level. Whether they're chasing sunsets, hitting the slopes, or creating engaging content, the GoPro Media Mod is the must-have accessory that will leave them capturing memories like never before!

Learn more about the GoPro Media Mod

Best GoPro Hero 12 Accessories: GoPro Floaty

gopro floaty 1

Searching for the ideal gift for someone with a GoPro Hero 12 who loves water adventures? Look no further than the GoPro Floaty, a must-have accessory that combines practicality and peace of mind. This clever accessory is designed to make capturing underwater memories even more enjoyable and worry-free.

The GoPro Floaty boasts an ingenious design that keeps your HERO camera afloat, ensuring it won't disappear beneath the waves. This feature alone is a game-changer for water enthusiasts who love snorkeling, surfing, wakeboarding, or any other water-based activity. With the Floaty, you can confidently focus on your adventures without the fear of losing your precious GoPro to the depths below.

gopro floaty 2

Beyond its floatation capability, the GoPro Floaty provides a cushioned padding that adds an extra layer of protection to your camera. It guards against accidental bumps and scrapes, giving you peace of mind even in the most challenging conditions. The wraparound design is as functional as it is protective, granting easy access to your camera's buttons, front LCD screen, back touch screen, and folding fingers for straightforward mounting. You won't have to compromise functionality for protection with this accessory.

For added security in extreme conditions, the GoPro Floaty includes a tether point, offering an extra layer of protection for your camera. This is particularly handy for anyone tackling rough waters or high-action scenarios, where the camera might experience more turbulent conditions.

gopro floaty 3

The GoPro Floaty is the ideal holiday gift for anyone with a GoPro Hero 12 who loves water adventures. Whether your loved one enjoys capturing the serenity of underwater life while snorkeling, riding the waves while surfing, or taking on the thrilling challenges of wakeboarding, the Floaty is an essential accessory. It ensures your camera stays afloat, safe, and accessible, allowing you to relive your aquatic adventures in stunning detail.

Give the gift of worry-free underwater filming this holiday season with the GoPro Floaty. It's the perfect companion for any water-loving GoPro enthusiast!

Learn more about the GoPro Floaty

Best GoPro Hero 12 Accessories: Neewer Pro 61-in-1 Action Camera Accessory Kit

neewer 1

The Neewer All-In-One Action Accessory Kit is the perfect holiday gift for someone with a GoPro Hero 12 who loves capturing their adventures from various angles and perspectives. This comprehensive kit is a treasure trove of accessories that will help them unlock their creative potential and take their action photography and videography to new heights.

One of the standout features of this kit is the variety of straps it includes. With straps for the head, chest, helmet, and chin, your loved one can secure their GoPro Hero 12 to virtually any part of their body for breathtaking point-of-view shots. Whether they're into surfing, skateboarding, parachuting, or bungee jumping, these straps allow them to capture the thrill of the moment from their unique perspective. The helmet strap is perfect for road biking races, mountain bike trails, and BMX riding, making it a versatile addition for cyclists and adrenaline junkies.

The Neewer kit also provides essential accessories for water enthusiasts. The wrist strap with a 360° rotatable mount enables shots from various angles while ensuring their camera is securely attached. The floating handle grip and sponge float keep the GoPro afloat in the water during swimming or snorkeling adventures. These accessories are essential for those who love documenting underwater escapades.

neewer 2

For those who enjoy capturing action on wheels, the handlebar mount accommodates a wide range of bike and motorbike sizes, allowing for 180° tilt movement to ensure the best shot. The suction cup is a fantastic addition for in-car footage, while the phone mount conveniently lets them mount their phone to capture additional angles or even use it for live streaming on the go.

The Neewer kit also includes a flexible tripod with non-slip silicone pads. This tripod is invaluable for standing stably on uneven surfaces and capturing lower angles and different perspectives, adding a new dimension to their photography. Additionally, the lightweight selfie stick extends up to 68cm, making it perfect for taking selfies and videos on the go.

One of the kit's major advantages is its compatibility with a wide range of action cameras, including GoPro Hero 12, Hero 11, Hero 10, and many others like DJI Osmo Action, Insta360, AKASO, Campark, SJCAM, and more. This makes it a versatile gift option for GoPro enthusiasts who may also own other action cameras.

neewer 3

To top it all off, the Neewer All-In-One Action Accessory Kit is highly portable, and it comes with a carrying case that's water-resistant. The inclusion of one large nylon bag and two small bags adds even more convenience for organizing and transporting all the accessories.

This holiday season, give the gift of versatility and creativity to the GoPro Hero 12 owner in your life with the Neewer All-In-One Action Accessory Kit. It's a thoughtful and exciting present that will elevate their action photography and videography game, allowing them to capture their adventures from every perspective and angle imaginable.

Learn more about the Neewer Pro 61-in-1 Action Camera Accessory Kit

Best GoPro Hero 12 Accessories: GoPro Extra Battery / Battery Charger

gopro battery charger 2

The GoPro Dual Battery Charger with Two Enduro Batteries is an excellent holiday gift choice for anyone who owns a GoPro Hero 12. This accessory bundle includes not only a Dual Battery Charger but also two Enduro Rechargeable Batteries, making it a highly practical and valuable addition to their camera gear.

One of the standout features of this kit is the ability to charge two GoPro batteries simultaneously. This means that while one battery is powering their GoPro Hero 12, the other one can be charging, ensuring that they never miss a moment during their adventures. Whether they're on a long hike, a day at the beach, or capturing hours of thrilling action, the Dual Battery Charger keeps their camera powered up and ready to go.

gopro battery charger 1

The two included Enduro batteries are no ordinary power sources. These advanced 1720mAh lithium-ion batteries can be used as replacements or spares for the GoPro Hero 12 and Hero 11 Black. Their impressive capacity can significantly extend recording times, boosting the Hero 10 Black's performance by up to 40%. This means more time to capture breathtaking moments without worrying about battery life.

The Enduro batteries also shine in cold weather conditions, performing reliably down to 14°F (-10°C), which is a dramatic improvement over standard GoPro batteries. Cold weather can quickly drain power, but with the Enduro batteries, users can confidently venture into chilly environments without fearing that their camera will shut down prematurely.

gopro battery charger 3

The Dual Battery Charger optimizes the charging process, ensuring that both batteries reach a full charge as quickly as possible. With up to a 13% faster charging rate compared to standard GoPro batteries, this accessory makes sure that you're always prepared for your next adventure.

One more advantage is the versatility of this charger and batteries combo. It's not limited to just Enduro batteries; it can also work with standard GoPro batteries, offering flexibility to the user's existing camera gear.

The GoPro Dual Battery Charger with Two Enduro Batteries is an excellent holiday gift choice for GoPro Hero 12 owners. It addresses common pain points by extending battery life, improving cold-weather performance, and offering fast charging capabilities. It's a practical, essential accessory that ensures your loved one's camera is always ready to capture their most exciting and memorable moments, making it an ideal holiday gift.

Learn more about the GoPro Extra Battery/Battery Charger

Best GoPro Hero 12 Accessories: Hohem 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer

hohem 1

The Hohem 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer is an exceptional accessory that makes for a fantastic holiday gift for anyone with a GoPro Hero 12. This gimbal stabilizer enhances the overall shooting experience by providing stability and smoothness to your action camera footage, allowing you to capture stunning, dynamic details even during the most intense activities.

One of the key advantages of this gimbal is its 3-axis stabilization, powered by the 5.0 iSteady Tech. This technology ensures that your GoPro Hero 12 captures hyper-smooth footage, no matter how heavy the action may be. Whether you're running, riding, skating, vlogging, or enjoying your holiday adventures, this stabilizer will take your videos to the next level by eliminating shaky footage and providing a professional look and feel to your content.

hohem 2

The quick release clip design of the Hohem gimbal is a game-changer for users. It allows for hassle-free mounting and unmounting of your action camera in one simple step. This design streamlines the setup process, so you can focus on capturing the perfect shot without wasting time adjusting your gear.

The Hohem gimbal also provides convenient app control modes through the Hohem gimbal application. This application acts as a remote control, allowing you to adjust the stabilizer parameters, choose from multiple operating modes (including controlling the motor direction and time-lapse), and easily start or stop your videography with the Bluetooth control module for your action camera. This level of control enhances your creative possibilities and simplifies the filming process.

For those who love outdoor adventures, the Hohem 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer is designed with IPX4 water resistance, which protects the motor from water splashes from any direction. This feature ensures you can capture great moments even in challenging weather conditions without worrying about the gimbal. Moreover, the gimbal comes with an inbuilt 3600mAh battery that supports up to 14 hours of continuous shooting. This extended battery life is perfect for those looking to create time-lapse videos or capture extended adventures.

hohem 3

In terms of compatibility, the Hohem iSteady Pro4 gimbal stabilizer is quite versatile. It can support most action cameras with a load capacity of up to 0.33lbs and is compatible with GoPro Hero 12, Hero 11, Hero 10, and many other action camera models such as OSMO Action, Sony RX0, SJCAM, and YI cam. It also features a 3 ¼" screw hole on the bottom, making it compatible with other GoPro accessories like tripods or video lights, providing flexibility for a wide range of shooting scenarios.

In conclusion, the Hohem 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer is a highly beneficial accessory for GoPro Hero 12 users. It elevates the quality of their videos by ensuring stability and smoothness, allowing them to capture action-packed moments with cinematic quality. This holiday season, giving the gift of enhanced videography with the Hohem gimbal is sure to be a cherished and appreciated gesture for the action camera enthusiast in your life.

Learn more about the Hohem 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer

Best GoPro Hero 12 Accessories: GoPro Display Mod

display mod 3

The GoPro Display Mod Front Facing Camera Screen is a holiday gift idea that's bound to delight GoPro Hero 12 owners, especially those who love to vlog or capture their adventures with a more personal touch. This compact and innovative accessory brings a whole new dimension to their content creation and shooting experience.

At the heart of this accessory is the 2-inch flip-up screen, which allows users to frame their shots perfectly, ensuring they capture the action from the ideal perspective. Whether they're narrating their outdoor adventures, conducting on-the-go interviews, or simply vlogging their daily life, the Display Mod brings convenience and precision to their content creation process.

display mod 1

The built-in rechargeable battery means they won't have to constantly replace or worry about running out of disposable batteries, contributing to a more sustainable and cost-effective shooting experience. The micro-HDMI connector ensures a reliable and high-quality connection to their HERO camera, ensuring that the display is crystal clear and responsive.

In addition to its functionality, the GoPro Display Mod excels in design and portability. Its folding design makes it incredibly easy to store and transport, meaning your loved one can take it with them wherever their adventures may lead. Its compact, sturdy, and low-profile appearance maintains the overall aesthetic and quality of the GoPro experience.

display mod 2

With the Display Mod, your loved one can capture their adventures more personally, ensuring they're always in the frame, narrating the story as it unfolds, and connecting with their audience on a whole new level. Note that you must have the Media Mod for the Display Mod to work.

For the GoPro enthusiast on your holiday shopping list, the Display Mod is a gift that will help them elevate their content, express their creativity, and share their experiences in a more engaging and personalized way. It's the perfect tool for vloggers, adventure-seekers, and anyone who loves to capture their journey, making it an excellent addition to their GoPro Hero 12 gear. This holiday season, give the gift of enhanced storytelling and unforgettable memories with the GoPro Display Mod!

Learn more about the GoPro Display Mod

Best GoPro Hero 12 Accessories: GoPro Protective Housing

protective housing 1

The GoPro Protective Housing is a fantastic gift choice for anyone who owns a GoPro Hero 12 and loves pushing the boundaries of action and adventure. This accessory offers a whole new level of protection, ensuring that their beloved GoPro is ready to capture stunning footage even in the most extreme conditions.

One of the key benefits of the GoPro Protective Housing is its rugged durability. While the GoPro Hero 12 is inherently rugged and waterproof, this housing takes it to the next level. It provides additional protection from mud, dirt, and flying debris, making it the ideal companion for intense outdoor activities such as off-road biking, ATV rides, or even capturing action in dusty or sandy environments. No matter what you throw at it, the Protective Housing keeps the camera safe and your footage pristine.

protective housing 2

For water enthusiasts, this housing is an absolute must-have. It is waterproof down to an impressive depth of 196 feet (60 meters), making it perfect for deep-water diving. Whether your loved one is exploring coral reefs, shipwrecks, or simply taking their GoPro on an underwater adventure, this housing ensures that their camera remains dry and fully operational, capturing all the beauty and excitement beneath the surface.

One of the standout features of the GoPro Protective Housing is the inclusion of a skeleton backdoor. This not only enhances audio capture but also provides easy access to the camera's touch screen. This means they can control their GoPro Hero 12 and capture footage without having to remove it from the housing, which is particularly useful in wet or challenging conditions.

protective housing 3

Moreover, the housing includes a flat glass lens that ensures sharp, high-quality images both above and below the water. This means that their footage will always be clear and vibrant, no matter where their adventures take them.

The GoPro Protective Housing is an excellent gift choice for the adventurer or action enthusiast on your holiday shopping list. It's a practical and essential accessory that ensures their GoPro Hero 12 is always protected and ready to capture incredible footage, no matter how extreme the conditions.

Give the gift of worry-free adventure this holiday season with the GoPro Protective Housing. It's a thoughtful and invaluable addition to their GoPro gear, ensuring they never miss a moment of their exciting journeys!

Learn more about the GoPro Protective Housing

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Headshot Photography Tips

Headshot Photography Tips

 photo byDelmaine Donson via iStock

Headshot photography is a basic tool for business. It lets other people see who a person is, presenting them in a favorable light.

Headshots are used on business cards, on personal and business websites, in advertising, as a place card for talent, and for a whole lot more.

In fact, a great headshot can be used for just about anything, so I thought some very basic headshot photography tips would be welcome by any photographer wanting to try out this method of portraiture.

Table of Contents

What Is Headshot Photography?

tips for headshot photography

 photo byGeorge Marks via iStock

Headshot photography is pretty much exactly how it sounds. It’s a portrait of a person emphasizing their head. Well, head and shoulders, actually, but emphasizing the face. It shows who the person is, an instantly recognizable pose saying, “Here I am.”

However, it isn’t simply a static picture of a person. At its best, headshot photography is an artistic version of the reality of the person. So, some tips for headshot photography will help out any photographer wanting to try out this style of portrait photography. 

My Top 5 Headshot Photography Tips

tips for headshot photography 2

 photo byIgor-Kardasov via iStock

We could talk all day about all the nuances of technique, posing, lighting, exposure, and post-processing in regards to headshot photography. To get us started, here are my top 5 headshot photography tips: 

  • Talk It Out
  • Choose the Right Clothes
  • Separate the Subject from the Background
  • Flattering Lighting Headshot Photography Tips 
  • Cropping Headshot Photography Tips

Talk It Out

tips for headshot photography 3

 photo byfizkes via iStock

Any portrait photoshoot should begin with a conversation between the photographer and the subject. This accomplishes things on both sides of the discussion. For you as a photographer, it gives you an opportunity to find out what the person really wants out of the session, an important aspect of headshot photography tips.

Do they want to use the headshot photography images on business cards? If so, a very clear image is usually better than anything overly artsy or dramatic. Or is it going to be used in a website “About Us” page? Then a more artfully designed headshot may be in order.

This is also your opportunity to show your previous work, and perhaps talk about using the session for other styles of portrait photography. As a working professional, this could also gain you some extra sales of hard copy portraits, such as a nice canvas print. 

If you’re not charging for the headshot photography, it still works as one of the more important headshot photography tips to talk about the session ahead of time. A model release or a contract is a good idea either way, spelling out that you can use the images for your own promotion, or establishing clear limits on what either you or the subject can do with the images after delivery.

Choose the Right Clothes

headshot photography

 photo bySiri Stafford via iStock

“Clothes make the man” (or woman) is the saying, it is especially true with regards to headshot photography. You would likely be discussing this  in your pre-session conversation, but I like to separate these two headshot photography tips.

Since this is headshot photography, we want the clothing to accentuate the images, not overpower them or distract from the person. With that in mind, we still have many options available for styles and colors of clothing.

Sometimes, the clothing may be an essential part of the image telling the viewer about the person. A uniform may immediately tell us that the headshot photography subject is a chef, a doctor or nurse, a member of the armed forces, a part of a sports team, an entertainer, a service provider, or any other vocation or avocation that can be readily discerned by clothing choices.

Regardless of the color, style, or other aspects of the clothing, it should be clean and pressed. Otherwise, it could detract from the headshot as viewers may be distracted from the person by the condition of the clothing.

Separate the Subject from the Background

pleasing portraits for your clients

 photo byCarlosDavid.org via iStock

This is one of the headshot photography tips that will include some equipment options as well as our photographic skills and techniques. There are several ways we can separate the subject from the background: lens choice, aperture, lighting, and post-processing.

A short telephoto lens is the first choice of many headshot photographers. It provides a good, tight framing of the person’s head and shoulders from a moderately close distance, it gives an apparent perspective that is pleasing for human faces, and it is a simple job to open up the aperture a bit to have shallow depth of field.

That aperture will be a prime consideration for separation. At a moderately close distance, a short or medium telephoto lens will have the shallow depth of field for the selective focus technique even if you stop down a bit from wide open. In Full Frame format, lenses from about 85mm up to 135mm are likely to give you the focus separation you want.  

Another way to separate the subject from the background is to use contrast control and color control. A well-lit subject against either a substantially brighter or darker background will achieve good separation. Both contrasting colors and complementary colors can be used effectively, depending on just how much separation you want.

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Flattering Lighting Headshot Photography Tips

Octopad

I’m listing lighting headshot photography tips separately here, but you can also use lighting as a method for separating the subject from the background. The best lighting will help accomplish that as well as make your portrait subject appear naturally modeled with highlight and shadow control.

If you’re inside, either in your own studio or at some other indoor location, you may want to use some portable lighting that’s easy to move around, but that emits a clean, neutrally colored light. I really enjoy the battery-powered LED panel lights for this. I can adjust two lights by position and power in order to get exactly the facial modeling effect desired.

Lighting can also help give us subject separation from the background by using a third light behind the subject. It can be dialed up or down in power, and many of these LED panel lights have color control, too, which can also enable the person to POP out from the background.

Octopad 2

You can set up a good lighting configuration almost anywhere with battery powered LEDs and some small mounts like the OctoPad. Since the OctoPad can be placed on virtually any surface, even if it’s sloped up to 45 degrees, having a few in your lighting gear is awesome for any of your on-location headshot photography sessions.

Included with lighting for these headshot photography tips will be posing. It’s a simple enough discussion for the most common headshot photography styles. Wherever you have your camera, place the person with their body facing 45 degrees or so from the camera and then have them turn only their head back toward the camera.

If you’re setting up lights, the main light can be directly in front of their body position and higher, up to a 45-degree angle point down on the subject. Typically, that light would be the key light or main light and be at a higher power setting.

The second light could be on the other side of the camera position, with an angle of up to 45 degrees, though that angle can be reduced. Reduce the power on that light as well, half or 1/3rd the intensity of the main light seems to work with many subjects. This is your fill light or catch light. A reflector could also be used in this position.

The 3rd light would be behind the portrait subject, either shining on the background or on the person. It can be placed high or low and it can be at an angle from the person, though directly behind the body position seems to work out much of the time for me. Use your OctoPad to place on the floor, on a chair, on a wall, whatever’s there, and then play with the power setting and colors to get the look you want.

Cropping Headshot Photography Tips

portrait photography tips

 photo byYagi-Studio via iStock

The final of my top 5 headshot photography tips is to use cropping effectively in order to have the final image be the tight head and shoulders portrait of a classic headshot. Your post-processing program can be used for this to tighten up the framing, but you will want to get it as good as possible in-camera.

Vertical or portrait orientation is the preferred choice of the majority of finished headshots and the Rule of Thirds is a good guide on where to place the subject framing since headshots look good with a little headspace. Landscape orientation can also work well for headshot photography depending on the final use of the image.

While you’re in your post-processing program, you can tighten up the cropping, size it to what the finished image should be, such as 4x6, 4x5, 3x5, and so on. Look at some of the other tools, too. You can blur out the background more if you need to and can also fine-tune or tweak the exposure, contrast, and color levels.

These headshot photography tips will help you to capture these basic and essential business portrait images while providing a flattering and well-crafted photograph. 

What About Prints?

what about prints

Photo by PeopleImages via iStock

In many cases, the headshots you take of clients are for digital applications, like a website or their LinkedIn page. However, sometimes, clients need a print of their headshot, so you need to be prepared with a printing partner that will help you deliver the highest-quality print possible.

I've gotten prints from a lot of companies over the years. Some have been fine. Others have been just plain terrible. And a select few have been absolutely sensational.

Artbeat Studios is in the sensational category, and I can't recommend them highly enough for your printing needs.

artbeat studios homepage

Sure, most of the prints I've ordered from Artbeat Studios have been landscapes, but when you see quality, you see quality - and these guys can print portraits with the best of them!

I think it's safe to assume that a paper print would be most appropriate for a headshot, and Artbeat Studios has you covered with a great selection of paper print sizes, from 4x6 up to 48x96 (plus custom sizes!).

artbeat studios paper prints

What's more, as you can see above, there are four different paper styles to choose from, each with a unique look. Personally, I'd go for the Fine Art Paper option, as it includes museum-grade paper that's both beautiful and durable.

There are various styles of frames available as well, that way you can customize the print even further to match your clients' office aesthetic.

paper print frames from artbeat studios

Of course, just because you get tons of customization options doesn't mean you'll have to pay out the nose for these prints. That's what makes Artbeat Studios such a unique company - they offer beautiful, well-made products that are also budget-friendly.

So, that means you can create gorgeous headshots, offer your clients impressive framed prints, and still have plenty of wiggle room for making a profit.

If you're in need of a new printing partner to help bring your headshots and other images to life, I strongly suggest you give Artbeat Studios a try!

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How to Build a Beginner Photography Kit on the Cheap

How to Build a Beginner Photography Kit on the Cheap

Photo by franckreporter via iStock

You’ve decided you want to try your hand at some more serious photography than what you do with a modest smartphone camera or other point-and-shoot cameras. But the prices of some photography gear for a usable beginner photography kit seem slightly higher than what you may have been expecting.

This is a lament all of us engaged in serious photography share, from the established pro to the enthusiast just starting out. Good photography equipment can require a serious investment, but there are some ways I’ve found to ease the price burden.

Join me as I show how you can build a beginner photography kit cheaply while still acquiring excellent photography equipment.

Table of Contents:

Build a Photography Kit with Used Gear

Build a Photography Kit with Used Gear

One of the best methods I’ve found for saving money on photography gear that you can use for building a beginner photography kit is buying used cameras and lenses. 

A sticking point for a lot of people considering whether or not to purchase a used camera or lens is the worry about picking up a dud. It doesn’t save any money if you lay out cash for a great piece of photography gear and it doesn’t work. Then, it’s just a waste of money.

Used cameras are cheaper than brand-new photography equipment; in fact, I see many examples on the market of used cameras and lenses that are still in current production but at substantially lower prices than buying that gear brand new. It’s similar to how a new car becomes cheaper once driven off the car lot.

Even with that truism about pricing, it still doesn’t help us not to worry about getting a non-working or poorly working camera. What I use to make that worry go away is buying my used photography equipment only from a trusted source and with buyer protections.

mpb website 1

MPB is the online platform I have been using for some time now. Here’s what I like about shopping for used cameras, lenses, and accessories at MPB. They really know photography gear, being avid photographers themselves. They thoroughly vet each piece of gear they see before putting it up for sale to ensure it works properly.

When you look at an item for sale on MPB, it is listed with a condition rating that actually makes sense. If it’s WELL USED, it says so. Many pieces will be in EXCELLENT or LIKE NEW condition. There will also be an image of the item, maybe several photos, so you don’t get any surprises.

Watch this video from the MPB YouTube channel for some understanding of their condition ratings:

MPB has the buyer protection I want, too. They offer a 7-day return/exchange window on almost everything on their site. And here’s the best thing for me: if it qualifies (in other words, not an AS-IS item), it has a 6-month warranty

Accurate condition listings, pics of the item, and a warranty all add up to MPB being the best way to save money on a beginner photography kit. I buy pro-level photography gear there all the time. Plus, I can trade in anything I have and don’t want anymore, providing it’s good enough for them, saving me even more money in the long run.

Photography Kit Examples for Newer Equipment

Photography Kit Examples for Newer Equipment

Now for the cheap beginner photography kits available at MPB. I looked for some newer camera models and found quite a few. To keep the budget as low as possible, you’ll probably want to look at DSLR-style cameras instead of mirrorless cameras. Also, opting for a crop format camera such as APS-C instead of Full Frame.

Considering these parameters, the Canon EOS Rebel T7i camera body can be found in EXCELLENT condition with a very low shutter count (another great bit of info MPB provides) for only $399. Introduced in 2017, this camera has a 24MP sensor, swift AF, built-in flash, and a high-quality video mode.

Add a kit lens for it to complete your beginner photography kit. I found the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM wide to short telephoto zoom lens for $44 in EXCELLENT condition. Complete your beginner photography kit with a telephoto zoom lens, the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS, for only $90 in LIKE NEW condition.

That’s just one example of a beginner-level complete photography kit for under $600. Look through all that MPB has in APS-C format DSLRs from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony for lots of ideas. Some kits could be even lower priced than the one I listed above.

leather albums

Editor's Tip: Regardless of the gear you use, strive to create images you'd be proud to display. Completing the process of creating an image, from composition and framing to editing to printing, is wholly satisfying and is also informative for building additional skills. When selecting a printing company, use a company like Printique, with a long record of quality and success in the industry. With a wide selection of prints, photo albums (like the leather-bound ones shown above), and other photo accessories, you can customize how you display your images with the knowledge you'll get a beautiful, high-quality product from the experts at Printique!

Photography Kit Choices for Older Pro Gear

Photography Kit Choices for Older Pro Gear

If you're willing to pay a little more and use a larger camera body, you can move into a Full Frame format DSLR made for professional use. 

As an example, I found the amazing 36.3MP Full Frame DSLR Nikon D800 in EXCELLENT condition with a low shutter count for the low price of $579 for the body only. In addition to the fantastic sensor, the D800 has a great video mode and all of the extreme ruggedness you would expect from a Nikon professional-level camera.

Lenses for your pro-level Full Frame format beginner photography kit on the cheap include the normal range AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED VR in LIKE NEW condition for $209 and a telephoto zoom lens, the AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR in LIKE NEW condition for $334.

Add a flashgun like the Nikon SB-600 in EXCELLENT condition for $41, and that’s a pro-level photography kit for well under $1200. It's a significant increase in price from a used APS-C format photography kit, true, but for the higher cost, you get to use an incredible piece of photography gear.

Add To a Photography Kit with Alternative Equipment

Add To a Photography Kit with Alternative Equipment

That covers some ideas for the cameras and lenses available as less expensive photography equipment. But we also need to add some accessories to make our beginner photography kit completely capable of being used for serious photography, such as a camera mount or tripod and some lighting gear.

So, I’ll show some ideas I’ve found of alternative photography gear that is lower priced than what may be considered as more mainstream equipment.

Genius Tripod Alternative

Genius Tripod Alternative

Let me introduce you to a genius-level hack that can replace the need for a tripod in many picture-taking situations, the Octopad camera mount. 

A good tripod will be somewhat cumbersome to carry around, especially for entry-level photographers; it takes some getting used to. Plus, a really capable tripod can cost anywhere from $200 to over $1000.

The Octopad comes in two sizes, L for $19.99 and XL for $33.99, each with a ball head included. It’s a weighted disk with a non-slip on the bottom. Combined with the ball head, this non-slip pad allows you to put the Octopad anywhere you need it to hold the camera. It can even stay put on a surface that’s irregular or angled up to 45 degrees.

Better Lighting for a Photography Kit

Better Lighting for a Photography Kit

A lot of photography will happen in natural light, but we can control or modify that light with a very inexpensive piece of photography gear, the collapsible 5-in-1 reflector. Neewer makes a 43” collapsible reflector that you can pick up for as low as $26.34 after discounts are applied.

Move Up to the Next Level

Move Up to the Next Level

Photo by Pekic via iStock

It’s called a beginner photography kit for a reason; this is the start of your experience with serious photography. Where do you go from here? With one of these low-cost used camera, lens, and accessories photography kits, you can do a good amount of very special photography.

Generally speaking, it’s not our photography gear that keeps us from creating exactly what we’ve envisioned in our minds. However, some photography does require certain features or functions from our equipment. 

It’s our skill, our talent, our knowledge, and our involvement in higher-end photography that can give us a better capability to create excellent images. The good news is we can easily fix all of that, too. Keep reading here and stay with your choice to move up into more serious photography.

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How to Create Foreground Interest in Landscape Photography

How to Create Foreground Interest in Landscape Photography

photo byScacciamosche via iStock

Creating foreground interest in landscape photography can improve your landscape photography in general and is often an important step between a really nice landscape image and a truly outstanding one.

To help you learn how to create foreground interest we will present landscape tips you can use to create foreground interest in landscape photography. 

To start out, let’s answer the questions of what is foreground interest and why is foreground interest important.

What Is Foreground Interest?

how to create foreground interest

photo bymariobono via iStock

Foreground interest in landscape photography is a form of compositional control wherein we have our landscape view of a great scene and make it more interesting by placing something in the foreground to also gain our interest.

Foreground elements are competing for viewers attention, it’s complementing or perhaps even completing the main subject. 

Sometimes, the foreground interest is the main subject of the composition, but in order to have it qualify as a foreground element of an overall composition as opposed to simply a close or mid range view of something, then it shouldn't overshadow the background but make it a continuation or addition to the viewer’s interest.

Why Is Foreground Interest Important?

landscape photography tips

photo byLeonid Andronov via iStock

Foreground interest is important because it can either add power to a composition or it can balance a composition of a landscape view.

One of the ways that foreground interest can add power to an image of a great view is to accentuate how grand the view by putting something in your place. In other words, the foreground subject is basically acting as a placeholder for the viewer of the scene.

The viewer can see the foreground element and imagine themselves in its place, thus making the grand view of the scene seem even more important. An example might be a beautiful and epic view of a spring storm over a snow-capped mountain range with delicate alpine flowers in the foreground. The difference between foreground and background elements is distinct in this style of composition.

 Foreground interest can be used to balance a scene when the foreground elements blend gradually into the rest of the view. The curve of a shoreline or a river leading into the background is an example of this style of composition. So, leading lines composition technique is a way to create foreground interest.

What are some other methods of how to create foreground interest?

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How Do You Include Foreground Interest?

foreground interest in landscape photography

photo bymariobono via iStock

Two primary tools are used to create foreground interest, depth of field and composition. In addition to these methods as tools, a couple of other tools can also assist. A good tripod or tripod alternative, a wide-angle lens, and split field filters are a few pieces of gear that can help in our quest of how to create foreground interest. 

 The depth of field control and composition work hand in hand for both styles of foreground interest in landscape photography mentioned earlier. With a wide-angle lens stopped down to a small aperture and using the technique of hyperfocal distance, we can often have more than enough depth of field for almost any composition we choose.

Since we’re often using small apertures to maximize depth of field, our shutter speeds will tend to be longer. So some form of camera support is often required. If you don’t want to carry a tripod, there are some useful alternatives.

why is foreground interest important

One of the better tripod alternatives for landscape photography is the OctoPad. This is a weighted disk with a non-slip pad on the bottom and a tripod head on top. It’s semi-rigid, so it can conform to a lot of different surfaces from brick walls to tree stumps. OctoPad is compact, easy to carry, and inexpensive.

A wide-angle lens is usually our go-to lens choice for many landscape photography situations, but there’s no need to limit ourselves to only using wide-angle lenses. Though it may be a little difficult to achieve deep depth of focus with longer lenses, sometimes they may be a better choice for some types of scenes.

If the foreground and background are too far apart for your lens choice,  aperture, and hyperfocal distance to handle, a split field close up filter might be the answer. There are screw-in examples of this filter, half of the filter being a piece of optical glass the other half empty. Or you can use a filter holder system and place the close up filter exactly where you need it.

This filter solution only really works with a scene that has a lot of separation between the near and far subject elements. The gradual transition leading line style of foreground interest generally won’t be able to benefit from a split field filter.

Combine With Other Techniques

what is foreground interest

photo byDenisTangneyJr via iStock

How to create foreground interest is a technique using focus and composition, so it makes sense to combine it with other composition techniques. 

The Rule of Thirds works quite well with creating foreground interest. An interesting way to work the two techniques together is to have the foreground interest element on one intersection point or one line and the background along another line. You can even combine vertical and horizontal placement.

Leading Lines and S Curves also fit well with creating foreground interest. Experiment for yourself with different lenses, compositions, and lens apertures to get the most out of your new skill.

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How to Get Better Audio for Your Videos

How to Get Better Audio for Your Videos

photo bysturti via iStock

Today we’ll discuss some videography tips that will make it possible for you to capture better audio for your videos…

Our audio tips for videos involve some low-priced videography gear, some simple techniques, and a couple of free tips for videographers about situational awareness.

Use the Proper Mic

Better Audio for Your Videos 2

photo byDeagreez via iStock

First and foremost tip for capturing better audio for your videos is to choose the right microphone for the video. While the built-in mics on digital cameras have improved greatly, they still have limitations. 

Think of it in the same way we deal with the built-in flash. Good enough for some very simple uses, but an external unit adds more versatility and better quality. There are several different types of external mics that can be used to gather better audio for your videos.

A shotgun mic is what most starting to work in advanced videography will think of first, which is a good thing, since these will act in a way most similar to the built-in mics, mounting directly to the camera via the hot shoe. 

Off-Camera Mic Placement

better audio for your videos

photo bybjones27 via iStock

A shotgun mic can also be used off-camera by mounting it to an extension pole or by placing it  on a small tripod or tripod alternative like the OctoPad so you can put it closer to the subject. Videographers will often do this because it helps reduce background noise and eliminates camera noise such as focus motors and us jostling the camera. 

A handheld mic can be put in a bracket and placed near the subject, too. This option is a nice way to capture better audio for your videos while staying  under a limited videography gear budget.

Since we’re discussing videography gear for a variety of budgets, the mount used to place a mic closer to the subject can be very easy on the debit card. The OctoPad mentioned above is a fantastic low cost solution for placing mics near the subject regardless of the spot you're recording in.

better audio for your videos 2 

OctoPad is a semi rigid weighted disk with a non-slip pad on the bottom side and a ball head or an extension arm on top. It’s ¼-20 threaded so a lot of mic holding accessories will fit readily. The non-slip pad allows for placing the OctoPad on virtually any type of surface from a student desk, living room couch, motorcycle gas tank, or a tree stump. 

videography tips

photo byCreative Credit via iStock

Lavalier mics, wired or wireless, are small mics that attach to a person’s clothing or wearable accessories that keep the mics close to a person’s mouth. A full kit of wireless lavalier mics can be a little pricey, but wired versions are very budget friendly for high quality versions.

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Free Audio Tips for Videos

audio tips for videos

photo byCREATISTA via iStock

Eliminate reflections! As a photographer or as a videographer placing lights, you already know that some surfaces are more reflective than others. It works the same way for sound.

A relatively empty room with large, blank walls will cause more sound reflection than a room filled with furniture, carpet, and stuff on the walls. Even the type of paint can make a difference, flat paint reflecting less than semi gloss, for instance. An office with suspended ceilings is better for audio than a low drywall ceiling.

videography gear

photo byxavierarnau via iStock

Outdoors, pay attention to ambient noise such as traffic, crowds, wind, or dogs and birds. A tree full of birds can overpower an outdoor interview, but trees and bushes in general are great for diminishing traffic noise. A grassy field or yard provides better audio than a parking lot or sidewalk.

Wind is often a huge factor for outdoor filming, so in addition to making sure hair and clothing stays put, using a windsock on our mics is a good idea. Even the tiny lavalier mics have windsocks or windscreens included. 

A person’s own breath can become a problem when mics are placed close to their mouths. Using the windsocks even when indoors helps control the pop of the letter P or the whistle of an SH sound. Professional vocal artists use a pop screen right in front of the mic for these reasons.

Better Audio is More Viewable

tips for videographers

photo byMorsa Images via iStock

A major reason for wanting to capture better audio for your videos is to make them more viewable. Few things take a person out of enjoying a video other than poor sound. People are much more forgiving of focus and exposure issues than sound problems. 

Using better mics, inexpensive accessories, and good mic placement will help you make videos that others enjoy watching. Good editing technique will also help you achieve this, which we’ve discussed in some of our other articles. Better audio for your videos is within your reach.

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How to Pack Light for a Photography Trip

how to pack light for a photography trip

Photo by Vasyl Dolmatov via iStock

Do you have a lot of photography gear? If you’re anything like me, you likely have more cameras, lenses, and accessories than would fit in even a very large camera bag. There’s nothing wrong with that, it gives you options for your creativity or your photo work.

But when you want to travel light or just go out for a quick photo trek, you only want to take what you really need.

Sometimes, traveling light means adjusting our thoughts of what we really need for that photo outing. Here are some photography gear choices to consider for traveling light:

  • Smaller camera with all-in-one lens
  • Travel tripod
  • Tripod alternative like the Octopad
  • Compact LED light
  • Extra battery
  • Microfiber lens cloth
  • Versatile camera bag

Before You Choose Your Gear

before you choose your gear

Photo by martin-dm via iStock

Before you even choose your photography gear for travel photography, you should make some choices of what you’re intending to do. Anytime I go out on a photo jaunt, I consider it travel photography, though I may simply be walking or biking to a nearby park. I will choose my gear based on what I think I’ll be photographing.

If I’m actually traveling, I like to be on the lookout for anything interesting, whether natural or manmade. It could be large scale or small. So, an all-in-one lens with wide angle to very telephoto might be my lens choice. These lenses generally are kind of large compared to your original kit lens, but they replace 2 or 3 lenses so consider that in size and weight comparisons. 

Perhaps I’m at a festival of some sort or wanting to take advantage of flower blooming season, I might choose a wide angle zoom or the original kit lens with macro focusing.

before you choose your gear 2

Photo by rez-art via iStock

The option of shooting video or not will also impact my choices as I would need to take extra batteries for the camera and have a small video light. The bag choice would be based on whether I’m packing a couple of lenses or just one. 

So now, here are some photography gear options for travel photography that I have made which you can adapt to your own needs and what current gear you already own.

Smaller Camera with All-In-One Lens

smaller camera with a zoom lens

Photo by kali9 via iStock

You may only own one camera so that would obviously be your choice. If you already have a couple of cameras, perhaps your beginner camera and then an upgrade, I would recommend the smaller and lighter camera unless there is a feature set you really need to use. 

In my case, I often opt for the APS-C camera format instead of the full frame I use for most of my pro imaging. The APS-C format and MFT format cameras have excellent resolution and quality, many pros use them as primary cameras. Plus, they are substantially lighter than most full frame DSLRs.

canon eos rebel t7

Canon EOS Rebel T7 with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens

As for lens choices, you really can’t go wrong with the kit lenses available and that you probably already have even if you’ve added other lenses to your gear. Kit lenses are small and light, the only real limitations are maximum aperture and their inability to survive dropping from elephant riding height. All-in-one lenses are good possibilities, too, since they can replace 2 or 3 other lenses.

tamron canon mount

A possible camera/lens combo to consider is the Canon Rebel T7 and Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3. With current prices, this setup would set you back about $650. That’s not bad!

Alternatively, you can invest in a do-it-all action camera like the GoPro Hero 8 Black.

What's so nice about the Hero 8 Black is that it pulls double-duty as a great still camera and obviously as a video camera.

It can shoot 4K video at 60fps if you're after high-resolution footage or if you want to slow things down you can opt for 1080p at 240fps.

I have to mention HyperSmooth 2.0 as well...

This image stabilization system is breathtaking, to say the least. With HyperSmooth 2.0 enabled, you can get incredibly stable videos that are beautifully smooth.

The GoPro Hero 8 Black also includes many other features that make it a great travel companion. This includes digital lenses to give you multiple views from narrow and wide to linear and SuperView. It also has SuperPhoto, which gives you improved image quality through HDR techniques.

Add to that LiveBurst Mode to take 1.5-second images before and after the shutter is pressed, face detection, built-in GPS, and tons of other features - including a variety of add-on mods (like this Media Mod) to extend its functionalities - and you have the makings of the perfect camera for packing light.

Tripod Alternatives

octopad

I will combine travel tripods and tripod alternatives since they both will take the place of your regular tripod. Besides looking at a small travel tripod you could also consider an option like the Octopad camera mount which is a weighted small pad that is non-slip and can hold a light or your camera. The Octopad is great for situations where spreading out any tripod legs is not in the picture.

If I am considering video for my camera outing, I will definitely tote along an Octopad as a tripod alternative for placing my video light where I need it to be since I put it on just about any surface, doesn’t even need to be a flat surface.

Possible choices: Octopad camera mount and Joby GorrilaPod

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Compact LED Light

tripod alternative

Any time I’m shooting video for my travel photography, I take along a compact video light. I always end up needing more than ambient light for best results and creative control.

The battery powered LED lights that fit in the camera shoe or on a mount like the Octopad are so small and lightweight that it’s a virtual no brainer to pack in at least one. You will be limited by how long the charge lasts, but some LED lights can be charged by USB or in an automobile.

Possible choice: LitraTorch 2.0

Versatile Travel Bag

photography gear

You will need a bag that’s durable, protective, and easy to use, as well as being compact. Regardless of the brand, I have really come to appreciate the sling pack style of camera bags for travel photography. In fact I often use a larger sling pack bag for on location paid photo shoots.

Sling packs combine the shoulder saving of a backpack with the ease of access of a waist pack and the gear security of a regular shoulder bag. Choose one that’s big enough to hold your intended travel photography gear plus a little more so you won’t be tempted to take too much extra photography gear or leave important stuff out.

Possible choice: Lowepro Passport Sling III

Rounding Out Your Gear

travel photography gear

Photo by PeopleImages via iStock

Rounding out the minimum photography gear necessary for travel photography or camera outings are important items like extra batteries already charged, extra memory cards with large file capacity so you aren’t changing out too often but never “out of film,” and a high quality microfiber lens cloth. 

The batteries and memory cards will depend on which camera system you use, but a nice microfiber cloth for the inevitable smudges, spray, or light dust encountered in travel photography is the Adorama 6x7 inch cloth.

Add these to your Octopad tripod alternative, all-in-one lens, and small video light, stuff them in your bag and head out.

Be Adaptable

photography gear for traveling

Photo by ksandula via iStock

This list is a good start, be sure to add in or take out according to your camera brand, shooting style, and how long you’ll actually be gone. Each situation is a little different, but you will be well-equipped for taking photos.

Try not to fall off of the elephant, though. Trust me!

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How to Perfect the Foreground in Landscape Photos

How to Perfect the Foreground in Landscape Photos

photo by DieterMeyrl via iStock

One of my photography mentors was a pretty crazy old-school photographer who had been doing landscape photography since long before I was born. 

I’m sure you know the type. He was fascinated with SLRs and had his own dark room in his home. He loved teaching photography almost as much as he loved doing photography, and he spent hours upon hours talking about how to create the perfect foreground in landscape photos. 

He believed that regardless of your landscape photography gear, if you knew how to create a great foreground in landscape photos then you could be a phenomenal landscape photographer. 

While some of his methods were a bit too crazy for me, I do believe his landscape photography tips helped me understand this photography niche much better, which has helped me in my career at numerous points.  

As such, I’m going to pass some of this knowledge about creating a foreground in landscape photos onto you. 

Check for Distractions

foreground in landscape photos 1

 photo by stock_colors via iStock

The first thing you need to do when you’re building a foreground in landscape photos is to check for distractions.  

This will firstly look like moving your feet. Move around the area you’re going to photograph to figure out what elements you definitely don’t want in your photo (like the campsite’s garbage bins) and which elements you definitely do want in your photo (like a road that could act as a leading line).  

Then, once you’re ready to snap your first shot, you should frame your photo and run your eye around the edges of the frame, looking for anything distracting. 

Basically, anything that doesn’t add to the composition should be considered a distraction and should be removed. 

Shoot From a Low Perspective

foreground in landscape photos 2

photo byJens Deppner via iStock

If you scroll through great landscape photography, there’s one thing you’ll automatically notice. Many of the shots include gorgeous plants in the foreground. 

While some of these shots include plants in the foreground because they’re simply too large to remove, like pine trees, many of them include this element very intentionally. In order to do so, the photographer must shoot from a very low perspective.

Sometimes this perspective is just a few inches off of the ground. 

Now, in order to capture this sort of foreground in landscape photos, you could spend all day on your hands and knees (though I don’t recommend it because you will be miserable a few hours in), or you could use a tiny tripod or tripod alternative.

When I’m focusing on the foreground in landscape photos, I’m typically using the OctoPad. 

The OctoPad is a tripod alternative that I snagged for under $30. I love this option because it has an anti-skid base that works better than any tripod feet I’ve ever used at this price point.

It also comes with a clip grommet so you can easily sling it onto your photography bag if you’re going to be hiking all day to reach your destination. 

Whereas a mini tripod could work in a lot of situations, I’ve yet to find a situation where my OctoPad didn’t work because of the amount of stability it provides to my photography. 

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Raise the Horizon in the Frame

how to take better landscape photos 3

Photo by Arto Marttinen on Unsplash

This is probably my number one pet peeve when it comes to the foreground in landscape photos. Photographers, even the most skilled ones, tend to put the horizon in the center of the frame instead of along one of the “third lines.”  

Your eye isn’t naturally drawn to the center of the photo first, so why would you want your horizon to be there?

When you raise the horizon, you give yourself a lot more room to play with the foreground in landscape photos. There’s a whole lot of beautiful land that the sun is setting over. Include it. 

Put Leading Lines to Use

landscape photography tips 4

 photo byMumemories via iStock

One of the most cliche ways to use leading lines in the foreground in landscape photos is through the use of roads, as seen above, but I challenge you to explore leading lines more fully. 

The most effective use of leading lines in landscape photography I’ve seen are lines of dead, black trees in a snowy field. The color contrasts that your eye is naturally drawn to is going to translate the exact same way in your landscape photos. 

Try to find leading lines that haven’t been overdone. This could include a downed tree in a field, wild animal tracks, or a sharp shoreline. 

Use a Small Aperture

landscape photography gear 5

 photo bypaulacobleigh via iStock

If you ever catch yourself googling, “how to take better landscape photos,” this is your number one place to start.  

A small aperture will allow you to keep the foreground in landscape photos without blurring the background completely.  

It obviously depends upon who you talk to, and what parts of your landscape you’re trying to put in focus, but you should shoot for an aperture somewhere in the f/8 to f/11 range to start. 

One way to figure out what aperture to use is to use the hyperfocal distance technique. 

This ensures that you get the most amount of your photo in focus.

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How to Shoot B-Roll (And Other Important Tips)

How to Shoot B Roll And Other Important Tips

Photo by Francesco Sgura via iStock

B-roll, b-roll, b-roll. The term b-roll gets thrown around a lot in video circles, but what exactly is it, and how do you shoot it? Well, you are in the right place if you have recently asked yourself either of those key questions! 

In this ultimate b-roll guide for videographers and filmmakers, you will learn everything there is to know about b-roll. We will start by providing a clear definition of b-roll. Then, we’ll explore four tips for how to shoot b-roll. Lastly, we’ll share a few more videography tips and tricks guaranteed to improve the quality of your content. 

With that in mind, join us on our journey to discover the hidden mysteries of b-roll!

If you are a beginner interested in learning more about shooting and editing b-roll, check out the video above by Think Media

Table of Contents

What Does B-Roll Mean?

What Does B Roll Mean

Photo by Di_Studio via iStock

In the world of video, b-roll is any footage that supplements the main footage (a-roll) or storyline. A simple way to identify the difference between a-roll and b-roll is whether or not someone is speaking in the scene. If the answer is yes, then it’s most likely a-roll. If not, it’s b-roll. 

Since on-screen dialogue cannot make up 100% of a video, recording b-roll is crucial to any production. Moreover, every type of video uses b-roll, including Hollywood blockbusters, documentaries, YouTube videos, and commercials. B-roll doesn’t just make videos look better, either—it can also help establish scenes, complete transitions, and add underlying meaning.

Tips for How to Shoot B-Roll: Make a Detailed Shot List

Tips for How to Shoot B Roll Make a Detailed Shot List

Photo by Jose Luis Montoya Retamosa via iStock 

Before filming a video, people usually create a script for the scenes with dialogue (a-roll). Likewise, you want to have a good plan in place for how to shoot b-roll. The best way to do that is to create a detailed shot list. Making your shot list well in advance can also help when you need permits to film in certain areas. 

That said, we understand that filmmaking is a fluid process and that plans can change. In that case, you can always shoot specific b-roll clips later to help you stitch together your project. Please remember to use the same video settings (frame rate, resolutions, etc.), though. 

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Tips for How to Shoot B-Roll: Record Different B-Roll Shots

Tips for How to Shoot B Roll Record Different B Roll Shots

Photo by lisegagne via iStock

Recording your b-roll using different lenses and focal lengths is a must. That’s because it’s impossible to know which footage will look best with your a-roll until you start compiling your footage in post-production. 

Here’s a list of some of the most popular types of b-roll video shots. 

  • Wide shots
  • Close-up shots
  • Master shots
  • Medium shots
  • Point-of-View shots
  • Over-the-shoulder shots

Tips for How to Shoot B-Roll: Experiment With Angles

Tips for How to Shoot B Roll Experiment With Angles

Photo by Ivan Las Heras via iStock

Similarly, you want to experiment with different camera angles for b-roll. We recommend always shooting the same scene from at least two angles. You will be surprised how often the angle you didn’t originally plan to record ends up being the one you like best. The two most common angles are eye-level and low-angle shots. 

An Action Camera Mount for Low Angle Photos and Videos

The OctoPad is a great tool for low-angle videography. It’s a one-of-a-kind tripod alternative compatible with digital cameras, smartphones, and action cameras. 

It can also hold camera accessories like external microphones, lights, monitors, gimbals, and more. Additionally, its patented design ensures it remains sturdy even on sloping, uneven, and wet/slippery surfaces.

Think about it - you can mount your mirrorless camera or action camera to Octopad, set it on a slippery surface like a rock near a stream, and get low-angle b-roll for a landscape-themed video. Alternatively, you can set your camera and Octopad on the ground for low-angle footage of an interview or footage of you performing some sort of task to weave in with your primary footage.

The point is this - the more angles you can record, the more interesting your final video will be, and Octopad can help you accomplish that!

Tips for How to Shoot B-Roll: Always Record More Footage Than You Think You Need

Tips for How to Shoot B Roll Always Record More Footage Than You Think You Need

Photo by EvgeniyShkolenko via iStock

Trust us, even though it may take a little longer during shooting (and it takes up more storage space on your hard drive), having extra b-roll footage is always better than not having enough. Too often, we have had to travel hours to a specific location just to film a few-second clip, which could have easily been avoided by shooting more originally. 

Once you finish editing your video, guess what? You can delete all the unused footage to free up space!

Final Thoughts on How to Shoot B-Roll

Final Thoughts on How to Shoot B Roll

Photo by Naypong via iStock

While it isn’t the most important part of a movie, good quality b-roll can absolutely make or break a video production. So, now that you know how to shoot b-roll, what are you waiting for? Grab your camera and tripod and start shooting better b-roll today!  

A great tool for capturing stunning b-roll footage we haven’t mentioned yet is drones. Drones provide unique aerial views perfect for transition and opening shots. Finally, here are a few bonus videography tips that will help you further enhance the quality of your videos:

  • Invest in the right videography gear (camera, lenses, lighting, stabilization, etc.).
  • Understand the best camera settings for videography.
  • Learn to manipulate light in your favor.
  • Play with different camera movements (pans, tilts, zooms, etc.)
  • Don’t forget about audio. 

Recommended Photography Gear

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How to Stabilize a Camera When You Don't Have a Tripod

How to Stabilize a Camera When You Dont Have a Tripod

 photo byRawpixel via iStock

It can be really difficult taking photos without a photography tripod, or at least without a tripod substitute. No matter how hard you try , sometimes you really can’t get rid of handshake, and this becomes an even worse scenario when you’re shooting video.  

Before I realized the importance of owning proper photography gear, I tried to use all sorts of things as a tripod alternative. Most of them worked out okay...some of them worked out less than okay. On one particular occasion I tried to take some video without a tripod and ended up setting my camera down on a table. Halfway through the shoot, someone bumped into the table and my camera took a four foot fall. 

The moral of the story is: don’t be like me. Learn how to stabilize a camera properly without a tripod. 

Use Your Body

how to stabilize a camera

 photo byNKS_Imagery via iStock

No matter how many articles you’ve read about learning how to stabilize a camera, the truth of the matter is that sometimes you aren’t going to be able to use anything other than your own body.  

There are the extreme examples, like while you’re scuba diving, and then there are everyday examples, like when you’ve forgotten your tripod at home. Both are just as frustrating if you don’t know the proper technique for stabilizing your camera with your body.

The first thing to learn when learning how to stabilize a camera is how to hold your camera properly. You should put your non-dominant hand underneath your camera or around your lens barrel. This allows you to hold it as steady as possible.

Next, you’ll need to get your elbows as close to your body as possible and plant your feet shoulder-width apart. The stability that you find on the ground will travel through your whole body.

Last, exhale before taking your shot, that way the movements of you breathing doesn’t cause the camera to move.

If you need some extra stability, you can also lean against a more sturdy surface, like a wall. 

Buy the Proper Equipment

photography gear

 photo bymichaeljung via iStock

This is another one of those tips people don’t tell you about when they teach you how to stabilize a camera. A lot of the stabilization you’re seeing in a professional’s photos is likely coming from their camera or their lens and not their shooting technique.  

If you’re serious about learning how to stabilize a camera, then you need to put your money where your mouth is and buy the right equipment. 

When it comes to camera stabilization, there are two types of equipment you need to know about. The first is your actual camera. Many modern cameras come with in-body image stabilization. This sort of image stabilization will be applied to your photos regardless of the type of lenses you are using. The second is your lens. Different lenses come with optical stabilization which can create even more stable photos. 

Depending upon what look you’re going for with your photos, and depending upon your budget, you should likely start your stabilization journey with a trip to the camera store. 

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Try a Monopod

photography tripod

 photo byMaor Winetrob via iStock

Tripods are wonderful. They help you learn how to stabilize a camera and they do a mighty fine job at it. But, they definitely have their downsides. Tripods can be pretty heavy, which is not a welcome thing for adventure photographers who are trekking for miles to get to their photoshoot destination. It’s also not a welcome thing for travel photographers who are doing the same thing. Tripods can also be bulky. They might not fit into just any bag and require special attention.

You can figure out how to stabilize a camera without the weight and bulk of a tripod by choosing a monopod instead. 

A monopod is like a tripod except that it only has one leg. This means that monopods are light and very easy to store. If you’ve seen a monopod in action before, then you’ve likely seen a sports photographer using one. They can drag their monopods down the field without really thinking about it.

tripod substitute

 photo byAscentXmedia via iStock

Many monopods are also collapsible, like a tripod, but they can collapse into just a few inches of storage space. For this reason, I’ll frequently turn to my monopod for days that I’m traveling and need to fit all of my photography equipment in my carry on bag. 

Since monopods are light and portable, they are also usually cheaper than tripods. 

The one issue you may encounter with a monopod is that they obviously are not as stable as a tripod. They only have one leg to stand on, so if that leg gets knocked, the camera will come crashing down. So, you’ll need to be more hands-on if you’re planning on shooting with a monopod. 

Try an Octopad

tripod alternative 1

If you’re looking for a different kind of tripod alternative, then you should also look at the Octopad.

The Octopad basically takes the best characteristics of a tripod and the best characteristics of a monopod and smashes them together to create one of the best camera stabilization tools available on the market today.

The Octopad features just one leg, like a monopod, but it features the stability of three legs because it sits on a non-slip, circular mat. It’s the best of both worlds!

tripod alternative 2

Because of its design, you can use an Octopad to hold your camera, your smartphone, your GoPro, your lighting, or your microphone. Since the mat is extremely grippy, it’s the perfect option for photographers who are on the move. 

The makers of the Octopad were essentially fed up with using different tripod alternatives that would lose their suction or tip over or collapse under weight. So, they created the Octopad as a better tripod alternative. 

But, the Octopad is also so great because of just how inexpensive it is. High-end tripods and high-end monopods can run into the hundreds of dollars, but the Octopad is just $27. 

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How to Use Leading Lines in Landscape Photography

How to Use Leading Lines in Landscape Photography

photo byborchee via iStock

Check out almost any beginner landscape photography tutorial and you will likely see a discussion on depth of field, using a tripod or camera support, and landscape photography composition tips such as Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines, and S Curves.

I’m going to zoom in on using leading lines in landscape photography techniques in order to enhance the visual appeal of our images. Many of the points in my leading lines tutorial will work as general landscape photography tips, a phenomenon we notice in many discussions about landscape photography.

Leading Lines Definition

leading lines

photo byShunyu Fan via iStock

Landscape photography composition tips are full of all sorts of interesting phrases. Leading lines in photography refers to the same thing it does in other art forms such as painting and drawing. Leading lines are an element of the scene that leads your eye to something.

A classic example of leading lines is the long, straight road going off in the distance. Railroad tracks are imaged this way a lot as well. Parallel lines recede into the distance, the lines themselves appearing to get closer and closer to each other. These lines lead your eye and your thoughts into the distance.

(Public service announcement: roads, highways, railways, runways, and so on are inherently dangerous places to be for photography. Additionally, in some instances it may be trespassing. Stay safe!)

This definition also helps us see that leading lines can be straight or curved, can lead you to a point of interest within the photo or outside of the image area, and can be placed in any orientation, up and down, across, or diagonal.

Leading lines can be a shoreline, a person pointing, an arrow on a sign, a sidewalk, a stairwell, a cloud formation, the edge of a building, a river, a path, a rock, a mountain range, and so on. It can be an actual, well-defined line or it can be a more subtle transition from light to dark, in focus to out of focus, and even different colors or textures. You get the idea.

Leading Lines can also become the focus of the composition itself. Instead of the line pointing toward a subject of interest, the leading lines themselves become the focal point of the image. It all works.

How Depth of Field Factors In

landscape photography composition tips

photo byjuly7th via iStock

Depth of field or depth of focus effects such as deep depth of field or selective focus are standard landscape photography techniques that can enhance or lessen the effect of leading lines.

In those classic examples of leading lines often cited or shown in a leading lines tutorial, deep depth of field is used to have us mentally travel along the lines toward our point of interest, real or imagined. This also works for less well defined lines such a forest leading to a lake or a mountain range leading to the sea.

Shallow depth of field or selective focus can be used as well, with the point of interest being highlighted by this technique. With this technique, you could also imagine our viewers being led away from something; that counts as using leading lines too. 

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Importance of Steady Cameras

landscape photography techniques

When we’re implementing landscape photography composition tips such as leading lines and including depth of field as a photographic tool, it often is very beneficial to have our camera stationary. 

All of my currently used digital cameras have amazing image stabilization features, but there are times when nothing beats a tripod or some tripod alternative for allowing us to capture beautiful compositions.

Another thing I like about using a camera support of some type when out in the field is that it allows, some would say forces, me to slow down and really pay attention to my photography. I feel like Ansel Adams or William Henry Jackson when I’m out in nature with my carefully placed camera, crafting an artful image.

Those times when I don’t want to take my tripod with me, I can still get many of the benefits of one by using my favorite new tripod alternative OctoPad. It’s small, lightweight, and inexpensive, so I have a couple on hand virtually anytime I’m out with my camera, even if I’m not specifically on a photo trek. 

One of the added benefits of a tripod or portable camera mount is that it frees us up to consider long exposure techniques, GND filters, deep depth of field effects, and HDR photography, all of which are wonderful landscape photography techniques.

Combining With Other Composition Techniques

beginner landscape photography tutorial

photo byGary Webber via iStock

As is true of all of the landscape photography composition tips, we can combine leading lines with other techniques. Especially since leading lines can be so many different things, such as a curved line or some other transition.

Combining Leading Lines with Rule of Thirds and S Curves is probably the simplest method for combining techniques, but also watch for the Golden Spiral, Negative Space, Asymmetry, and Symmetry. 

These techniques themselves can become our leading lines, which is another reason I personally like to use some form of camera support so my creativity has a chance to come out and assert itself.

Leading Lines is one of the most useful landscape photography techniques. Combine it with other composition ideas, use depth of field to control its impact, and take advantage of your opportunities to include Leading Lines in your landscape photography. 

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How to Use Leading Lines in Photography Composition (With Examples)

How to Use Leading Lines in Photography Composition

Photo 1 by JacobH via iStock

Photography composition can be daunting for beginners just starting into serious photography. Trust me, it causes experienced photographers to double-think things, too, which is why looking for photography composition tips is an ongoing endeavor.

Thankfully, it’s an enjoyable endeavor, always adding to our techniques, skills, and artistic talent. Leading lines in photography is one of the basic composition tools, so let’s talk about it! 

Table of Contents:

Defining Leading Lines in Photography

Defining Leading Lines in Photography

Photo 2 by Sjo via iStock

In its simplest form, leading lines in photography are subject elements that lead a viewer’s eye through the photograph to the main subject or point of focus. Lines in photography can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or even curved.  

As a compositional tool, lines in photography can also become the focus of the image by themselves, not necessarily leading to or from any other point, but being a subject in their own right. Lines in photography can also be implied or lead to an implied subject.

Going from Here to There

Lines in photography

Photo 3 by FredFroese via iStock

Lines in photography are meant to take a viewer’s attention from something to something. Vertical lines will take a viewer from top to bottom or vice versa, and horizontal lines take them from one to the other. The lines do not need to be the entire width or height of a photograph. They just simply need to take our eyes from here to there.

There are many variations we can use. We could lead from somewhere implied outside of the image into whatever our subject. Alternatively, we could lead viewers outside the image, to something else implied.

Lines in photography 2

Photo 4 by Leonid Andronov via iStock

These lines in photography can also be only a part of the image area. It’s not necessary to encompass the entire breadth or height of the image area. If the line makes the viewer’s eye or mind travel, it’s a leading line. 

Such as in Photo 1, we see the windmill and clouds being led to by the gently curving multiple lines of the cultivated flowers. We see the entire image, but the lines lead our eye to the windmill.

In Photo 2, the lines themselves are used as the subject, with the colors also adding to the separation of the pronounced lines.

In Photo 3 and Photo 4, the lines of the bridges are pretty much the focus of the images, but they also lead us as a viewer into more implied adventure, the jungle and the city.

Diagonal Lines in Photography

Diagonal Lines in Photography

Photo 5 by TomBaky via iStock

It seems that many of the times we see lines in photography, they’re more or less diagonal as opposed to either vertical or horizontal. Something about a diagonal line just really seems to work for photography compositions.

Photo 5 illustrates how we can use diagonal lines as a strong compositional element in scenic photography.

Diagonal lines in photography can be used in conjunction with vertical or horizontal. In fact, a series of converging lines becomes a very strong composition as they really guide the attention to the “focus” of the lines. 

This brings up another aspect of lines in photography: more than one line can be in an image. Some subjects can even have lines coming from or going in several different directions.

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Curves as Leading Lines in Photography

Curves as Leading Lines in Photography

Photo 6 by mbbirdy via iStock

In architectural photography, many lines will be straight, regardless of whether they’re horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. In natural scenes, many of the lines in photography incorporate some form of a curve or arc.

In certain scenes, such as a shoreline, that leading line simply leads all the way around the focus, which may be the bay, lake or ocean we’re capturing. A curved line can surround the subject as opposed to guiding us into a subject. 

In Photo 6, several S Curves are incorporated into a larger diagonal line to lead us into possible thoughts of adventure and exploration.

Curves as Leading Lines in Photography 2

Photo 7 by ablokhin via iStock

Several straight lines can become a curved line as well. A stairwell, such as in Photo 7, may combine multiple straight lines into an implied curve, the spiral, and become an object of interest in themselves, while also leading to an implied goal, the room or roof above us that isn’t even in the picture.

Combine with Other Composition Tools

Combine leading lines with Other Composition Tools

Photo 8 by Willard via iStock

These lines in photography can be a very powerful composition tool by themselves, or they can be combined with other rules of composition. Combining rules allows us to fully explore our artistic process concerning a scene.

The Rule of Thirds comes to mind readily as it’s one of the most used composition tools in photography. A leading line can intersect an area of thirds or become one of the ways to split subject elements into thirds. In Photo 8, the lines of the canoe are bound by the Rule of Thirds and the lake is framed into thirds as well.

Combine leading lines with Other Composition Tools 2

Photo 9 by Stephen Harker via iStock

 A very powerful tool of composition that can be combined with lines in photography is the Golden Spiral, also known as the Fibonacci Sequence. Used this way, the lines can be straight or curved and in any orientation, but diagonal lines of one sort or another are often seen in Golden Spirals in photography.

 Photo 9 shows how the diagonal leading lines of the fence blend in with the trees and barn roofline for a Golden Spiral. Even the clouds serve as leading lines, as in several of our image examples so far.

Not Reserved for Scenics Only

Use Leading lines in portraits

Photo 10 by VioletaStoimenova via iStock 

We likely primarily think of leading lines in photography as dealing with scenics, such as nature and architecture. But leading lines in photography can also be used when creating portraits, including groups.

Placement of people within a group shot or body and limb positions for a single-person portrait can act as lines, real or implied, leading to a central focus. Also not to be overlooked are figure studies and nudes. 

In photo 10 above, the line is leading up from the furthest person and is accentuated by selective focusing.

Equipment Choices for Lines in Photography

OctoPad camera mount

Photo 11 by Octopad

There are some simple gear choices that assist us in our workflow as we capture leading lines in photography. Filters, lens choices, and options for holding the camera steady come to mind.

In many instances where we’re capturing lines in photography, we want a generous depth of field. So wide-angle lenses are a nice choice. The Tilt & Shift style lens in Photo 11 uses movements of the lens to mimic a view camera for control of the plane of focus, though any good wide-angle or wide-angle zoom lens will perform excellently.

OctoPad camera mount 2

Photo 12 by Octopad

Controlling depth of field is a function of lens aperture and other things, so we end up using smaller apertures for more focus depth. This gives us slower shutter seeds, so some form of camera support is welcome.

Photo 11 and 12 also shows the OctoPad camera mount, an ingenious alternative to using a full-size tripod. It’s a weighted disk with a non-slip pad underneath and a ball head on top. It can be used indoors or out and the non-slip pad allows it to be placed on virtually any type of surface, even if angled up to 45 degrees.

A good filter holder system with a graduated neutral density (GND) filter could be a welcome tool, helping balance out exposure issues, and a good circular polarizer (C-Pol) is invaluable for most scenic photography.

lines in photography composition

Photo 12 by AlbertPego via iStock

We end this tour of lines in photography with Photo 13, showing implied motion and direction, curved and diagonal lines, and creative use of focus, exposure, and contrast creating a powerful and lovely image. 

Figuring out how to use leading lines in photography composition is beneficial and enjoyable, adding to our creative skills in our photography. 

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How to Use Perspective in Photography For More Powerful Images

How to Use Perspective in Photography For More Powerful Images

Photo by Chunyip Wong via iStock

In broad terms, perspective refers to the point of view of a subject. Perspective in photography is the sense of spatial relationships within an image and how this relates to what is actually in the scene.  

Perspective in photography involves transforming the natural 3-D world around us into a 2-D medium, the photographic image. The spatial relationships, or more correctly, the implied spatial relationships, of a scene can be altered by a photographer using gear and techniques. 

Altering the perspective in photography images can be radical, such as with what is called forced perspective photography. Or the manipulation of a perspective can be quite subtle, making the viewer see things in the image in a natural but guided way.

Join Photography Talk as we take you through tips and techniques on best using perspective in photography. We’ll include some perspective photography examples along with the information, plus some photography gear solutions that enable taking advantage of these ideas.

Table of Contents:

Perspective in Photography - Learning to See

Perspective in Photography Learning to See

Photo by Zorica Nastasic via iStock

Yes, this sounds like a cliche, but learning to see the world with a photographic image in mind is an important milestone in photographic growth in general. 

You know that old saying, can’t see the forest for the trees? In photographing the world, we need to see both the forest AND the trees, plus how they relate to each other. We can look at a scene and notice what is interesting enough to be captured and displayed as art.

But this involves more than merely seeing what’s there in the scene. We also see HOW we can take what’s there and use our photographic techniques and tools to create the art we see in our mind as a real image. It doesn’t matter whether the final viewing arrangement is electronic or a physical print. 

Sometimes, learning to see photographically means that we realize there isn’t a good enough picture within that scene before us. What is sometimes required is to move around. Perhaps climbing that small ridge gives a better view, or maybe even walking down just a bit more in that scenic turnout. 

For some people, this all seems to come naturally; for others, it may mean some practice needs to be done. Once you have that down, learning to see where the photograph is inside a real-life view, you can confidently master many other photography techniques, including mastering perspective in photography.

Camera Gear to Control Perspective in Photography

Octopad

Besides mastering techniques and skills, using certain types of camera gear helps us control perspective in photography. The camera, certain focal length ranges of lenses, some specialty filters, and a good sturdy mount for the camera setup can all boost us towards effectively controlling photographic perspective.

You could use any camera, from an old Kodak Instamatic to an iPhone 14. Still, digital mirrorless and DSLR-style interchangeable lens cameras that can override automation will provide the most control. 

Lenses that allow you to adjust the settings, aperture, and focusing distance are helpful. Certain specialty filters, such as split field close-up filters, can help create some extremely forced perspective photography effects.  

Camera Gear to Control Perspective in Photography

A few useful photography tools are a tripod with a horizontally adjusted center column and a low profile, go-anywhere camera mount. The Vanguard Ultra Pro 2+ tripod with Alta PH-32 Pan Head is a versatile choice for a tripod. It’s heavy-duty, has carbon fiber legs, and the center column can be adjusted horizontally and vertically.

Octopad camera mount is a favorite tool here at Photography Talk. Octopad is a small weighted disk with a ball head on top that can be placed on various surfaces. What makes it so special and handy for controlling perspective in photography is its non-slip pad underneath that lets you put it on virtually any surface, including surfaces angled up to 45 degrees.

Octopad Bottom

We want a tripod like that and a camera mount like the Octopad to put our camera in precisely the position we need it to be in. They also hold the rig steady for possible longer shutter speeds for certain techniques.

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Perspective in Photography - Creating Depth

Perspective in Photography Creating Depth

Photo by july7th via iStock

One simple method of controlling perspective in photography is to create depth. A valuable skill is the proper use of foreground interest. This method uses composition and depth of field to capture foreground elements while the main subject is also clearly discernible. 

This technique controls the perspective in photography by putting the person viewing the image in the image. The foreground element is a placeholder for the person, so their perspective becomes that of the foreground object, leading the viewer into the rest of the scene. 

Leading Lines is another composition tool that can create depth of perspective in photography. The very name of this method describes that you are leading the viewer into the image or a part of the image. Leading lines automatically create depth by guiding or propelling a viewer through the photograph. They go from somewhere to somewhere mentally as they view the 2-D photograph of the 3-D scene.

Perspective in Photography Creating Depth 2

Photo by JacobH via iStock

You can use your tripod or Octopad to place the camera exactly where it needs to be and have it hold the camera still so you can use a smaller lens aperture for the increased depth of field needed for this perspective technique. Hyperfocal distance is a good technique to know for this style. You can go low, right down to the ground, to create depth with a versatile tripod or the Octopad.

If the foreground and background are too far apart for the combination of lens focal length, aperture, and hyperfocal distance to handle, a split field close-up filter might be the answer. A filter holder system and a camera mount are preferred to place the demarcation line in the close-up filter exactly where you need it.

Perspective in Photography - From the Top

Perspective in Photography From the Top

Photo by yipengge via iStock

Capturing an image from above the subject is a form of forced perspective photography since, for most scenes, we don’t naturally view the world around us that way. Shooting from above is an essential technique used in food photography and other advertising photography. You may hear it called flat lay photography in those settings.

The perspective of shooting from the top is a form of forced perspective photography because it arranges the 3-D word into a 2-D setting before you even trigger the shutter release. It’s also a good method for capturing close-up views of nature and wildlife.

Lighting can be tricky at times, but using that tripod with a horizontally extending center column allows us to hold a reflector or a portable LED panel light to provide sufficient illumination of the subject. Using certain lighting techniques can also create extra depth in the subject, another way to control perspective in photography.

Perspective in Photography - Focus Manipulation

Perspective in Photography Focus Manipulation

Photo by Joey Kapiya via iStock

Focus manipulation for controlling perspective in photography means knowing how to adjust the depth of field. Depth of field can be a versatile tool for all photography styles, so it’s a good idea to learn what it is and how to use it.

When we view a scene with our naked eye, our eye automatically changes focus instantaneously for most of us. But we know that when we’re looking at something very close, our eyes refocus to see the distant object we glance at. We don’t actually see everything in focus all at once. Our eye-brain connection works that swiftly.

Photographically, a 2-D picture can have a deep depth of field with virtually everything in focus or a minimal depth of field with only the subject in sharp focus, a technique known as selective focus. 

Deep depth of field looks wild in some photographs; partly, we know in our minds that a photo usually has some things in sharp focus and other things at different levels of blurriness. So, using our deep depth of field techniques to capture almost every part of a scene in sharp focus is an example of forced perspective photography. 

Likewise, with shallow depth of field or limited focus, also known as selective focus. This selective focus technique forces a perspective in that the subject is all by itself in focus in the final image. In real-time naked-eye viewing, our eyes would rapidly refocus continuously, so seeing this type of image in a 2-D photograph is a forced perspective.

Perspective in Photography - How to Use Lenses

Perspective in Photography How to Use Lenses

Photo by Dieter Meyrl via iStock

Our lens choice can radically alter the final printed or viewed perspective in photography. The Nifty Fifty in Full Frame format, or whatever focal length corresponds to that in any other format you're using, is described as having a “normal” perspective photographically. This basically means that the spatial relationships captured by this lens correspond fairly closely to our naked eye viewing perspective.

Wider focal lengths and longer lenses both alter that apparent spatial relationship. The more wide angle or the more telephoto we go, these lenses either stretch or compress the relationships of foreground to background subjects.

An ultra-wide angle lens seems to scratch everything out, especially if we employ the deep depth of field technique and add foreground interest. Conversely, very long telephoto lenses seem to stack up or compress everything from near to far. Both effects are effective for controlling perspective in photography. 

Perspective in Photography - Exposure Tricks

Perspective in Photography Exposure Tricks

Photo by Maxiphoto via iStock

Just as you can use focal length and depth of field tricks to adjust perspective in photography, there are exposure variations that can also work. 

For instance, high-key photography can create an airy feel, opening up apparent perspective. A low-key photograph often has the opposite effect, making the photography space seem closer, hemmed in. 

A great tool for photographers to use for manipulating exposure is the Zone System. Mastering this method allows you to adjust the different parts of exposure and contrast in a controlled way, thus letting you either emphasize or minimize different parts of the scene, controlling the apparent perspective in the final 2-D image.

A thorough understanding of the Exposure Triangle is vital to being able to master any exposure technique, regardless of what style of photography you’re doing. HDR photography is another exposure technique that can alter apparent perspectives in an image by showing the entire dynamic range of a scene in one image. A good light meter will help you find specific settings that allow total control over exposure.

Final Thoughts: Perspective in Photography

Final Thoughts Perspective in Photography

Photo by coffeekai via iStock

The world is 3-D, and photographic images are 2-D. But we can adjust any part of the photographic process, from focal length choice, exposure values, and composition techniques, plus many other aspects of photography in order to change what perspective that 2-D image shows a viewer.

As you read through this primer on perspective in photography, follow the links to our informative articles covering the referenced ideas and techniques. Be sure to check out the various videos, too. Controlling perspective in photography can be simple yet can have a profound effect on the final images.

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Inexpensive Photography Gear for Beginners

Inexpensive Photography Gear for Beginners

 photo byVioletaStoimenova via iStock

If you’re a new photographer, then you’re probably figuring out just how expensive almost all photography gear is. I’ll be honest, the price of camera gear definitely prevented me from starting photography a few years before I actually did. 

And I understand that most hobbies are expensive, but photography is a whole other world, especially in 2021. New cameras cost thousands and thousands of dollars. New lenses cost the same. Even basic photography equipment like camera bags can cost hundreds. 

I was very lucky to be gifted my first camera when I started shooting. But, for the rest of my equipment, I relied on inexpensive photography gear I found at thrift stores and used camera retailers. 

If you’re in the same boat that I was, I compiled this list of cheap camera gear to help you get started. 

Sony a6000

inexpensive photography gear

Before diving into other types of inexpensive photography gear, the first thing that you really need to save up your money for is a camera.

You’re going to be balancing a fine line between getting a camera that will actually allow you to grow as a photographer and getting a camera that you can afford. I personally believe that the Sony a6000 is the perfect beginning camera for photographers in 2021.

The Sony a6000 features really solid specs. It’s built around a 24MP sensor, so all of your images will be of a really good resolution, which will make them clear and crisp. It comes with a 3” tilting LCD, so that you can get good shots from different angles. It also comes with a 1.44m-dot electronic viewfinder so that you can determine whether you like shooting with a screen or EVF better.

photography gear

Since the camera is a little older, it doesn’t feature 4K video. But, I don’t think this is a necessary trait for new photographers, especially considering the fact that the camera does shoot Full HD video up to 60fps. 

But, the absolute best part of the Sony a6000 is just how cheap it is. If you buy a used Sony a6000 from MPB, you can get one for as little as $324. If you want one that looks like it came straight out of the box, you can get it for $420. 

Sony 16-50mm Lens

camera gear

Given the fact that your camera and your lenses will be the most expensive gear you own as a photographer, it’s just about as important to look for cheap lenses as it is to look for cheap cameras.

Thankfully, the Sony 16-50mm lens is just over $100. This lens will work with the Sony a6000, if you opt to purchase it, but it will also work with a huge array of cameras. It will work with any E-mount cameras. 

The Sony 16-50mm lens features power zoom and built-in image stabilization so that you can get the clearest shot. 

And with the 16-50mm focal length, you can get wide-angle and standard images that are ideal for landscapes, portraits, and more.

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Octopad

camera gear for beginners

If you’re looking for inexpensive photography gear, then you may be running into an issue. A lot of inexpensive tripods are pretty, well, crap.

Inexpensive tripods tend to do things like not lock properly so that your camera comes crashing down on you in the middle of a shoot. Other problems that I’ve faced with cheap tripods before include things like terrible footing, which means your tripod won’t stay put, or cheap materials, which means that your tripod gets damaged really easily.

The Octopad is a tripod alternative that should absolutely be on your inexpensive photography gear list. 

camera gear for beginners 2 

The Octopad works because it features a weighted non-slip mat on its bottom. This means that you can place the Octopad on almost any surface, from the rough to the smooth, and it won’t be going anywhere. 

The Octopad also won’t tip over or collapse under the weight of your camera. Since it features a standard ¼-20 bolt, you can pretty much attach any accessory to it. This means that you can use it to hold up your camera, or your lighting, or your microphones.

The Octopad also only costs $27 and comes with a 90-day warranty. 

Foto&Tech IR Wireless Remote

cheap camera gear

One of the most important pieces of camera gear for beginners is a wireless remote because it allows you to establish your shot and then be hands-free while you’re actually taking it.

This is a wonderful way to take self-portraits of you and your family. It’s also an absolute necessity for anyone who is working with children. Getting portraits of a family is hard enough when you have both of your hands free.

The problem, like with most inexpensive photography gear, is that there are so many cheap wireless remotes flooding the market and it’s almost impossible to tell which ones are going to work and which ones are going to give you an hour of a headache before you end up throwing it in the garbage.

One wireless remote that I’ve found for really cheap is the Foto&Tech IR Wireless Remote. It specifically works with the Sony a6000. But, it also works with a huge array of Sony cameras, like the Sony a6600, the Sony a7R IV, and the Sony NEX-7. 

It’s also the cheapest item on this inexpensive photography gear list at just $11

Neewer 5-in-1 Reflector Pack

photography gear to get you started

One last piece of inexpensive photography gear that you should pick up before going out for your first shoot, at least if you’re going to be photographing people, is a reflector pack.

The Neewer 5-in-1 Reflector Pack is a personal favorite because it features every color of reflector you will need: white, black, gold, silver, and translucent. 

Each one of these reflectors will produce a slightly different tone in your photos. Where gold will give people a warm, glowing tone, white will replicate whatever color temperature you’re shooting in, and black will prevent you from getting any unwanted light. 

I don’t necessarily recommend getting a reflector pack until you start working with other people (or get a wireless remote), since they can be a pain to set up and hold during a shoot.

The Neewer 5-in-1 Reflector Pack is just $36

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Inexpensive Upgrades for Your Nikon Camera Gear

Inexpensive Upgrades for Your Nikon Camera Gear

 photo byLuke Chan via iStock

Are you a Nikon shooter looking for budget ways to upgrade your kit? You’ve come to the right place!

Seemingly every day more and more amazing Nikon camera gear is being released, the only problem is most of it is so darn expensive. 

Lucky for you, there are still some incredible deals out there. That’s why I’ve created this guide, as a one-stop shop where you’ll discover the best pieces of gear to buy if you want to upgrade your kit for cheap.

Keep reading to find out my absolute favorite inexpensive upgrades for your Nikon camera gear! 

Best Inexpensive Nikon Camera Gear: Nikon Tripod

Nikon camera gear

The Octopod is without a doubt my favorite lightweight tripod! It utilizes a weighted no-slip mat in order to provide far superior stability than other comparable mini tripods on the market. 

Due to the no-slip technology, it can be placed on virtually any surface, including uneven and slanted surfaces, with complete confidence that it won’t slide or tip over. 

Nikon camera gear 2

The Octopod comes with a mini ball head that works great with both Nikon DSLR and Nikon mirrorless cameras (as well as phones and action cameras). Additionally, thanks to the universal ¼”-20 threaded bolt, you can pair it with practically any accessory (lights, microphones, monitors, gimbals, monopods, etc.). 

It works marvelously as a tabletop tripod for home use, but weighing in at only 1.96 pounds it’s also terrific for throwing in your backpack when you head outdoors or on the road. No matter what type of photography you practice, the Octopod is an excellent piece of Nikon camera gear that will immensely improve your photography!  

Best Inexpensive Nikon Camera Gear: Nikon Camera Strap

Nikon camera strap

Looking to upgrade your Nikon camera strap, look no further than the Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo! This stylish and innovative camera strap will not only help take your photography to the next level, but will make you look good while doing it.

It’s a cross-body sling strap designed specifically for the single camera shooter. Furthermore, it comes with a ridiculously comfortable shoulder strap that’s designed to help distribute the weight of your camera evenly, along with a stabilizer strap that helps keep the shoulder pad in place. 

 Nikon camera strap 2

My favorite thing about the MoneyMaker Solo though is the included belt anchor. The belt anchor is compatible with any belt, and helps keep your camera stable whenever you’re on the go and don’t have it in your hands. 

Another thing I love about this Nikon camera strap is its compatibility with other Holdfast products like the Sightseer Cell Pouch and Sightseer Lens Pouches.  

Finally, when buying your strap you can choose from three size options, right/left-handed shooter options, and even six different dashing color choices! 

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Best Inexpensive Nikon Camera Gear: Nikon Camera Bag

Nikon camera bag

If you prefer a Nikon camera bag over a Nikon camera strap, the Peak Design Everyday Sling is my top choice! The Everyday Sling is a light and fashionable bag that’s ideal for the active and on-the-go photographer. 

Depending on your needs, it comes in sizes of three liters, six liters, and ten liters. The larger bags are super spacious, hold tons of nikon camera gear, and even have dedicated sleeves for tablets or laptops. 

All the bags feature padded cross-body straps for improved stability, FlexFold dividers so you can customize your setup, internal pockets for extra organization, and are constructed out of weatherproof 100% recycled material. 

Want even more space, check out other Peak Design bags such as the Everyday Messenger, Everyday Backpack, or Travel Backpack.

Best Inexpensive Nikon Camera Gear: Nikon camera battery

Nikon camera battery

One crucial piece of Nikon camera gear to have with you at all times is extra fully charged spare batteries! They are lightweight, and even if you don’t end up needing them, you will never regret carrying them. The same cannot be said for running out of battery and not having any spares. 

A traditional Nikon camera battery is super overpriced in my opinion, and I always opt for less expensive third-party batteries. My go-to is this BM Premium 2 Pack of EN-EL15C High Capacity Batteries and Charger!

This pack comes with two Nikon camera batteries, as well as a Nikon camera battery charger. All that for just a little more than Nikon usually charges for just one single battery. If that’s not an inexpensive upgrade for your Nikon camera gear then I don’t know what is! 

The charger can charge two Nikon camera batteries at once, and comes with additional attachments so you can use it in the car and in Europe.

The batteries are compatible with most Nikon cameras, but please double-check that they are compatible with whichever camera you have before purchasing them. 

Honorable Mention Inexpensive Nikon Camera Gear

Upgrades for Your Nikon Camera Gear

 photo byPollyana Ventura via iStock

Want more ideas on how to upgrade your kit for cheap? Check out these other fantastic Nikon camera gear options! 

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Inexpensive Ways to Upgrade Your Camera

Inexpensive Ways to Upgrade Your Camera

 photo byerikreis via iStock

It can be really frustrating looking for ways to upgrade your camera if you’re on a budget. Despite the fact that I consider myself one of the lucky ones and was able to maintain most of my clients through the pandemic, I still don’t have a lot of money to spare. However, I was looking to treat myself the other day and had some issues figuring out how I wanted to do so.

So, I went looking for cheap camera accessories that are actually worth their price. I definitely recognize that most budget camera accessories are so bad I wouldn’t use them if I got paid to, so it was actually a far harder task than I had imagined. 

However, I think I was successful. If you’re looking for ways to upgrade your camera for 2021, then look no further. All of the four recommendations on this list are inexpensive camera accessories which will make your shooting experience far better in the new year. 

Holdfast Camera Leash

ways to upgrade your camera

One of the best ways to upgrade your camera is to get yourself a nice camera leash and Holdfast’s Leather Camera Leashis one of the best. 

Holdfast’s Leather Camera Leash is so nice because you can use it as a traditional camera leash, where you wear it on your wrist to prevent your camera from accidentally getting dropped, but you can also use it alongside your MoneyMaker harness if you’re needing to carry more than one camera at a time.

The Holdfast Leather Camera Leash also lets you secure your keys to a belt-loop, attach a water bottle to your backpack, or keep your gear exactly where you want it as you travel to and from your photoshoot destination.

inexpensive camera accessories

Plus, if you’re looking for ways to upgrade your camera, the Holdfast Leather Camera Leash is a great option because it comes in so many colors. There’s no way you won’t find one that matches your pre-existing gear. 

You can get the Holdfast Leather Camera Leash in tan, burgundy, and even stars and stripes, and you can do so for just $45-$65. 

Importantly, every Holdfast leather product comes with a lifetime guarantee. So, it is one of the most inexpensive ways to upgrade your camera, since you’ll never need to replace it again.

Octopad

While learning how to upgrade your camera on a budget, you should also learn how to steady your camera on a budget. After years of using tripods that are almost always ineffective, I went searching for a good tripod alternative last year and found the Octopad.

The Octopad is one of the more interesting ways to upgrade your camera because it’s likely that none of your friends have one, or have even ever heard of one. The Octopad is an excellent replacement for a mini tripod. It comes with a weighted and non-slip mat at its base which works even better than suction cups or other anti-slip tripod bottoms. 

The Octopad is impossible to tip over or collapse, and it never suddenly comes unattached or slips. However, other than its untraditional design, it works exactly like a traditional mini-tripod. You can set it on any surface, even surfaces that are on a steep grade, and get the perfect photo every time. 

The Octopad comes with a high-force ball head, a standard ¼-20 bolt, and a cable strap so that you don’t accidentally damage your equipment. 

The Octopad is available on Adorama for $27. 

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Camera Canopy or Camera Canopy Mini

If you are a photographer who likes to travel or if you are a photographer who finds themselves photographing outdoor events a lot, then there are tons of ways to upgrade your camera for shooting in the rain, sleet and snow. 

However, one of my favorites is the Camera Canopy. The Camera Canopy is a type of shield designed to mount to the hot shoe of your camera to prevent it from getting wet when it is raining or snowing. 

Instead of using plastic bags that rarely work, you can treat yourself with a Camera Canopy. The original Camera Canopy is designed for use with a DSLR and it comes with a rear tripod shield, a two piece main shield, and a carrying bag. 

However, if you need protection for a smaller mirrorless camera then you can purchase a Camera Canopy Mini instead, which is designed to protect mirrorless cameras.

The traditional Camera Canopy sells for $88, while the Camera Canopy Mini sells for $60. Both editions come with a 30-day refund if it isn’t quite what you were expecting, though we don’t suspect that will happen. 

Plus, if you shoot with super zoom lenses, then Camera Canopy also has an extendable shield for purchase. 

While there are tons of ways to upgrade your camera, the Camera Canopy is the best option for photographers who consider themselves outdoor enthusiasts. 

50mm f/1.8 Lens

cheap camera accessories

When you’re looking for ways to upgrade your camera, your first thought is likely lenses. And if you don’t have a traditional 50mm f/1.8 lens, which I consider a staple of any photographer’s lens diet, then you need to get one. 

I recommend two different 50mm f/1.8 lenses: the Nikon AF-S and the Canon EF. Both of these lenses have been out for a while, so you can find them for cheap on the used market. 

how to upgrade your camera on a budget

A quick search of MPB found that you can get a Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G for as little as $180. Another quick search found that you can get a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM for just $100.

I recommend that you buy used lenses on MPB because they hire professional photographers to rate all of their equipment, so if the website lists a lens in “excellent” condition, you can actually expect it to show up at your front door like that. 

If you find any other cool ways to upgrade your camera, we would love to hear about it.  

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Is a GoPro Good for Vlogging?

Is a GoPro Good for Vlogging

 photo byswissmediavision via iStock

Are you on the hunt for a new vlogging camera and considering buying a GoPro? You’ve come to the right place!

In this article, I will teach you all about action cameras, share my favorite GoPro accessories, and answer the big question everyone wants to know: Is a GoPro good for vlogging? 

I will break down the pros and cons of vlogging with a GoPro and even give some recommendations about which GoPro to buy depending on your budget and what you like to shoot. Let’s get to it! 

Table of Contents

What are Action Cameras?

are GoPros good for vlogging 1

 photo byAleksandarNakic via iStock

Action cameras are small, lightweight, durable cameras designed for adventure, action, and travel photography/filmmaking. They can be used handheld or mounted onto literally anything using the endless different mounts.  

The chest, head, and wrist are the most popular places to install action cameras on the body. Additionally, they are frequently mounted onto tripods, bicycles, surfboards, backpacks, and even dogs!

While many companies have started producing their own action cameras in recent years, GoPro is, without a doubt, the king of the market. Whereas other camera brands sell action cameras as complimentary items to their signature products, action cameras are the heart and soul of GoPros business and the only cameras they manufacture.

Due to their compact bodies and attractive price points, one frequently asked question is: Are GoPros good for vlogging? Let’s find out next! 

Are GoPros Good for Vlogging?

are GoPros good for vlogging 2

 photo byAghavni Shahinyan via iStock

In the past, GoPros were specialized cameras only used for adventure sports. However, that is no longer the case because of significant technological advancements. The newest GoPros boast high-end vlogging features such as 4K video (5K in select cameras), in-body image stabilization, and excellent low-light performance.

Thanks to these premium features, they are now serious competitors of DSLR and mirrorless cameras. So much so that more and more vloggers and YouTubers are deciding to make GoPros their primary cameras for everyday use. 

Personally, I love shooting videos and pictures with GoPros and find they are excellent vlogging cameras, especially when traveling or hiking. I have owned multiple models throughout the years and bring them with me everywhere! 

are GoPros good for vlogging 3

 photo byOnfokus via iStock

So, is a GoPro good for vlogging? For me, the answer is, heck yeah, it is! But is it the best option for you? That depends on exactly what you are looking for from a camera. Let’s check out a detailed list of the pros and cons of vlogging with a GoPro and find out if it’s the perfect option for you!

Pros:

  • Incredibly compact and lightweight
  • Cheaper than most DSLR and mirrorless cameras
  • Fast, easy to use interface
  • Dual screens on the front and the back of the camera
  • Fully waterproof without a case
  • In-camera image stabilization technology
  • 4K or 5K video capabilities
  • USB charging from anywhere
  • It can be used while charging
  • Durable, rugged body built for extreme conditions
  • Wide-angle shooting is excellent for vlogging
  • Versatility and mounting options
  • Built-in Wi-Fi for quick sharing
  • Dedicated time-lapse mode
  • Slow-motion recording in camera

Cons:

  • No interchangeable lenses
  • Older versions aren’t great in low light conditions
  • Buying extra GoPro brand batteries is expensive
  • Battery life leaves room for improvement
  • Photo quality can’t match DSLR and mirrorless cameras

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Essential Accessories for Vlogging With a GoPro

vlogging camera Amazon

One of the features that make GoPros so good for vlogging is their versatility and how many amazing compatible accessories there are for them. While the list is neverending, I want to highlight a few of my favorites here.  

Hands down, my favorite piece of gear to pair with a GoPro is the Octopad. It’s a small, portable stand ideal for any adventure. The first great feature that makes it stand out is its patented anti-skid base. It allows you to place the stand on nearly any surface (including slanted and uneven surfaces) and never slides or falls over.

More cool features that make it superior to other mini-tripods include a mini ball head, a cable strap for tucking away in-use cables under the base, and a clip grommet allowing you to carry it with a carabiner or lanyard. On top of that, it’s not only compatible with GoPros. It can hold lights, external microphones, monitors, and even larger cameras like DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

Here’s a list of other must-have GoPro accessories for vlogging I love to use: 

Which GoPros are Best for Vlogging?

vlogging camera Amazon 1

 photo byEXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER via iStock

The easy answer is the GoPro Hero 10 Black. It is GoPros most recently released and most advanced action camera to date. Video features include 5K video at 60 fps, 4K video at up to 120 fps, and 1080p video at up to 240 fps. It’s one of the only cameras in the world, action or otherwise, that can match all those different shooting speeds. 

Furthermore, it boasts HyperSmooth 4.0 image stabilization, 23 megapixel still images, a new G2 image processor, and the longest-lasting battery of any GoPro.

My top two choices for those of you on a budget are the GoPro Hero 9 Black and the GoPro Hero 8 Black. They are both powerful vlogging cameras and have seen significant price drops since the release of the Hero 10 Black.

Another GoPro worth mentioning is the GoPro Max. It’s a unique camera capable of shooting stunning 360° footage. While it won’t be for everyone, if you want to record 360° video, it’s the top camera on the market. 

Final Thoughts

vlogging camera Amazon 2

 photo byDisobeyArt via iStock

If size, weight, and portability are important to you, GoPros are the best cameras on the planet for vloggers. With GoPros, there’s no need for lugging heavy gimbals around to get smooth footage. Instead, pair them with awesome accessories like the Octopad

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Level Up Your Mobile Photography With These Apple iPhone 14 Accessories

Level Up Your Mobile Photography With These Apple iPhone 14 Accessories

It seems we just got over being excited about the last 2 Apple iPhones, the 12 and the 13, and now we have a new phone to make us salivate about obtaining and enjoy using to the full once we do have it. I’m talking about the new Apple iPhone 14.

For photographers, the features of the Apple iPhone 14 and Apple iPhone 14 Plus are desirable, with both video and still picture capability and some unique special features. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have outstanding video and photographic capabilities. 

Since any of the Apple iPhone 14 devices are such good photography tools, we have some accessory recommendations that help you achieve even more with them.

Table of Contents:

Apple iPhone 14 Specs and Features

Apple iPhone 14 Specs and Features

Before we get into the best accessories for the Apple iPhone 14, let’s get an overview of the four models of the iPhone 14.

The Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have 6.1” screens, and the iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro Max have 6.7” screens. That may not sound like much of a difference just by looking at the numbers, but since the screen size is measured diagonally, this difference in total area is significant. 

As for the cameras in these phones, the Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have 12MP sensors, while the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max have 48MP sensors. Both styles of cameras have 4K video and special modes for even higher resolution images by stacking sampled exposures. All of them have RAW files as an image capture option.

Apple iPhone 14 Uses

Apple iPhone 14 Uses

These Apple iPhone 14 camera capabilities guarantee that photographers have many ways to use these as imaging tools. The 4K video speaks for itself. The sensor sizes are physically larger than most other smartphones, so any of the four models has good low-light imaging power.

Apple has already shown us just how capable their pro-style iPhones are, having filmed parts of their own commercials for the Apple iPhone 13 with a production model iPhone 13. 

The Apple iPhone 14 is even more suited for such high-end use. It’s not revolutionarily different, but the iPhone 14 is an evolutionary improvement over previous models.

Now, on to the photographic and video accessories for the Apple iPhone 14 smartphones!

OctoPad Camera Mount

OctoPad Camera Mount

First, we’ll list the simple and amazingly useful OctoPad camera mount. It is so helpful because of its simple design. It is a weighted disk that can sit on virtually any type of surface, inside or outdoors. The secret to that ability is the non-slip rubberized pad underneath. It can even hold your camera or iPhone 14 on a surface angled up to 45 degrees.

 OctoPad Camera Mount 2

On top of the OctoPad is usually a ball head which gives lots of versatility, but you can change that to a larger extension arm if you want. Add an optional smartphone adapter, and you have an excellent tool to hold your Apple iPhone 14 when shooting video or capturing still images.

OctoPad Camera Mount 3

Since the iPhone 14 has good low-light imaging and higher resolution mode, having the camera secure and unmoving during exposure is vital, which the OctoPad can do for you. Since these OctoPad mounts are relatively inexpensive, you can use several of them for holding other photo/video accessories like mics or lights.

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Selvim Lens Kit

Selvim Lens Kit

 All of the Apple iPhone 14 models have multiple lenses built into them with optical and digital zooming functions. Sometimes you need more lens features, either longer reach, wider angle, or closer focusing.

Enter the Selvim Lens Kit with fisheye, macro, and super telephoto lenses. The fisheye covers 235 degrees, the macro lens is 25X magnification, and the 22X super telephoto lens can be used as a monocular.

Selvim Lens Kit 2

By the way, 25X macro is really tight, and a 22X telephoto lens is the equivalent of an 1100mm lens in Full Frame format, so you will need the OctoPad camera mount discussed earlier to keep camera movement to a minimum.

MRZ Ring Light

MRZ Ring Light

 A ring light is an invaluable lighting tool for uses such as macro photography or vlogging in 4K for uploading to YouTube. The MRZ Ring Light is ideally suited for use with the Apple iPhone 14 still and video imaging. 

MRZ Ring Light 2

It’s a 14” ring, plugs in via a USB cord, has a wireless remote control, is adjustable for color balance and power levels, and is lightweight and portable. Used with the OctoPad, you can create vlog posts just about anywhere.

Neewer Video Cage

Neewer Video Cage

 A camera cage becomes a valuable accessory when using the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max as a serious camera for professional-level video. This Neewer Video Cage for smartphones is the perfect tool for using the Apple iPhone 14 as a video camera.

Neewer Video Cage 2

With a camera cage, you get increased stability for handheld video recording, and it also provides mounting room for lights and mics that will enhance any video you’re recording. It can mount on a small tripod or a camera mount like the OctoPad for static scenes that require an auxiliary light or microphone.

External Storage  iDiskk 1TB

External Storage iDiskk 1TB

 With all of that increased shooting and video recording you’re going to be doing with the Apple iPhone 14, you will have a lot of MBs of image files or video footage. External storage in the iDiskk 1TB is an excellent solution.

It uses plug-and-play via a USB 3.0 connection and is super simple to incorporate into your video or still imaging workflow. There is also a 2TB version for even more storage. 

The Apple iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max are amazing video and still imaging tools. Using these accessories will allow you to get the most out of yours.

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Long Exposure Photography Gear List

Long Exposure Photography Gear List

photo by Mlenny via iStock

One of the things that digital photography has done for photographers wanting to try out new techniques is giving us virtually unlimited “film” to use and almost real time feedback as to what our efforts have created. Long exposure photography has benefited greatly for many photographers by taking advantage of these digital properties.

A lot of times, a photographer just getting started in all the fun parts of photography will look at certain images and wonder how they can get in on that fun, too. While many photo techniques can be done with almost any type of camera, some techniques may require certain types of equipment for best results. Long exposure photography falls into this bracket.

I’ve come up with a long exposure gear guide for beginners that can help get you started, plus it might also give you new ideas if you’ve been trying it out for a while. For me, that’s also part of the appeal of photography, we can always learn something new or improve. 

Long Exposure Photography Gear List

  • Camera with manual exposure settings.
  • Tripod or other sturdy mount.
  • Remote shutter release, wired or wireless.
  • Neutral Density filters.
  • Post processing program.
  • Extra batteries.
  • Spirit level.
  • Microfiber cloth.

The Camera

long exposure photography 1

photo byBirdImages via iStock

Though we may try, we won't be able to use just any gear for long exposures. For best results, we need a camera that allows us to set the exposure controls manually. Especially so for ultra long exposure photography, simply trying to adjust the automation limits us in what we can do.

The entire Exposure Triangle is available to us, ISO, shutter speeds, and lens aperture. If our camera has an extended range on the low side of the ISO setting, this is a real plus. I like to set my camera as low as I can for the ISO, for many brands that will be 100 or 200 but some go down to 50 or even 25, but you may have to access a deeper menu than the dedicated ISO button or dial for those extended ranges. 

Manual shutter speeds are virtually essential for long exposure photography. Some cameras have timed speeds in the 30, 60, or 120 full second range, but the shutter speed marked “bulb” is the most useful for long exposures. It allows you to keep the shutter open until you close it, keeping time yourself.

Obviously, if we’re setting ISO and shutter speed manually, we also should control the lens aperture so we can achieve the exposure we’re after. Almost every DSLR and mirrorless has these controls for manual settings and some point and shoot style cameras do, too.

Sturdy Steadiness

long exposure photography gear 2

Keeping the camera rock steady absolutely still is vital for long exposure photography. Unless we’re intending for different types of blur effects. For most purposes, we only want to blur the water, clouds, or people and vehicles when making long exposures. 

So a very sturdy mount for the camera is important. A tripod is an obvious choice, but I prefer a heavy duty tripod for this style over any of the compact travel tripods. An alternative is a camera mount like the Octopad with a ball head attached.

long exposure photography gear 3

For nature and landscape photographers, a low profile, compact, heavy duty camera mount might be usable in spots that are difficult to use a tripod. The Octopad is a great tripod alternative because we can place it anywhere, even a surface angled up to 45 degrees, and have it hold our camera and lens absolutely still.

Personally, I like the Octopad as my first thought for a tripod alternative because it’s not a clamp or a suction cup and the large semi rigid pad conforms to many different surfaces for a secure hold. It’s also very compact, making it easy to take with me anywhere.

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Remote Release

long exposure photography gear list 4

photo bySOMKHANA CHADPAKDEE via iStock

Since we have our camera on a tripod or Octopad camera mount, it would be a shame to accidentally move our camera rig or introduce unwanted vibration by touching the camera to take the picture. 

A remote release removes that problem and some add in other control functions such as timer for our long exposure photography. Personally, I prefer a wireless full featured remote with shutter timer, but even the simple wired release is a life saver for keeping our camera as still as possible.

ND Filters

gear for long exposures 5

photo bytigristiara via iStock

In order to achieve the long shutter speeds for this type of photography, ND or neutral density filters will be on your long exposure photography gear list. 

While all densities will allow an increase in shutter speeds for blurring water, clouds, or other moving objects such as cars or people, a strong ND filter like the 10-stop variety you can find in a filter holder kit will give the longest speeds. I like the filter holder kits since they let you stack filters together, such as adding a C-POL filter for controlling reflections or contrast.

Post-Processing Program

long exposure gear guide 6

photo byDavid Aguilar Photography via iStock

Long exposures add digital noise, so you will need a program that takes care of that. Plus, these programs also give you options for adjusting other things in the image file such as over or under exposure, color balance, and distortion control.

The program you’re already using for developing RAW files will probably do all of that. If you haven’t picked one out yet, take a look at our post-processing articles on programs like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and other alternatives.

And the Rest…

long exposure gear guide for beginners 6

photo byRasulovs via iStock

Extra batteries will let you keep shooting longer, since long exposures drain the batteries faster. I like to take two extra whenever I’m out on a photo session, especially if it's cold out which also drains batteries faster.

A shoe mounted level for keeping lines straight is extremely helpful. Sure, you can fix some unevenness with post processing, but it’s better to not have to “fix” anything. Instead, you want your post processing time for enhancements. A tilted horizon line will show up in landscapes with wide angle lenses.

A microfiber lens cleaning cloth is a friend to all outdoor photographers. For long exposure photography near water, it is very useful to keep spray off of the lens or filters. 

Use this long exposure gear guide as a baseline of what equipment can really be helpful and then build from here as you get more and more involved in this fun and fascinating type of photography. 

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Low Angle Photography Tips

Low Angle Photography Tips

 photo byIm Yeongsik via iStock

A method for creating interesting images is low angle photography. Many items, places, and even people can look entirely different when captured in a low angle shot. Also, some subjects may only be accessible for any worthwhile images by using low viewpoint photography. 

Let’s examine some low angle photography ideas, low angle photography composition tips, and what photography gear you can use to capture these views.

Low Angle Photography Gear

low angle photography 1

 photo byJerome_Correia via iStock

Since many of the low angle photography tips will involve using some specific photography gear choices, we’ll start with this. Two things make low angle photography simple to shoot: a multi-angle or tiltable viewscreen, and a low to the ground camera mount. Okay, three things, add in a remote release, too.

When your camera is close to the ground or floor, that means your eye level viewfinder is as well. With certain older styles of film cameras, this was a simple fix. Using a 35mm camera with a removable prism, simply remove the prism and you get an unobstructed view of what the camera is seeing. A 120 roll film camera like a TLR had what was called a waist level viewfinder that you looked into from above. 

low angle photography 2

 photo byabbesses via iStock

The only issue was that this gave an uncorrected mirror image view, so things on the right appeared to be on the right and so on. Modern digital cameras use a viewscreen that provides a properly corrected view. Use Live View, and you will see on the viewscreen what the camera is seeing. 

If you can tilt the screen towards you, that makes composition a breeze. But, don’t scrap your camera or lose hope of doing low angle photography if your viewscreen is fixed. It’s still the best way to see the scene since you can view it from a distance and not require that your eye is an inch or so away from the camera.

Camera Mount or Tripod?

octopad 1

Since you probably need to adjust exactly where the camera is pointing, you should use a mount of some sort instead of merely laying your camera on the ground or the floor. Some tripods allow for very low level photography, but I also found a great camera mount I’ve been using ever since I first saw it.  

In order to use a tripod for low angle photography, a few features or capabilities are in order. You either need the center column to be reversible, or you need the legs to spread out and the center column shortened. Many fine tripods used by landscape photographers have these features.

 octopad 2

A great alternative to tripods is my new favorite camera mount, the OctoPad. The OctoPad is a very budget friendly tool that seems tailor made for low angle photography. It is a weighted, semi-rigid disk with a non-slip pad on the bottom and a ¼-20 screw thread on top. 

Most of the time, the OctoPad is supplied with a ball head on top, but you can remove the ball head and add a multi angle extension arm for added versatility. The unique construction of the disk allows you to place the OctoPad on any surface, irregular or smooth, and the surface can be angled up to 45 degrees with no slippage while holding a camera and lens.

It’s a great tool for low angle photography since it can go virtually anywhere. It’s also cheap enough to have two or three on hand so you could also mount lights for stills or video or a microphone for video recording. It’s not a suction cup or a clamp, simply a weighted base with a camera mount. I love mine!

A remote release is also very useful for low angle photography, whether it’s long exposure or faster shutter speeds. Wired or wireless remotes are available for every DSLR or mirrorless I’ve handled for tests and reviews.

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Low Angle Photography Ideas

low angle photography tips 3

 photo byStephen Harker via iStock

What subjects might work for low angle photography? Well, the simplest idea is that when you are taking pics of petsor small kids, you would get down on their level in order to capture a more natural appearance than painting down from on top of them.

Environmental portraiture is a fantastic opportunity to use low angle photography. It can really highlight the unique aspects of a person’s jobs, hobbies, or personality to have a from the ground up point of view.

low angle photography ideas 4

 photo byrecep-bg via iStock

Architectural photography benefits from unique points of view including low angle photography. Especially so when the architecture has unique or unusual designs. 

Nature photography is what my mind automatically goes to when I start thinking about low angle photography. Macro imaging benefits greatly from low viewpoint photography, but a low angle shot of a non macro subject also has great potential as well. 

Low Angle Photography Composition Tips

low viewpoint photography 5

 photo byskodonnell via iStock

Photography composition tips encompass more than just ideas like the Rule of Thirds. Composition also covers depth of field and lens angle of view. 

I like to recommend a wide angle lens and setting a small lens aperture for gaining deep depth of field for low angle photography images. Selective focus is open to us too, especially since we’re using our rear viewsreen to compose, frame, and focus, we’re not just guessing at what we’re shooting.

low angle shot 6

 photo byNikola Stojadinovic via iStock

If your camera has the ability to tether to another device such as a tablet, then you can pretty much compose, expose, and focus any way you want since you can see exactly what the camera is going to capture. Tethering works great in a studio or on location in a building of some type, but it can also work fantastically in nature, especially if it’s wireless tethering to a portable device.

Low Angle Photography for Profit!

photography composition tips

 photo byfranckreporter via iStock

Opening our thoughts of photography composition to include low angle photography can result in images that show a different view of ordinary subjects. These out of the ordinary views are often captivating to viewers which can result in added sales if you're photographing these subjects for profit.

Taking advantage of modern camera technology such as moveable viewscreens, remote releases, wireless tethering, and camera automation for exposure and focus enables us to increase our creativity, whether we shoot for fun, for profit, or a mix of both. For many photographers, low angle photography is a great way to open up creative thoughts.

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Macro Photography Lenses (and Other Must-Have Gear)

Macro Photography Lenses and Other Must Have Gear

Photo by lirtlon via iStock

Ultra close-up photography, macro photography, is a fascinating art form that photographers of all types can enjoy. Have you tried out some close-up photography but been a little disappointed in the results? Are you looking at macro photography lenses and a little confused as to what to choose? 

In order to have success at macro photography, you will need to have the right macro photography gear and a good understanding of the basics of ultra close-up imaging. Let’s get you set up with some awesome macro photography lenses and other items and methods that will assist.

Table of Contents:

Macro Is More than Close Focus

macro photography gear

Photo by digihelion via iStock

To get started, let’s get a few terms and ideas clear in our heads. Macro photography is more than merely getting closer to a subject and having it in focus. It involves getting extremely close and thus requires some different methods and quite often some different gear than you might already have.

The kit lens you have with your new camera is a great lens. It can take you from a wide-angle, through normal, and up to a little bit of telephoto. It’s also pretty sharp and even allows a fairly decent close focus. 

It has a few limitations, however. The wide-angle end is pretty wide, but the telephoto side of the range usually seems a little limited. The maximum lens aperture (or f-stop) is also pretty slow. Finally, that close focusing ability always seems to be not quite close enough for certain subjects or photo ideas. 

So, if you’re thinking about expanding your camera’s capabilities, you are likely thinking about adding new lenses and some other gear to that great camera you have. Macro photography lenses are a good idea if we want closer focus. 

As said earlier, though, close focus isn’t all there is to macro. How close is macro supposed to be anyways? In addition to macro photography lenses, what other items should be in your macro photography gear bag?

Macro Photography Lenses Characteristics

Macro photography Canon lens

Macro photography lenses have two main characteristics that make them different from non-macro photography lenses. One is the extremely close minimum focusing distance, the other is flat field focus. 

The close minimum focusing distance in macro photography lenses is usually not specified in inches or feet, but rather in a reproduction ratio. The ratio is based on the actual size of the subject and how it’s recorded on the imaging sensor or frame of film.

The reproduction ratio is usually referenced with life-size being the common denominator. A ratio of 1:4 is ¼ life-size, 1:2 is half life-size, and 1:1 is full life-size. A full life-size ratio means that the subject photographed is the same size on the film plane as it is in real life. So a 1” wide circle would be captured as exactly 1” on the camera sensor.

It’s important to realize that this ratio is how it reproduces on the film plane, in the frame of the camera sensor, hence the term “reproduction ratio.” Once you enlarge the image file, whether on a computer screen or as a physical print, the subject matter will appear many times life-sized. 

Which part of the appeal of macro photography lenses. If you took a macro photo of a tiny ½” flower bud at 1:2 macro photography reproduction ratio, then the resulting size of that bud on the sensor is ¼“, or half of the life-size of the subject matter. 

Blowing it up to an 8x10” print means you’re enlarging the image file to that size, making everything bigger than what the size of things on the sensor image is. It isn’t noticeable with regular photography subjects because it’s a reproduction of a real-world scene we expect to see. 

But when it’s a macro photography image, that tiny real life thing is now reproduced many times bigger than how we see it in real life. So the impact of the image is substantially different than more mainstream subject matter.

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Flat Field Focus

british stamp picture id183262549

Photo by Sinan Kocaslan via iStock

Flat field focus is where true macro photography lenses separate themselves the most from regular lenses. Most lenses project from the rear of the lens a plane of focus that is slightly curved. Simply a matter of basic physics. The lens elements curve light rays.

In regular photography at common focusing distances, we rarely notice this effect at all. Since depth of field (or depth of focus) is controlled by focusing distance as well as lens focal length, lens aperture, and format size, focusing closer narrows that depth of field. Not just as a function of focus but also as how it projects onto the sensor.

Macro photography lenses are specially designed to project a flatter field, meaning there is less curvature to the plane of focus. What would happen if you took a regularly corrected lens and tried to photograph a stamp or piece of paper money at a focusing distance that gave a 1:4 to 1:1 reproduction ratio? 

If the center was in focus, the edges would be blurred, and vice versa. With macro photography lenses that are corrected for flat fields, the edges and center are both in focus at the extremely close focusing distances of macro photography. 

So, a flat field is actually more important than merely how close the lens lets you get to the subject. Which is why macro photography lenses and other macro photography exist.

Auxiliary Macro Photography Lenses

Hoya

We can adapt virtually any lens with a filter screw mount into allowing closer focus. This is done with filters called Close-Up Filters, Close-Up Lenses, Diopters, or Auxilliary Macro Lenses.

Many of these close-up lenses (like this one from Hoya) are extremely well made and well corrected optically, but they will still leave a curved image field at the film plane. So, while they can be used for many macro photography subjects, such as that flower bud, that don’t have much along the edges of the frame, their limitations will be obvious for any frame-filling object of any flat artwork. 

They are a great way to get started in extreme close-up imaging, though, so you may want to try them out before investing in true macro photography lenses. 

Prime Macro Photography Lenses

Canon RF 100mm f2.8 L Macro

Since you know what it means for gear to be actual macro photography lenses, let’s see a couple great examples you can  purchase for your interchangeable lens cameras. One lens for Full Frame format and one for a crop format camera.

Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM lens is a medium telephoto prime focal length lens for Canon R mirrorless Full Frame cameras. It focuses so close, you can achieve a greater than life-size reproduction ratio. The medium telephoto focal length also makes it a good lens for portraits and other photography.

Nikon AF S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm

Nikon AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G lens is made for crop format APS-C format Nikon DSLRs. It is extremely lightweight and very budget-friendly besides being super sharp and a great example of the many macro photography lenses available for all the camera brands, formats, and types.

Macro Photography Gear for Steadiness

One of the first things you’ll notice about macro photography is that it’s hard to keep the camera still when working at the high reproduction ratios and close distances of macro photography lenses. Subject matter moving (like a bee flying) is a different problem altogether, but your camera’s image stabilization can help with that. 

Camera shake and your hands moving imperceptibly will show up in a major way when engaging in macro photography. Anything you can do to combat that should be considered.

A piece of macro photography gear that I absolutely love is the OctoPad camera mount. OctoPad is a unique mount. It is a compact, semi-rigid, circular disc with a tripod head on top and a non-slip pad underneath. 

With the OctoPad camera mount, you can place your camera and lens on almost any surface, indoors or out, even surfaces angled up to 45 degrees. Since it is lightweight and inexpensive, you could take advantage of having 2 or 3 OctoPads to hold lights and maybe a microphone for video recording.

Neewer 79 inch aluminum tripod with horizontal column

A regular style tripod can be extremely useful as well, but I prefer the style of tripod that has a horizontally adjustable center column as macro photography gear. A good example is the Neewer 79 inch aluminum tripod with horizontal column

That horizontal center column works well for those stamps, documents, and other flat art mentioned earlier, as well as for other macro photography. A wireless remote release is another vital piece of macro photography gear that you will find very useful to reduce any camera movement.

Lighting for Macro Photography

Neewer 48 Macro LED Ring Light Flash

Another aspect of macro photography gear is finding lighting gear you will be comfortable using. Since you’re so close to the subject, an LED ring light that fits on the end of the lens will be a great assist. The Neewer 48 Macro LED Ring Light Flash is super versatile, offering both continuous light and flash.

5 in 1 oval reflector from Godox

You can also get a lot of value out of a collapsible reflector such as this 5-in-1 oval reflector from Godox. Besides its use as a lighting tool, a reflector like this can also make a fine windbreak when photographing macro subjects outdoors.

With these or similar macro photography lenses and macro photography gear for your personal camera brand, format, and type, you will be very well equipped for all sorts of serious macro photography.

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Meet a New Kind of Tripod

Meet a New Kind of Tripod

If you’re looking for a tripod alternative then you’ve found it in the OctoPad.  

The OctoPad is a new kind of tripod that is cheaper, smaller, and more portable than traditional tripods. The OctoPad is also so versatile. 

The way it works is that it is a weighted tripod that comes with one solid foam bottom, instead of three legs or a suction cup bottom that you can find in the photography tripod you likely already own. If you own a lot of photography gear, then you may recognize this type of a bottom from other audio equipment. However, the OctoPad’s grip is seriously strong.

While this new kind of tripod is cheaper and smaller than a traditional videography tripod, it works much better. Whereas a tripod with a suction cup bottom may become loose, or a tripod with three legs may tip over, the OctoPad works excellently on slanted surfaces because you can be sure it won’t fall over and damage your equipment. 

This new kind of tripod is also just as versatile as any other inexpensive tripod you may own because it comes with a ¼” thread that allows you to hook up your smartphone, DSLR or mirrorless camera, microphones, and lighting. 

It’s Cheaper

photography gear

As I mentioned, this new kind of tripod is cheaper than even a really inexpensive tripod. 

The OctoPad is currently available on Adorama for $27.You definitely can’t find a full-sized tripod for this price, and it even beats the price point of many mini-tripods that definitely won’t work as well as the OctoPad. 

Additionally, the OctoPad comes with a 90-day warranty, which means you have a whole 3 months to use and abuse it to figure out whether it will really do the job you need it to do. Mini-tripods in the $20 range definitely don’t come with the same types of protections. 

It’s Smaller

new kind of tripod

This new kind of tripod is also much smaller than other tripods. It weighs 1.6 lbs and is 6.5 inches in diameter. 

The base of the OctoPad and the ball head of the OctoPad are removable. This means that you can make it even smaller if you need to for portability. I have had this come in handy on multiple occasions when I needed to fit just a few more pieces of gear into my carry on bag. 

While mini-tripods can be really light, they are usually quite bulky. Most of them can’t contract any further than pulling in their legs, which leaves you scrambling to fit an 8” piece of metal in your camera bag. I would personally prefer something a little bit heavier that works better and is more condesible any day. 

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It’s Just as Versatile

tripod alternative

The OctoPad can be used for your audio equipment, your video equipment, your photo equipment, and your mobile equipment. 

For your audio equipment, the OctoPad functions as an easy way to keep your microphone exactly where you need it to be so that you can be hands free while you are trying to shoot your video. This is especially helpful when you need to record audio of your subject while shooting a wider angle of them. 

For your video equipment, the OctoPad can carry incredibly heavy video monitors, cameras, lights, and even GoPros. It’s also versatile because you can use your existing tripod mounts on the ball head of the OctoPad so you don’t even need to make any additional purchases.

For your photo equipment, the OctoPad can carry just about any camera. It’s a great way to take selfies or vlogs while also remaining hand free. 

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Minimalism Photography: What is It? And How Do I Do It?

Minimalism Photography What is It And How Do I Do It

Photo by gremlin via iStock

Minimalism is a popular philosophy that started gaining notoriety in the 1960s and 70s. It focuses on simplicity, doing more with less, and living a basic (but more fulfilled) life. Since its emergence, minimalist techniques have been adopted in everything from daily life habits and design to art and photography.

But what is minimalism in photography? And how do we practice it? You will learn the answers to those key questions (and more) in this ultimate guide to minimalism photography. Moreover, we’ll share our top tips and recommend the best camera gear and settings for minimalism photography. 

OK, what are we waiting for? It’s time to dive in and explore everything there is to know about the magical world of minimalism photography!

Check out the video above by Mads Peter Iversen to learn his five steps to achieving incredible minimalist photography. 

Table of Contents

Minimalism Photography Defined

 

Photo by serggn via iStock 

Minimalism photography, or minimalist photography as it is also known, is a trendy type of photography celebrated for its simplicity and beauty. In minimalism photography, less is more, and one of the main objectives is to capture everyday items and small details that often get overlooked. 

Something beginner photographers often struggle with when shooting minimalist photography is making them unique and interesting. When you have less “action” in your frame, you must ensure your subject attracts attention, and your composition is perfect. If you don’t, there’s a good chance your photos come out looking flat and soulless.

An important thing to remember is that you can adapt minimalism photography to every genre of photography. So, whether you enjoy shooting landscape, travel, portrait, or macro photography, you can incorporate minimalist techniques into your images.

How to Use Negative Space in Minimalism Photography

How to Use Negative Space in Minimalism Photography

Photo by temizyurek via iStock

A core element of minimalism photography is negative space. It is the space around the subject, and in minimalist photography, there is typically lots of “empty” space. Empty space should never equal boring, though. In fact, it’s quite the opposite! The idea behind negative space photography is that its “emptiness” creates contrast and draws attention to your subject.

In minimalism photography, a good guideline to follow is that your images should consist of at least 50% negative space. Examples of how to use natural negative space include skies/clouds, desolate deserts/beaches, large bodies of water, and walls of buildings. You can also create artificial negative space using solid-colored backdrops or manipulating depth-of-field.

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Change Your Angle of View to Enhance Minimalism Photography

Change Your Angle of View to Enhance Minimalism Photography 

Photo by Finn Hafemann via iStock

Like in all types of photography, playing around with the camera angle can drastically affect your results. So, instead of always shooting your subjects straight on, don’t be afraid to try things like low angles, birds-eye-view angles, point-of-view shots, closeups, etc.

A Tripod Alternative for Your Minimalism Photography

Low-angle shots can be particularly difficult for many photographers because working from that position is uncomfortable, and standard tripods can’t be set up that low. Enter the Octopad! It’s a one-of-a-kind mini tripod alternative ideal for minimalism photography thanks to its sturdy universal support base instead of three legs. 

The Octopad weighs less than two pounds, its patented design ensures it doesn’t move even on sloping, uneven, or wet/slippery surfaces, and it’s compatible with other accessories like external microphones, lights, monitors, and gimbals. For other difficult-to-shoot angles, useful tools include drones, monopods, selfie sticks, and remote controls. 

Minimalism Photography Camera Settings

Minimalism Photography Camera Settings

Photo by Suleyman Ozkan via iStock

Your camera and its settings can also greatly impact your photos. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand the best camera settings for minimalism photography and when to use them. For starters, we recommend getting an interchangeable lens camera like a DSLR or mirrorless camera. It will provide you with better flexibility than a point-and-shoot camera.  

Camera settings to focus on for minimalist photography include the three elements of the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO), as well as color settings and file type (JPEG vs RAW files). 

Creating bokeh (shallow depth of field) effects is commonplace in minimalism photography. You do this by selecting a low f-stop number on your camera or lens. Taking long exposures can also add an original look to your photos—another reason you need the Octopad to stabilize your camera!

Lens Choices for Minimalism Photography

Lens Choices for Minimalism Photography

Photo by spooh via iStock

While a skilled photographer can take gorgeous minimalist photos with any lens, using the right one makes the job easier. Typically, the best lenses for minimalist photography are wide-angle lenses like 16mm and 24mm lenses (or wider). That’s because their wide field of view is large enough to capture both your subject and sufficient negative space.  

Something else to consider is the lens’s aperture. A higher maximum aperture (lower f-stop number) means better bokeh effects and better low-light performance. Prime lenses tend to have higher apertures, making them popular choices for minimalism photography. With that said, if flexibility and focal range is a priority, a good option is a 24-70mm lens. 

Final Thoughts on Minimalism in Photography

Final Thoughts on Minimalism in Photography

Photo by jaap-willem via iStock

Thanks for taking the time to read our minimalism photography guide. As a huge thank you, here is a list of more minimalist photography tips to help elevate your photography skills to the next level.

  • The simpler, the better. 
  • Learn basic composition rules of photography. 
  • Experiment with monochrome (black-and-white) photography. 
  • Practice minimalism photography across different photography genres. 
  • Use a photo editor to touch up your photos in post-production.

Recommended Photography Gear

Disclaimer: A quick heads-up: If you snag something through our affiliate links or check out our sponsored content, we might earn a commission at no extra cost to you. But fear not, we're all about recommending stuff we're truly stoked about!

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Must-Have Items for Your Camera Bag

must have items for your camera bag

Photo by GaudiLab via iStock

Let's face it...

There's about a million things you could put in your camera bag. But what are the things you must have in there?

There will undoubtedly be some arguments about what a "must-have" list should include. This list includes some of the usual suspects as well as a couple of items you might not have considered.

Having said that, let's get to the list!

First Things First...You Need a Good Camera Bag

essential camera gear

Before you begin investing in must-have camera accessories, you need something to carry them all in.

And while it might be tempting to go the bargain-basement route and pick up the cheapest bag you can find, trust me when I say that this is not a good idea.

Think of a quality camera bag as a long-term investment, something that you will get years and years of use out of. This cannot be said of cheap bags - they will fall apart much more quickly, and then you'll be back to square one and in need of a bag again.

must have camera gear

I've used Holdfast bags for years and years, and the quality and craftsmanship these guys put into these bags is second to none.

A great option I like to recommend is the Holdfast Sightseer.

This bag is a great size - not too big and not too small - and offers tons of features that make it a joy to use.

Not only is it a gorgeous bag that’s durable and made of high-quality materials like waxed canvas, American Bison leather, and Aztec flannel fleece, but it’s also a modular system that can expand as your collection of gear grows.

good camera bags

That means you can start out lean and mean with just the Sightseer bag by itself, and then add additional pockets and pouches as needed to protect small, medium, and large lenses. There’s even add-on pouches for small and large phones!

Better still, each lens pouch has a false bottom so you can carry your spare batteries, memory cards, or other odds and ends with ease. That means you can carry three pieces of gear inside the bag (i.e., your camera body and two lenses) and then add several more lenses or other accessories to the outside of the bag via the add-on modular pouches.

Take it from me - you’re better off in the end if you invest in a top-notch camera bag like the Holdfast Sightseer right from the start. Don’t fumble around with ineffective and poorly constructed bags. Get something that’s purpose-built for photographers that looks good and performs well too.

Essential Camera Gear: Weather Protection for Your Camera and Lens

essential camera gear for beginners

Photo by Josef Mohyla via iStock

I live in Southern California, so I don't have to be as concerned about rain as much as someone in Seattle or Portland.

But I like to travel, and when I do, I want to be sure I have the proper device for protecting my camera and lens from moisture. For that, the Camera Canopy is the way to go.

You've probably seen your fair share of photographers over the years with one of those plastic rain jackets (or a garbage bag) over their camera. And while they are pretty good at keeping the moisture out, they are not much fun to work with.

They obscure the viewfinder. They are often ill-fitting. You have no protection for the rear of the camera, either.

That's why Camera Canopy is such a great piece of gear to have in your bag.

These gadgets come in regular and mini sizes to accommodate both DSLRs and mirrorless bodies. The plastic shield extends long enough to cover a 500mm lens on the regular Camera Canopy, so you get protection no matter if you're shooting ultra-wide-angle photos or using your big telephoto lens.

Best of all, there's no fighting with a plastic bag to use your viewfinder or see the LCD. What's more, the shield hangs over the back of the camera so you can put your eye to the viewfinder and not get raindrops on your glasses!

In addition to its functionality and customizability, what I appreciate about Camera Canopy is that it is made in the U.S.A. 

Add to that a great price - $87.99 for the regular and $59.99 for the mini - and you have the makings of a useful, innovative item that deserves a spot in your camera bag.

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Photography Must-Haves: Camera Stability

There are certainly occasions when handholding your camera to take a shot is warranted. But there are also plenty of times when you need to have a tripod or tripod alternative to give your camera the support it needs. Long exposures are one such example.

Investing in a good, solid tripod will set you back a good chunk of change - probably over $100. And like a good camera bag, a good tripod is an investment for the long term. Spend as much money as you can to get a tripod that will last you for years to come.

But you also need something smaller and lightweight that you can stuff in your camera bag for quick trips. Octopad is a great option.

Octopad is essentially a weighted doughnut-shaped device that provides the support and stability your camera needs.

Since it's so small - it's 6.5-inches in diameter and weighs 1.6 pounds - you can easily throw it in your bag.

It has an anti-skid base so it'll stay right where you need it, and with an integrated 1/4-20-inch threaded bolt, you can use Octopad to support anything from your camera to a light to a phone mount.

The wide base prevents Octopad from tipping over, and since it doesn't rely on a suction cup, you don't have to worry about it suddenly coming detached.

top camera accessories

The integrated high-force ball head gives you the security you demand for your camera or another accessory. And with a cable strap included, you don't have to worry about cords getting in your way or suffering damage.

Octopad also has a clip grommet so you can use a carabiner to attach it to the exterior of your bag for quick and easy use.

Best of all, this little guy is less than $30!

Photography Gear List: A Polarizing Filter

photography gear list

Photo by 4FR via iStock

If you're into landscape photography, you absolutely need to have a polarizing filter in your camera bag.

Polarizing filters help eliminate reflections off of non-metallic surfaces, like water. But their benefits don't stop there...

Polarizers also help boost the contrast in the sky. This gives your images a lot of impact with bright white clouds and a deep blue atmosphere.

haida m10

And if you've noticed that the distant features in your landscape images look a little hazy, a polarizer can help mitigate that, too.

But cutting down on atmospheric haze, a polarizing filter will give your landscapes a newfound clarity and increase the visual appeal of the image.

Like camera bags and tripods, you get what you pay for when you buy a polarizer. Cheap polarizers just cannot match the quality you get with high-end filters, like those from Haida.

haida m10 2

I've been using Haida filters for over a year now, and they have never disappointed me.

A great option for beginners is the Haida M10 filter holder kit.

This kit comes with a drop-in polarizing filter with an integrated seal while also giving you two 100mm filter slots for adding graduated neutral density or neutral density filters.

This particular kit also comes with a 77mm metal adapter ring and a padded storage case.

There are just too many benefits derived from using a polarizer to not have one in your bag. Pick up one today, and you'll immediately see a difference in your photos!

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Must-Have Real Estate Photography Gear

Must Have Real Estate Photography Gear

Photo by Jokic via iStock 

I’ve delivered a lot of real estate photography over the years. In doing so, I have found new methods of capturing images, developing them, and delivering them, all of which add to my skill set.

Along with those real estate photography tools like bracket and merge HDR, multiple light sources, drone imaging, and video tours, I’ve also found some great real estate photography gear that either helps me do a method more simply or allows me to do something I couldn’t do without that gear.

Here are a few ideas for real estate photography gear that you can find online and put into use immediately.

Table of Contents:

Real Estate Photography Gear - Ultra-Wide or Fisheye Lens

Real Estate Photography Gear Ultra Wide or Fisheye Lens

 After your camera, choosing a good lens is a top priority for real estate photography gear. Since many photographers starting out in real estate photography as a side hustle probably have APS-C format prosumer or other advanced-level cameras, I’ll key in on lens ideas to cover that format.

The wide-angle zoom range of lenses is one of the more useful lens types. Another fantastic lens option, especially if you want to create spherical panoramas, is a true fisheye lens. Here are two fine lenses that fit these categories: Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG Fisheye lens and Tamron 11-20mm f-2.8 Di III-A zoom lens.

The Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG Fisheye lens (like this one in Canon EF-mount) is a true fisheye lens, providing 180-degree coverage across the diagonal of the film frame. It shows as a 180-degree circle inside of Full Frame format images, so this lens can be used in both formats. 

The fast lens aperture of f/3.5 means your “sweet spot” aperture will be in the range of f/5.6 to f/8.0, allowing for using the lens hyperfocal depth of field of less than 1 foot to infinity while simultaneously having the sharpest lens aperture. 

 Tamron 11 20mm f 2.8 Di III A zoom

The Tamron 11-20mm f-2.8 Di III-A zoom lens (like this one in Sony E-mount) combines features and quality that are essential as real estate photography gear. The maximum lens aperture of f/2.8 means you can shoot in low light and also gives a sweet spot that is also fast, around f/4.0 to f/5.6. 

A zoom lens is useful as real estate photography gear so that you can instantly adjust to capture just the right amount of space when switching from room to room. It’s a pro-style lens, so it can withstand some more extreme usage than the common “kit lens” styles of lenses available for our cameras.

Both of these lenses are available in all of the popular camera mounts and can also be used on either DSLR-style cameras or mirrorless.

Real Estate Photography Gear - Camera and Light Mount

Octopad

With most real estate photography, you’ll need to keep your camera as motionless as possible, either for capturing an HDR bracket and merging a series of images or a long exposure image. Additionally, you find yourself requiring some extra light from portable LED lights or off-camera flash units.

A good heavy-duty tripod is going to be a major part of your real estate photography gear kit. Still, some situations call for using a tripod alternative. My go-to choice for a tripod alternative is the Octopad Camera Mount.

Octopad is a unique tool that I think is an essential part of my own real estate photography gear bag because of how versatile it is. It is a semi-rigid (more rigid than not) disc that is heavy enough to securely hold a tripod head on top with a camera and lens mounted.

It has a unique non-slip pad underneath that, when combined with the slight give in the material, lets you place the Octopad on almost any type you might run into, even if that surface is slanted by up to 45 degrees. 

Octopad 2

Besides holding a camera, I also use mine for holding other items, depending on what type of photography or videography I’m doing. A prime thing I use the Octopad for is holding portable lights and mics. I keep a couple on hand for whatever venue I’m in or what type of camera work I’m doing.

Real Estate Photography Gear - Panoramic Nodal Point Mount

nodal point panoramic mount

To make those spherical panoramas mentioned earlier, a nodal point panoramic mount is a valuable piece of our real estate photography tools. 

SunwayFoto CR-3015A is one of the better options for a nodal point panoramic mount. It has great stability and lots of easy-to-set controls to let you control the specialty movements needed for this style of real estate photography. It can be held on a tripod or the Octopad. 

The video shown above is from the YouTube channel of Todd Norman Kamp and is part of a series on creating Spherical panoramas. This segment is all about using PTGui to stitch together all of your images into the interactive panorama that can be attached to commercial and residential real estate jobs.

Real Estate Photography Gear - LED Lights

Neewer 660 LED panel light

Sometimes, even with the HDR bracket and merge technique, we find ourselves needing to add in some more controlled lighting. 

Portable LED lights are my go-to choice for handling this job. They are usually powered by rechargeable batteries and have adjustments for controlling the light level and the light color balance.

An example that can also be used in a photography studio and for videography production, in addition to being an essential part of our real estate photography gear outfit, is the Neewer 660 LED panel light. It can be battery-powered or plugged into AC power. 

These can be mounted on a light stand or use the Octopad listed earlier when you don’t have enough room or a flat enough surface for light stands.

Real Estate Photography Gear - Wireless Remote

 Real Estate Photography Gear Wireless Remote

When shooting for real estate, you will want to use a remote release to ensure you have no movement during exposure and no movement of the camera and lens between exposures for the HDR or panoramic imagery you’re capturing.

Personally, I prefer the wireless style of remote releases, such as the Pixel TW283-DC0. This wireless release comes in models to fit most of the current digital cameras in use today. In addition to triggering the shutter remotely, this remote has a long exposure timer and an intervalometer.

Real Estate Photography Gear - Google Sheets

Real Estate Photography Gear Google Sheets

Photo by Inside Creative House via iStock

The subject of real estate photography tools covers more than the physical pieces of technology that we need as real estate photography gear. Business software is an important part of the real estate photography business model.

One of the best tools is the online suite of technology known as Google Sheets. What makes this tool so usable is that it is accessible from mobile devices on multiple platforms. I can use it on my smartphone for shooting lists, helpful reminders, and instructions, and I can even share spreadsheets online with clients and business partners.

Add all or several of these real estate photography gear ideas to your tool kit and see how much you can get done in your side hustle or main photography business!

Other Recommended Photography Gear 

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Must-Have Travel Photography Gear for 2023

Must Have Travel Photography Gear for 2023

Photo by stock_colors via iStock

I have some travel photography tips for making your photography easier, more fun, or more likely to get the images you want. I’ll be centering my thoughts on what travel photography gear will help you out. 

This guide focuses on things like the best camera for travel photography, the best lens for travel photography, and some inexpensive accessories you can use as travel photography gear. You may already have some of this gear, so I’ll also give some helpful travel photography tips on how to use it.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents:

Best Camera for Travel Photography Gear

Canon EOS RP with 24 105mm lens

Canon EOS RP with 24-105mm lens

The best camera for travel photography gear needs to have an excellent quality sensor, durability, and, ideally, be compact. Being very reasonably priced isn’t a bad idea either. I have two recommendations: the Canon EOS RP with 24-105mm lens for a Full Frame mirrorless camera and the Nikon Z50 with 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses for an APS-C alternative. 

Starting with the Canon EOS RP camera, it’s a Full Frame format interchangeable lens mirrorless camera with a very compact size for Full Frame, a 26.2MP sensor, and 4K video (cropped) capability. It uses the Canon RF lens mount for accessing a wide range of fine lenses. 

There is no built-in flash though there are several very compact alternatives available for it. Additionally, it has very good low-light performance with an extended ISO range of 50-102,400. The kit lens is well-balanced and has a great focal length range, but the maximum aperture varies from f/4.0 to f/7.1, meaning it’s a little slow at the telephoto end.

Nikon Z50

Nikon Z50 

For the same price but with 2 lenses, check out the APS-C format Nikon Z50 camera. It has a 20.9MP sensor, built-in or external flash, full sensor width 4K video, and good low light performance with an ISO 100-204,800 range.

This kit has two lenses: a standard range 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens and a 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 telephoto zoom lens. Both lenses are nicely compact and compact, though somewhat low at the longer end of their focal length ranges.

For both cameras, since they are mirrorless, not only can they use the native mount lenses for each brand, but with the proper lens mount adapter, you can tap into their legacy lenses from their DSLR series of cameras, making them both very versatile for other uses besides as travel photography gear.

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Best Lens for Travel Photography Gear

Canon RF 24 240mm

 Canon RF 24-240mm f/4.0-6.3 IS USM

For travel photography gear, you sometimes want to have just one lens for almost everything you encounter. These all-in-one style lenses are usually larger and heavier than the normal kit lens. Still, they make up for that as travel photography gear because you don’t have to change lenses to go from wide-angle to telephoto, a plus for using your camera on the go.

Sticking with the two cameras I listed above, I’m looking at the Canon RF 24-240mm f/4.0-6.3 IS USM lens and the Nikon Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens. Both lenses are reasonably compact for their focal length ranges, quite sharp, and have image stabilization technology to assist in lower light or at longer focal lengths. 

Nikon Nikkor Z DX 18 140mm

Nikon Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR 

Of course, any of the all-in-one styles of lenses compromise size and lens speed compared to maximum aperture, but using one of these as travel photography gear allows for a lot of versatility, portability (you’re only carrying the camera and lens), and convenience. 

Other lens choices for your particular shooting style or needs might lean more towards wider angle or more telephoto focal lengths, or faster lens apertures, but as travel photography gear, this type of lens is hard to beat.

Travel photography Gear - Camera Mount

OctoPad Camera Mount

One of the best accessories for travel photography gear is the low-profile, inexpensive OctoPad Camera Mount. Since your best camera for travel photography also shoots video, has good low-light capability, and is likely mounted with a lens with a moderate maximum aperture, you’ll want to have one of these on hand. 

A great advantage that the OctoPad gives you as travel photography gear is that you can put the camera mount virtually anywhere. It is a heavy disk of slightly flexible material and has a non-slip pad underneath. It can stay put, providing added stability on uneven surfaces and surfaces angled up to 45 degrees. 

As shown in the illustration above, the OctoPad can hold a large camera and lens with the ball on its top. It can also hold a smartphone, video light, external microphone, and other items, making it super versatile for travel photography gear.

Travel Photography Gear - Camera Strap

 BlackRapid RS 4

You’ll want to replace that lousy strap that came with the camera with something more comfortable, more usable, and more secure. 

The BlackRapid RS-4sling-style strap hits a winning shot on all of those counts. It attaches to the tripod mount, has a large padded upper part for comfort and security, and tapers to a thinner profile near the camera for ease of use.

Travel Photography Gear - Camera Bag

Domke F 10

Finding the perfect camera is difficult but not impossible. I like the simple and unassuming Domke F-10 medium camera bag for carrying my travel photography gear. It is just big enough to carry my extra travel photography gear while my camera and lens are on a sling strap. Domke bags are rugged, padded, and generously proportioned.

Other Accessories for Travel Photography Gear

Accessories for Travel Photography Gear

Photo by piola666 via iStock

Other accessories to consider as travel photography gear are polarizer filters, hard lens hoods, battery-powered LED lights, and a journal for writing notes about your photography and your travels. 

Any or all of these items of travel photography gear will make your photography easier, more fun, and make you more likely to get the images you want. 

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No Tripod? No Problem! Use One of These Alternatives

No Tripod No Problem Use One of These Alternatives

 photo byInside Creative House via iStock

There are times when you would like to be able to use a tripod, but you either don’t have the space to put one up or a decent way to transport it. And sometimes, you just forget to bring your tripod. 

These tripod alternatives will allow you to capture images and video steadily. Most of these are equipment ideas, but a couple of them involve techniques for proper hand holding your gear.

Monopod

Monopod 1

This is probably first on your mental list of how to stabilize your camera without your full size tripod. A monopod is one of the most useful supports outside of a full tripod. They offer a fair amount of stability and a lot of mobility.

tripod alternatives Monopod 2

Some newer model tripods have removable center columns or legs that are designed to be used as monopods when on their own as tripod alternatives. The Manfrotto Befree 2N1 Aluminum Tripod/Monopod with 494 Ball Head is an example of this type of convertible tripod. 

A nice monopod on its own is the Slik Lighty Pod III Monopod w/SBH-100 Ball Head which combines being lightweight, quick acting, and durable, besides being nicely budget friendly.

Mini Tripod

Mini Tripod 1

Small tripods as tripod alternatives? Why not?! Especially when it’s such a versatile model as the Joby GorillaPod 3K Kit

Mini tripods are also sometimes referred to as table tripods, since they are often placed on a table or desk in order to give the camera mount enough height. The Joby GorrilaPod has a special set of legs that are ultra bendy and can be used as a grip to attach to a pole, a fence post, a tree limb, or something else to provide that height.

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OctoPad

OctoPad

One of the tripod alternatives I’ve become rather fond of since I originally tested it for my first review of it is the OctoPad camera mount.  

The OctoPad is a unique type of tripod alternative that has the best features of a soft pad and a secure mount. The bottom pad is firm yet slightly flexible and has a non-slip bottom that allows you to place it on almost any surface up to about a 45 degree angle without sliding.

It’s not a clamp or a suction cup, so you can place it on a lot of surfaces that won’t work with a suction cup or clamp. At its low price point, you can use a couple of these together to put a camera and a light or microphone together where needed.

Clamp

Clamp 1

Sometimes, a simple clamp is just what’s needed to place your camera right where it’s needed with great stability. 

Clamp how to stabilize your camera 2

One of my favorites is the Manfrotto 035RL Super Clamp, a heavy duty medium size clamp that can  hold over 30 pounds of camera gear. I usually pair mine with the Manfrotto 490 Center Ball Head that has a super secure quick release. 

Camera Bean Bag

bean bags for cameras

Bean bags for cameras have been around for ages, a little material filled with rice or beans (uncooked, by the way) is a super versatile way to provide camera support that can fit on almost anything from a car window to a pile of rocks. 

LensCoat LensSack Bean Bag Camera Support is a slightly higher tech version of a sack with dried food in it. It’s made of waterproof material and has zipper closure to let you add whatever you want to use as fill. Alternatives to beans or rice are plastic beads or polyester fill. 

Good Hand Holding Technique

how to shoot without a tripod

Photo by Theodor Vasile on Unsplash

Sometimes, you may just need to learn how to shoot without a tripod or any other type of camera support. Camera stabilization techniques are easy to learn and will benefit your photography in all sorts of situations, not simply low light. 

A good stance can help keep your hand steady. One I like to demonstrate is to stand with your feet shoulder width apart, one slightly in front of the other. Hold the lens in your left hand, cradled with your elbow pointed down and your arm pressed into your abdomen. The right hand holds the camera by the grip.

Everything is done in a relaxed manner, as an ultra tight grip will introduce unsteadiness and the jitters. Practice makes perfect, so try out this stance at slower and slower shutter speeds to show yourself how much you’re improving.

Once you get this technique down, you can do it with any shutter speed. It feels natural and allows for freedom of movement, too. Even without any camera support at all, you can get sharper images by learning how to use tripod alternatives and good technique for holding your camera.

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Octopad - Why You Need One

octopad 2

If you have viewed any of my posts about GoPro cameras, vlogging ideas, or lighting options, you have seen me list the Octopad camera and accessory mount as one of my essential photography accessories. 

This easy-to-use, compact tool is among the best tripod alternatives available to photographers and videographers. If you are wondering how to support a camera or photographic accessory, examine this option from Octopus Camera Company.

Perfect Support for GoPro Action Cams

Octopad Why You Need One

Octopad combines several features and qualities into one very useful camera mount. It is especially useful as a mount for the GoPro HERO 8 Black or GoPro MAX action cams. 

The GoPro line of action cams are among the coolest new cameras available for either videography or still imaging. A top feature of action cams is their compact size. Since they are so tiny, you could place them just about anywhere.

tripod alternatives 1

But you really don’t want to just lay it down on the ground or duct tape it to something. The Octopad is a fantastic camera and accessory holder. It has a slightly flexible pad with a non-slip bottom, is weighted for stability, and stays in place on inclines of up to 45 degrees. 

Set your GoPro HERO 8 Black up for voice control, mount it on the dash of your vintage cafe racer and film yourself driving down the hills of a winding rural highway.

 

Recommended Photography Books

 

Put Lights Where You Need Them 

tripod alternatives 2

When using an action cam, compact camera, DSLR, or mirrorless camera for shooting video or taking pictures, you sometimes need an additional light source. Filming in your home, office, or studio, you likely have a light kit already set up or close by in a closet.

Shooting vlogs on location or taking environmental portraits, you may not have the plug in options that some light kits require. That’s when a battery powered LED light comes in handy. Use your Octopad to hold a compact LED light like the LitraPro from Litra Torch. 

how to support a camera 3

The LitraPro is a full featured, compact, battery powered, LED light that is tailor made for vlogging and videography in general, though it is also useful for all sorts of still imaging. The Octopad lets you place this small light anywhere you need it to be to provide either main or fill light.

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It Goes Anywhere You Go

how to support a camera 4

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash 

Octopad is an extremely versatile camera and accessory mount and is also very compact and easy to transport. Travel tripods are great, too, but the level of stability provided by the Octopad is generally a little better than small tripods. 

In order to be any two things, often times a third thing is left out. With travel tripods, in order to be tall enough and yet also fold up compactly enough for go anywhere travel, they often sacrifice stability. There’s only so much a lightweight tripod can do. 

With the Octopad, you sacrifice being able to extend for height, but it gives you superb stability in it’s super compact size. However, you can always add an extension arm to create more height if needed. As I noted earlier, you can also place the Octopad on just about any surface, even if inclined up to 45 degrees.

Octopad Doesn’t Tip Over

essential photography accessories 6

Photo by Michaela J on Unsplash 

They don’t fall down, they don’t even wobble. Octopad is a weighted mount, very low profile. In other words, it’s bottom heavy. Just like some of us! (I kid…) 

Since it has a wide base, is slightly flexible, uses a non-slip pad, and has the majority of its weight concentrated on the lower half, this makes it a very stable platform for placing your electronic equipment on something.

This one time, on a location shoot, I left a camera extended on a flimsy tripod in high wind and it blew over. Blew over! I was sure I had just eaten the cost of a nice camera and lens, but all I really lost was the cost of a rigid lens hood and protective filter. Whew! (The true value of hoods and filters goes beyond merely optical.)

essential photography accessories 7

 Photo by Christian Bolt on Unsplash

But that experience taught me that portability and rigid stability don’t always go hand in hand. With regards to the Octopad, though, you actually can get both. Sure, you sacrifice extendable height, but you have options there, too. Just put it on a shelf, table, rock, or tree branch to get the height you need.

Cheap Enough to Get Two or Three

essential photography accessories 8

Prices fluctuate, so I won’t quote anything specific, but you can pick up an Octopad for the price of a memory card. I’m not talking about a 512GB CFExpress card either. I’m equating it price wise to SD cards. 

In order to set up several lights and a camera all at the same time, you need a couple or three Octopads set up to hold them all. Since they are so budget friendly, if you need more than one, it won’t be hard to do.

Bottom line, these bottom heavy, non-slip, inexpensive camera and accessory mounts are a great addition to your essential photography gear. 

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Octopad Hands-On Review

octopad 6

I was somewhat skeptical when I first saw the Octopad as I was browsing for camera supports. Not a suction cup, not a bean bag, not a clamp, and no legs! Just a heavily weighted semi rigid pad with a ¼-20 screw attached.

Since that first time, I have come to appreciate what the Octopad uses are. The Octopad benefits photographers and videographers as another fantastic alternative method of holding cameras and other equipment.

Octopad Hands On Review

octopad 1

When you first open up the package from Adorama and take out the Octopad, you will notice how weighted it is. It’s only about 2 pounds, but it’s like attaching your camera to a free weight for dumbbells. 

If, like most buyers, you attach a ball and socket head directly to the Octopad, it’s almost impossible to tip over with something attached. Even if that something is over two pounds itself. Because the center of gravity is so low.

The material in the bag is some form of semi solid fill, it doesn’t constantly shift around like a bean bag, which is part of what makes the Octopad so stable. By how it feels, it could be sand or man made material, but inside the Octopad, it doesn’t shift around a lot, probably because of the shape of it. For my next Octopad review, I’m tempted to cut into one, but I don’t want to waste my Octopad!

Non-Slip Bottom

octopad

The bottom of the Octopad is a stiff but rubbery material. It is semi rigid but does conform a little bit to uneven surfaces. If there was one thing I would change about the Octopad, I would make the material give a little more to allow for better outdoor placement.  

But, then again, maybe they already tried that design and it wasn’t sturdy enough or something. It’s a small nitpick.

What the non-slip material does real well is stay put on a wide variety of surface materials. I’ve tried it out on wood, rock, concrete, metal, glass, fabric, and plastic, it sticks well to all of them. Due to the low center of gravity, the Octopad can stay on most of those surfaces at up to about a 45 degree angle.

In real world use, I found that the Octopad sticks better at these angles on surfaces like wood and concrete as opposed to glass or metal. The slightly angled man made material of the dashboard in my SUV made an excellent Octopad mounting surface when playing around with an equipment test I was doing. 

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Great for Holding Accessories

octopad uses 3

What I find myself using the Octopad most for is holding videography accessories such as an LED light or a microphone. I actually picked up a couple of extra units for use with on location vlogging.

When interviewing someone in their own home, workshop, or office, I have standardized on bringing a couple of Octopads for my LED lights if I end up not having room for light stands. 

octopad uses 4

My camera and a shotgun mic are tripod mounted or on a handgrip, and the lights can be put anywhere. On a desk, the water cooler, a filing cabinet, or even the arm of a couch. Using Octopad mounts really opens up being able to place my small lights anywhere.

It should also work well for holding webcams and maybe even a small video projector provided it’s not two wide or heavy.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

octopad 5

I liked that the material was heavy duty and mostly flexible, but that the shape of the Octopad didn’t change because of how tightly it’s made. The D-rings and grommets could be used with cords or cables as extra security for the inevitable slide off of the dashboard of a vehicle turning, such as off roading or other rough driving.

The Octopad seemed to stick better to smooth materials like glass or metal better if the ambient temperature is warm instead of cold. The cold stiffens up the rubbery bottom material so that it didn’t feel as secure at high angles than it did with warm weather. For most indoor uses that issue isn’t likely to come up too often.

octopad review 6

The ¼-20 center screw was just a tad too long for the ball heads I have, so I added a couple of plastic washers to create a snugger fit. I would suggest Octopad supply a couple of these washers for customers as a heavier camera on a moving and vibrating platform will loosen up too much.

Overall, I think the Octopad benefits far outweigh my minor nitpicking. Especially for the low cost of one. It’s less than most of my memory cards.  It’s a great alternative camera mount and the perfect mount for on location video lights. 

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Outdoor Photography Gear You Need Before Your Next Trip

Outdoor Photography Gear You Need Before Your Next Trip

Regardless of your location or what season it is, outdoor photography is a fun and rewarding activity for all levels of photographers. Browse through our many articles on PhotographyTalk, covering ideas, tips, and skills you can develop for various aspects of outdoor photography.

Today, we will be investigating and analyzing some outdoor photography gear that will enable you to better use those new methods and the skills you’ve been honing. We have four effective photography gear items to present that will become virtually indispensable for your outdoor photography once you start using them.

Hang on to your safari hats; we’re going outside with some practical and handy outdoor photography gear!

Table of Contents:

Outdoor Photography Gear: GoShelter

GoShelter hands free canopy

GoShelter hands-free canopy is our first outdoor photography gear item to show. 

Let me start with what you don’t need to do with this photography gear protection equipment. You don’t have to mount it to the camera accessory shoe and worry about the stress on the top plate. You don’t have to stuff your camera into a bag and fumble around for the controls. 

It’s a canopy you wear. It has shoulder straps and a waist belt to keep it attached to you even in moderate winds. Since you are within the canopy, nothing is attached to your camera, and all settings and controls are as open to use as without the GoShelter.

GoShelter wearable canopy

It folds up to a very compact size, much like a 5-in-1 reflector does, making it a simple task to bring with you. You will want to have it with you on a day hike or any other outdoor photography outing because of how quickly the weather can change. Every spot I’ve ever been to has a saying in common: “Don’t like the weather? Wait 15 minutes!”

In the above video, listen as some GoShelter users explain why they like this ingenious outdoor photography gear solution. Check out the other informative YouTube videos on the GoShelter channel.

Since outdoor photography can be almost any type of photography, from weddings and concerts to picnics and BBQs, sports events, or hiking and camping in the wilderness, GoShelter is going to be a part of your regular kit of outdoor photography gear.

Outdoor Photography Gear: OctoPad Camera Mount

Octopad

OctoPad Camera Mount is the best way to use a tripod without having a tripod. OctoPad is a small, semi-rigid, weighted disk with a ¼”-20 post on the top and a non-slip pad underneath.  

It normally comes with a ball head for the topside screw post, but you can add any other tripod head accessory to it, such as an extension arm and a fluid head. It is super versatile in how it can be set up and used.

The real reason for it being a must-have item of outdoor photography gear is its ability to stabilize a camera or hold accessories such as a light or microphone on almost any type of surface. Those surfaces can be angled up to 45 degrees, too, and the Octopad won’t budge.

You will love using this handy gadget when you are using long telephoto lenses, shooting low-angle photography, or trying any long-exposure photography, such as blurring a waterfall or capturing astrophotography.

Outdoor Photography Gear: Viltrox LED Light

Viltrox LED Light

Viltrox LED Light is useful when you need just the right amount of extra light. Macro photography and outdoor portraiture are two examples of when you might need a controllable extra light source in your outdoor photography gear. 

This lightweight, portable LED light has adjustments for intensity and for color control, and it can be powered by a common rechargeable battery. It can fit on your camera or use it in conjunction with the OctoPad for added versatility.

Outdoor Photography Gear: Azgoot 10-30X Spotting Scope

Azgoot 10 30X Spotting Scope

Azgoot 10-30X Spotting Scope will let you scout out what’s around you. It is both more compact and more powerful than the most common outdoor use binoculars. A spotting scope lets you see details of what is in the distance, such as wildlife or the next scenic area.

This spotting scope fits your hand comfortably and the focusing knob is right at your fingertips. It’s compact enough to fit into a jacket pocket or in a small lens pouch. The attached hand strap and a rubberized eyepiece provide comfort and ease of use.

Outdoor Photography Gear: Camera and Lens

Olympus OM D E M1 mk II with Zuiko 12 200mm lens

The camera and lens you already own are probably already excellent tools and will be the centerpiece of your outdoor photography gear kit. Interchange lens digital camera systems, such as the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mk II with Zuiko 12-200mm lens pictured above, are the go-to choice for many outdoor photography enthusiasts. 

Add to your existing system the outdoor photography gear listed above for a complete setup that will make you as ready as you need to be for outdoor photography.

Additional Recommended Photography Gear

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Outdoor Photography Tips for Summer

Outdoor Photography Tips for Summer

 photo byRyanJLane via iStock

It’s summer! That means more outdoor activities for many of us. Summertime allows for more opportunities for some types of photography, so let’s talk about outdoor photography tips and techniques, photography gear for outdoor photography, and a few fun outdoor photography ideas.

Outdoor Photography Gear

outdoor photography tips

 photo byronstik via iStock

When I get asked about outdoor photography tips for beginners, I find that many of these photographers are wondering about what photography gear will help them be better prepared to capture excellent images. 

Asking about photography gear is a natural part of growing as a beginner photographer, since anyone making the move into serious photography will wonder if what they have will allow them to grow or should they upgrade.

Beginners moving into serious photography usually already own a nice camera, because even entry level cameras with kit lenses are capable of outstanding results. So, I like to offer advice about some of the wonderful accessories and gadgets I’ve found that help us use our outdoor photography techniques that we learn.

Stability

outdoor photography

There are many times when we should use some sort of camera support for stabilization instead of relying on the camera’s image stabilization, but we don’t always want to carry a tripod. A fine tripod alternative I have been using for a while is the OctoPad Camera Mount

What makes OctoPad such a useful item is how it’s designed. It is small, lightweight, and inexpensive, yet it can hold our camera gear rock steady in a wide variety of situations we might find ourselves in when doing outdoor photography.

You can set this camera mount on virtually any type of surface, even if that surface is angled pretty stepply, up to 45 degrees. OctoPad is a weighted, semi-rigid disk with a non-slip pad on the bottom and a ball head on top. 

You can also extend the reach by adding an articulating arm, which adds minimal weight and carrying space. Since the OctoPad is relatively compact compared to the heavier duty tripods that are good for outdoor photography, it is easy to carry in our backpacks, sling packs, or camera bags.

This is a great way to take advantage of some of the outdoor photography techniques beginners are learning, such as depth of field control, blurring motion, or ultra close up photography. 

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Outdoor Natural Light Photography Tips

outdoor photography techniques

 photo byRidofranz via iStock

When we’re outdoors, the Sun or skylight is often our primary light source. We can’t reach up and reposition the Sun or adjust a dimmer knob on it, but we can control sunlight in several ways.

As we’re taking pictures of our friends or family doing all the fun stuff we do in the Summer, we also like taking portraits of them in these outdoor settings. We can also simply have a plan to take some outdoor portraits of people as the outdoor activity we’re doing. 

One of the more basic outdoor photography tips for portraits is to turn our portrait subject’s faces away from the Sun or other direct light. This accomplishes at least two things. It allows the person to have a more natural expression since they won’t be squinting, and it provides some nice modeling effects with the play of shadow and light.

A simple collapsible reflector can be added into the mix to provide a pretty catchlight for the eyes or to fill in some of the deeper under chin or side of the nose shadows that happen when we turn our subject away from the direct sunlight.

Look for Skylight

photography gear

 photo bypidjoe via iStock

Included in my general outdoor natural light photography tips for taking people pictures is to look for situations where the primary light source is the open sky without direct sunlight. It’s the sky itself, and the Sun, providing the light. 

The Sun is a point light source, and the shadows produced by direct sunlight have sharply defined lines. In other words, it’s often contrasty. This gives us interesting modeling effects, as mentioned earlier, which can be used to emphasize texture in facial features, skin, clothing, hair, or when photographing inanimate subjects besides portraiture.

The sky itself is a large light source, like having a soft box hundreds of miles wide. This light is soft and less contrasty, which we can use to deemphasize texture or lessen differences between light and shadow. Sometimes, the light from an open sky can be virtually shadow free.

Open skylight is much cooler in cooler temperatures than direct sunlight. If we’re shooting in RAW, we can readily adjust this in post processing, often with just a click of a box or from a drop down menu. If shooting JPEGs, we can either keep the white balance in auto or assign it as open sky or skylight, whichever term your camera uses.

Be Ready to Get Close

outdoor photography gear

 photo byStephen Harker via iStock

Being outdoors in nature or in man made areas gives us outdoor photography ideas that run from vast, sweeping scenic views to smaller areas of these views such as trees, buildings, and other structures.  

Be on the lookout for even smaller aspects of the scene. Sometimes, an individual tree can be more interesting than the forest. A smaller part of that tree, such an oddly bent limb or part of a leaf might become your next subject. And if you find a butterfly or some other bright insect on that leaf, you have another subject for outdoor photography.

Many of the kit lenses on entry level cameras have close focusing ability which can be used for small subjects. Oftentimes, we can get very close and then zoom in a bit more to capture an image that we can turn into real art. 

To get closer than the near limit of zoom lenses, we can add simple close up filters, also known as diopters, to enhance our lens’ close focusing limits. For subjects in the natural world, those close up filters are a fantastic item to have in our outdoor photography gear bag. These filters are inexpensive and simple to use.

By zooming in on a smaller part of the scene or by getting physically closer with just our lens or with filters, we can multiply our possible outdoor photography ideas manyfold.

Protect Your Gear

outdoor photography tips for beginners

 photo byRyanKing999 via iStock

Being in the great outdoors is fun and provides a lot of photographic opportunities but it also adds areas of concern for us. Just as we protect ourselves from harm by using sunscreen, good shoes, and comfortable clothing, we can protect our cameras with  padded bags, comfortable straps, and lens protection such as lens hoods and UV filters. 

Sometimes, those items were included in the kit originally purchased when we decided to step into more serious photography, otherwise, these are inexpensive add ons.

Use these outdoor photography tips and techniques to get the best out of whatever gear you already own and then add what inexpensive accessories you think fit in with your needs and style of shooting. 

Do you have outdoor photography tips for Summer that you swear by and want to share? Drop us a line or join one of the discussions in our forum to let us hear them!

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Outdoor Portrait Tips

Outdoor Portrait Tips

 photo bypixdeluxe via iStock

Let’s get ready for some outdoor portraits! Some of the best things about outdoor portraits is that you have a huge variety of settings, backgrounds, and props available to you, changeable oftentimes by simply walking a few feet.

What outdoor portrait tips and techniques will help us get interesting, fun, and professional looking images of our portrait subjects? We will examine three main areas, portrait poses and positions, lighting for outdoor portraits, and what camera settings for portraits will work great outdoors, plus we’ll add in some extra ideas for outdoor portrait techniques.

Portrait Poses and Positions

outdoor portrait 1

 photo byVladimir Vladimirov via iStock

One of the things you need on the watch for when shooting outdoor portraits is the image being too busy. There are various fixes for simplifying what the viewer ends up seeing in the outdoor portrait, first we will consider poses and camera and subject position. 

Placing our subject in a field of sunflowers gives us some really fun images, but the viewer will be noticing the sunflowers most of all. Same with shooting in a busy city street or on an outdoor porch. Go ahead with the fun and interesting image but then let’s move things around some for the rest of the portraits. 

Changing to a higher or lower camera position can radically alter the background and other surroundings showing in the outdoor portrait. Having the subject, squat, kneel, lie down, or lean against something provides us with more options.

Also be on the lookout for those distracting elements that negatively impact the viewing of the final portrait, such as twig or light pole that looks as though it’s coming out the outdoor portrait subject’s head. Sometimes simply moving our camera to one side or up or down by mere inches can eliminate that distraction.

Lighting for Outdoor Portraits

outdoor portrait 2

 photo byPoike via iStock

The Sun and sky are probably the primary light source for most of our outdoor portraits, but we can control outdoor portrait lighting in several simple methods.

Among the most simple outdoor portrait techniques in regards to lighting blends in with the poses and position tips. In broad daylight, move the subject around so they aren’t looking into the Sun. You can even put the Sun directly behind the subject and adjust exposure to lighten the face sitting in the shadow. 

Which brings us to a second technique of lighting for outdoor portraits is to add in a reflector to fill in the shadows produced by moving our subject and camera position around. Depending on your lens choice, you could have the subject holding the reflector themselves.

A third technique really opens up some creative options of outdoor lighting, adding an auxiliary light source. A small rechargeable LED light can be used as a key light or a fill light, depending on where you place it.

lighting for outdoor portraits 3

You can put your small LED light anywhere by mounting it on the OctoPad camera and accessory mount. OctoPad is a unique gadget that takes the place of tripods, clamps, bean bags, or light stands for holding photographic equipment.

lighting for outdoor portraits 4

It’s a small weighted pad with a rubberized non slip pad on the bottom and a ¼-20 screw thread on top that a bracket or ball head can be attached to in order to hold the light on various types of surfaces up to a 45 degree angle. Perfect for outdoor portrait sessions.  

I also use my OctoPad for holding video accessories such as mics or for holding an action cam to shoot B-Roll footage for video projects (such as a tutorial for shooting outdoor portraits).

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Camera Settings for Portraits

outdoor portrait techniques 5

 photo byshapecharge via iStock

Several of the issues raised about distractions in the image or lighting situations can also be solved or accentuated by means of varying camera settings.

When looking in the viewfinder of our camera and seeing that distracting twig growing out of the top of their head or losing the outdoor portrait subject in a busy background or surroundings, we can adjust our camera position, change lenses or zoom to a longer focal length, or open up the lens aperture to limit depth of field for selective focus of the subject alone.

Lens focal length and lens aperture or f-stop are major considerations for creating effective outdoor portraits. A longer focal length (telephoto) lens provides a pleasing apparent perspective without any unflattering distortion. The larger aperture affects depth of focus as well as the exposure triangle. 

By the way, you can use the automatic exposure modes of your camera and still do this. Set the camera in aperture priority and pick a wide open f-stop, letting the camera match shutter speed for correct exposure. Some cameras will let you adjust the program mode to favor wide apertures, but avoid the Green Dot auto setting as that surrenders all creative control to the camera instead of the photographer.

You can also manually adjust everything exposure related for complete control if you’re comfortable enough with your camera and the process of photography, which many of you already are, so go for it!

Watch Your Focus

camera settings for portraits 6

 photo byPeopleImages via iStock

In addition to using outdoor portrait techniques such as selective focus, varying camera position, and adding lighting, it is vitally important to the finished portrait image to be focused correctly.

One of the most important outdoor portrait tips is the same as studio portraits, focus on those eyes. If the eyes aren’t sharply focused, the portrait image will suffer. Even if the subject’s eyes are closed, being focused on them will draw the viewer into a relationship with the subject, meaning the outdoor  portrait will resonate with viewers.

If the eyes are out of focus but other elements are sharp, the portrait will seem to be either tense or unimportant, unfocused if you will, causing the image to be quickly passed over. So, keep those eyes in sharp focus.

Adjust Color Balance

camera settings for portraits 7

 photo bykumikomini via iStock

An outdoor portrait subject will take on whatever color balance the lighting imparts to it. Sky light without the Sun in it will look cool while direct sunlight might be warm depending on where it is in the sky.  

If you’re shooting JPEGs, you should adjust the white balance according to the light quality and color tint. You could also let the camera automatically do it, but it’s easy to change yourself, so you should try it out on your next outdoor portrait session. 

Another option is to shoot in RAW and adjust or correct in post processing. Many post processing programs have a   one click adjustment for white balance. Alternatively, carry a Gray Card or a Color Checker with you and shoot first and last images with them in the image area, also whenever your lighting changes shoot an image with one of these.

Outdoor Portrait Fun

camera settings for portraits 8

 photo byRichLegg via iStock

Try out these outdoor portrait techniques and tips in your next portrait session and enjoy the fantastic results you’ll obtain. It doesn’t take much extra effort to move your camera position, repose the subject, add light, or change camera settings. Try them out for yourself!

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Perfect Accessories for Micro Four-Thirds Cameras

Perfect Accessories for Micro Four Thirds Cameras

photo bybereta via iStock

Our micro four-thirds cameras are amazing examples of superb equipment in a small package. There are some excellent photography accessories for micro four-thirds cameras that can make them easier to use in many situations.

Here are four ideas of photography gear that make good micro four-thirds camera accessories and that are very budget friendly. These accessories for micro four-thirds cameras are a compact camera mount, compact continuous lights, a lens mount adapter, and a wireless remote control.

Compact Camera Mount

accessories for micro four thirds cameras

Tripods and gimbals will stabilize your camera very well, but what do you do if you need to place your camera somewhere and a full sized tripod isn’t an option?  A tripod alternative such as OctoPad camera mount becomes one of the most useful accessories for micro four-thirds cameras when neither a tripod or handheld will work.

What is OctoPad? It’s a small camera mount that delivers in a big way. Looking at the options, OctoPad is not a camera clamp, not a suction cup, not a spike. It’s a weighted semi rigid disk of heavy duty material with a ¼-20 screw on top and a pad of non-slip material underneath.

accessories for micro four thirds cameras 2

Being semi rigid, the base can conform to a wide variety of shapes. When you combine that with the non-slip pad, you can place this with your camera mounted on it on surfaces angled up to 45 degrees. 

The basic purchase package of OctoPad comes with a mini ball head attached to the screw but you can also add an extension arm or a smartphone holder to add extra versatility. 

One of its best features is the low price. Added to it’s easy to carry compactness, this means you can use several of them together to add lights or a microphone (for video) for a complete accessory support system in the field.

Compact Continuous Light

photography accessories

Micro four-thirds cameras are great tools for still photography and are particularly well suited for videography. So when considering lighting equipment as micro four-thirds camera accessories, continuous LED lighting is a preferred choice.

Small LED lights can be mounted right on the camera or you can use a camera mount or a light stand to use your light for either still photography or videography. You want the light to be high quality, too, for either of these uses.

photography accessories 2

Pixel G1s LED light is a great example of compact photography gear that works well with micro 4/3rds systems of any brand for a huge variety of uses. This small LED light is battery powered and has adjustments for color temperature and power levels and has a battery life of almost 3 hours of use.

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Lens Mount Adapter

photography gear

One of the biggest advantages of a compact mirrorless camera system is the ability to use a huge array of lenses besides the lenses made by the camera and lens makers in MFT mount.  

By the way, when shopping for accessories for micro four-thirds cameras, you will see the format, the lens mount, and the systems labeled alternatively as micro four-thirds, micro 4/3rds, and MFT. It’s all the same system, just typed out differently.

Since the micro four-thirds format cameras are a crop format and have no mirrobox, a huge number of lenses from all sorts of mounts and formats can be adapted to them. 

photography gear2

Viltrox makes several different lens mount adapters for the format including the Viltrox EF-M1 lens mount adapter which mounts Canon EF lenses to Panasonic and Olympus MFT cameras and allows exposure and focus information and control to be passed between camera and lens. 

Other lens mount adapters can allow use of M-42 screw thread lenses, Nikon F mount (electronic G series and older), Canon FD/FL, Minolta MD/MC, Exacta, Leica M bayonet and 39mm screw thread, and C-mount lenses among others. 

Not all of the different lens mount adapters will transfer exposure and focus information, but being able to mount a lens from a camera system from 40 to 80 years ago to a modern dual use digital camera is nothing short of phenomenal. 

Wireless Remote Control

micro four thirds camera accessories

For many reasons, a wireless remote control is one of the more valuable accessories for micro four-thirds cameras for any type of photography or videography. 

Controlling basic camera controls and adding HDR, time-lapse, bracketing, and delayed shooting is the Aodelan O6 P6 wireless remote control and shutter release. It also comes in versions for other digital cameras. 

So, there you have it, 4 micro four-thirds camera accessories that can help make your still and video photography easier and more capable. Adapt an old lens, add an LED light, mount on an OctoPad, and control it all remotely; you’re ready

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Photography Gear for Traveling Solo

Photography Gear for Traveling Solo

 photo byBoyloso via iStock

While nobody is doing much of anything nowadays, let alone participating in travel photography, I’ve definitely spent quite a few sleepless nights frantically Googling when researchers think it will be safe to travel again. 

I’ve also spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out where the next trip is going to take me. And I don’t think I’m alone. Although I’ve recently heard a lot about how the coronavirus pandemic is going to create a huge boom in domestic travel, I know I’m excited to leave the country again.

So, since I’m already doing all of this research, I figured I may as well share some of the info I’m collecting. Since I obviously can’t recommend which trips to take just yet, one thing I can recommend is photography gear for your next vacation.

Keep in mind all of this travel photography gear is gear that I have either already used on a solo trip or plan to just as soon as all this madness is over. So, in order to make the cut, the photography gear had to be lightweight and easy to carry, relatively inexpensive (except for my main camera), and sturdy.  

Let’s dive in. 

Top Travel Camera: Sony a7S II

I’ve written a full review of the first item on this photography gear list and you can read it here. 

The Sony a7S II is a full-frame mirrorless camera with a 12MP sensor and 4K video. While it’s best known for being a great low-light shooter, it’s also one of my favorite pieces to pack for all of my trips because of its weather-sealed body. It’s built with more magnesium alloy than any other Sony a7S, so it’s also really sturdy. 

It also lasts for forever. This camera is rated at 500,000 cycles, which is plenty to last you for years of traveling. 

It’s 3” tilting LCD screen comes in handy when photographing people on the street, or when photographing in crowded tourist areas.

It comes with 100% viewfinder coverage.

Some other specs include its ISO range of 100-102,400 and its 5fps burst mode.

Plus, it weighs just over 1.3 lbs so you can throw it in your carry on and not even realize it’s there. 

Unfortunately, all of these specs do come at a price. Since this is one of those essential photography gear pieces, I allowed myself to pick something a bit more expensive. The Sony a7S II is $2,400 if you opt to purchase it new.

But, no travel photography tips list would be complete without a few money hacks. Instead of buying the Sony a7S II new, you should purchase it off of MPB used.

Why? Well, the Sony a7S II starts at just $1,000 on MPB. Or, you can opt for one in excellent shape for just $1,500

Inexpensive Backup Camera: Sony a6000

Okay, your photography gear bag definitely needs a backup camera when you’re traveling and let me tell you why: problems happen all the time, and if something goes awry with your primary camera (or God forbid it gets stolen), you don’t want to be on your trip without a camera. 

The Sony a6000 works really well for me as my backup because it’s incredibly inexpensive. I purchased my used Sony a6000 off of MPB for a little over $400, but prices have fallen since then and you can now pick one up for as little as $325. 

And I know that this camera is 6 years old and that’s why it’s so cheap, but this mirrorless camera comes with all the specs I need for traveling (except 4K video). 

It features a 24MP sensor, 11fps burst mode, and a 3.0” tilting screen with 921.6K dots, which is just a step down from the screen on the Sony a7S II. While the screen isn’t a touchscreen, this really doesn’t bother me if I’m not going to be shooting with it very often. 

It’s also really small, which means I can leave it in a locker at my hostel or hotel until the moment I need it. 

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Small But Mighty Tripod Alternative: Octopad

travel photography gear 1

I talk about the Octopad a lot on PhotographyTalk (I did a full review a while back that you can read here) because I’ve yet to find a tripod that does as much as this does for this price point.

Obviously, my favorite part of any inexpensive photography gear is its price. The Octopad is just $27. At that price point, you’re going to be finding tripods that will break within the month and won’t do a great job of doing much else in the meantime. 

travel photography gear 2

The Octopad, on the other hand, is incredibly small and lightweight while maintaining complete balance. Since it’s bottom heavy, you will never have problems shooting with it in extreme weather conditions. It’s sturdy as you need in a small package like you want for traveling. 

You also don’t have to use the Octopad to hold your camera because it works well with a GoPro, or simply as a way to support an off-camera light to light the scene absolutely perfectly. 

The only downside to the Octopad is that you aren’t going to be using it to keep your camera at eye level since it only works to hold your camera in place.

travel photography gear 3

But, I don’t know of any tripods that can hold your camera or light at a 45 degree angle on any surface without tipping over. 

It also weighs just 1.6 lbs and is 6.5” in diameter, so you can easily stick it wherever you need to in your luggage. 

It definitely helps to have an Octopad in your photography gear bag when you need to shoot while hanging off of a cliff or participating in any other action sports.

A Bright, Portable Light: Hakutatz Pocket Size AW RGB LED Light

There’s no way for me to do a travel photography gear tips list and not include a pocket-sized light.

The Hakutatz Pocket Size AW RGB LED Light has got a name to match its capabilities. This light features amber, white and RGB LEDs so you can add drama to any scene with millions of possible colors.

It also comes with an app so you can adjust the lighting from your phone, which comes in handy when you’re watching your photography gear like a hawk. 

You can also change the saturation or brightness from your app, which means you’ll have more room in your luggage for souvenirs since you won’t need to drag diffusers or softboxes with you everywhere you go. There’s a reason why I named it one of the best lights of 2019!

You can grab a Hakutatz Pocket Size AW RGB LED Light for $130. 

Something to Carry It All In: HEX Back Loader Backpack

travel photography gear tips 1

You’re obviously going to need a bag to carry all of your new photography gear in and the HEX Back Loader Backpack is just the one.

For starters, I’ll never recommend a bag that I don’t think is aesthetically appealing. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that my parents always said you should look your best because first impressions last, but I find I get more jobs when I look put together.

travel photography gear tips 2

This bag is a sleek and modern black. It also happens to be pretty discrete, so nobody will know it is filled with thousands of dollars of photography gear. 

I also won’t recommend a bag that isn’t comfortable because there’s nothing worse than running around London with a shoulder strap digging into your skin. 

This bag features shoulder straps that are well-padded, a chest strap to more evenly distribute the weight of your photography gear, and, most importantly, really fast access to your gear. 

travel photography gear tips 3

It’s also water resistant, so you won’t need to be worried about freak storms.  

If you want to pick up a HEX Back Loader Backpack, they’re currently available for $190. 

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Portable Lighting Tips

Portable Lighting Tips

Photo by Gabriela Palai from Pexels

The GoPro Hero 8 action cameras are amazing tools for regular still imaging and video in addition to their obvious usage for action endeavors. Add some of the new ultra compact portable lighting equipment and you have a complete A/V photo rig that could quite literally fit in your pocket. 

Well, if the pockets are a little oversized and heavy duty...like the ones on my favorite pair of cargo shorts that I’ve been wearing so often lately. Yes, besides being a world class photographer and videographer, I am also a fashion maven. 

Portable Lighting For Photography and Videography

photography lighting gear

As you start using your GoPro Hero 8 action camera for projects other than surfing, bull riding, and hang gliding, you will quickly run into a need for portable lighting to enable you to get the best quality videos and images. Or you may want to employ some advanced lighting techniques you’ve already learned to do with your regular photography lighting gear.

An issue with much of my regular photography lighting gear being used with my GoPro Hero 8 is the size of the lights and stands. Plus, the fact several of them must be plugged into a power outlet.

That simply won’t do with the reason I’m using the GoPro for some things in the first place. I take out my GoPro for those photo or video shoots where I don’t want to lug around a lot of extra gear due to their size and weight. So, truly portable photography lighting gear is in order.

 

Recommended Portrait Lighting Reading:

 

LitraPro Ultra Portable Lighting 

portable lighting

LitraPro battery powered LED light from Litra is an ultra portable solution for your portable photography lighting needs. 

The light is controllable via bluetooth on Apple or Android, so you can adjust as you need remotely, just like you already can control the GoPro Hero 8 with the GoPro smartphone app. This makes for a highly portable and versatile camera and lighting rig.

LitraPro is an LED light, very cool operating and extremely power efficient. Battery charge lasts for up to an hour on full power, and an incredible 10 hours on the lowest power setting. Recharges quickly with the supplied micro-USB power charger/adapter that can also be used as a power cord.

portable photography lighting 1

 photo by subman via iStock 

It is rugged, too, just like you want in order to pair it as portable lighting for photography with the GoPro Hero 8 action cam. Shockproof and waterproof to 27 meters or 90 feet. It meets the military specs 810G MIL SPECS for extreme use. So you can use it in conditions that you may put your GoPro Hero 8 in for photography or video. 

The color temperature is adjustable from warm to cool, 3000K to 6000K. That’s a function you can control remotely, so you can balance it to the ambient lighting of the scene. It is pretty bright, too, 1200 lumen. A lot brighter than its small size would lead you to believe at first. 

There are multiple mounting options to attach the LitraPro to a variety of cameras, mounts, or stands. 

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OctoPad Camera and Accessory Mounting System

photography lighting 1

Ever since I found the OctoPad camera and accessory mount, I can’t stop talking about it. Yeah, I’m that guy in the camera club. But it really is one of the neatest small and inexpensive items in my camera gear bag.

What is OctoPad? It is a weighted semi soft pad that sticks to most surfaces via friction alone. No clamps, no suction cups. It won’t slide on an angle of up to 45 degrees. A ¼-20 thread on top allows for adding a photographic gear item directly to it or you can add a ball and socket head or adjustable arm to it for more versatility. 

The OctoPad is small enough and cheap enough to keep two or three on hand anywhere. I have a couple in my car as well as some in with my other GoPro gear and portable lighting.

The Ultimate Portable Video and Photography Rig

photography lighting 2

There you have it. A combined weight less than my latest DSLR camera and lens upgrade. Extremely rugged and also waterproof. Controllable remotely from smartphone apps. This is an amazingly versatile compact set up for portable lighting to accompany your GoPro Hero 8 to use for still imaging and videography.

portable lighting for photography 2

 photo by marekuliasz via iStock 

Once you try out this rig, you’ll be that person in the camera club, too. As an alternative to carrying around your regular photography gear for some projects, it’s hard to beat. 

Show us what you have captured with your GoPro Hero 8 and the LitraPro plus OctoPad portable lighting gear. 

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Portrait and Landscape Photography: Similarities and Differences

Portrait and Landscape Photography Similarities and Differences

 photo byMarioGuti via iStock

Portrait and landscape photography are a lot of fun to do and can also provide extra income for established professionals in any genre of photography work. The images for each genre also look fantastic when we get creative with shooting, post-processing, and display options. 

Here is a view of all of the things we consider, such as our planning, preparing for capturing the images, what gear is involved, what techniques are used, and how similar the two genres can be, as well as what differences are involved in these photographic endeavors.

Table of Contents

Portrait and Landscape Photography Planning

portrait and landscape photography 1

 photo bymihailomilovanovic via iStock

With regard to planning our portrait and landscape photography, there are many similarities, some of which may be a little subtle, and a few major differences. 

What are those things we plan about portrait and landscape photography that are the same? In my mind, I always go through a mental checklist of everything I’m about to do regarding photography. That’s pretty much the day before and the day of the shoot, but I also do a lot of similar planning work long before that couple of days comes up.

Especially with regards to outdoor or environmental portraiture, my planning will be very much like how I plan landscape photography. The time of year and where I’ll be will influence quite a lot of my planning for outdoor portrait and landscape photography alike.

portrait and landscape photography 2

 photo bysborisov via iStock

The time of year will determine when my preferred outdoor lighting will occur. For a lot of my exterior imaging work, I lean towards a lower position in the sky for the Sun. Golden Hour is a great time of day for portrait and landscape photography, but any time of day where our home star the Sun isn’t directly overhead is a great time for me. 

With regards to portraits, I can add reflectors or fill flash when the Sun is shining at an angle, any angle. This allows me to get soft eyes with no squints and the resulting facial frowning that sun squint also adds. It also lets me play around with contrast levels and gives me an opportunity to use backlighting, side lighting, and other shadow control techniques.

portrait and landscape photography 3

 photo byDaveAlan via iStock

For landscape photography, those times of the day which have the Sun sitting lower in the sky than directly overhead give me opportunities to use light and shadow for modeling effects in the scenery. The planning for my landscape ideas might also lead me to choosing my accessories, such as a tripod or tripod alternative for HDR photography or a graduated neutral density (GND) to use instead of HDR for contrast control.

Preparing for Portrait and Landscape Photography

portrait photography 1

 photo bygolubovy via iStock

Planning ahead of time is part of my preparation for portrait and landscape photography and it naturally leads into preparing for the actual shooting either the day of the shoot or a day or two before I take the pictures.

So, what is involved in the preparation? Several things I always do: charge batteries, reformat cards, clean lenses, and repack my bags. This is a good checklist for any type of photoshoot. 

Batteries going dead and not having spares already charged means there is no digital image capturing happening that day. That’s simply a fact of life in the digital age. Our newer cameras have great battery life compared to just a few years ago, but our camera’s high-quality sensor capturing an image file and employing all of those wonderful special features simply won’t happen with no power.

portrait photography 2

 photo bynicolas_ via iStock

I reformat my cards in the camera I’m going to use them in. There are many options of how to accomplish the same thing, it gives me peace of mind to do it this way. I know for sure that the card or cards are at maximum capacity and that no time is wasted with the camera attempting to lay down a file without the card being ready for it. 

Cleaning the lenses may also include cleaning the camera and possibly the camera sensor. I make a habit of cleaning my lenses before and after every photoshoot, portrait and landscape photography. Cleaning the camera and especially cleaning the sensor I do on an as needed basis. 

portrait photography

 photo byMikhail Dmitriev via iStock

Preparing for portrait and landscape photography will also include repacking my camera bag or bags so I’m bringing the equipment I think I’ll be needing. 

The equipment I end up packing may vary somewhat between portrait and landscape photography, things such as reflectors and a fill flash for portraits and GND filters or maybe a nodal panorama mount for landscapes. Some lenses and my favorite camera mounts will be in my bag for all photoshoots.

Printing Portraits and Landscapes

printing portraits and landscapes

Photo by KatarzynaBialasiewicz via iStock

Before I dive into some gear recommendations for portraits and landscapes, I want to mention a critical component of the process that sometimes gets left out - printing your images.

I know we live in the digital age and that most of our work exists online, but I argue that printing our work is still a crucially important part of the process.

I'm not saying you need to print every image you create, but getting prints of your best work is a nice way to tie the process together and celebrate your success. You don't even have to keep all the prints - they make great gifts!

The question is, what printing company should you use?

artbeat studios homepage

After getting many prints over the years from Artbeat Studios, I wholeheartedly recommend them for your portrait and landscape photo printing needs.

As you might know, I'm a landscape photographer, so most of the prints I've ordered from Artbeat Studios have been landscapes. I can tell you that the prints I've gotten have been outstanding in terms of their color accuracy, vibrancy, contrast, and detail. These guys won our metal print shootout in 2020 and again in 2021 for a reason!

Since I've mostly ordered metal prints from Artbeat Studios, that's the specific substrate I'd like to highlight.

Their HD metal prints are nothing short of breathtaking - the ChromaLuxe® aluminum they use offers the highest quality possible and since the image is heat infused directly into the metal, you get unparalleled color vibrancy and resolution.

So, in other words, Artbeat Studios takes their craft very seriously - and it shows!

Now, I know from experience that some printing companies talk a big game and deliver prints that are nowhere close to what was promised. But Artbeat Studios is different. They know that their products are a cut above, which is why they offer a 100 percent happiness guarantee.

If you don't like your print, just send it back and you'll get a full store credit. They're that confident in their products - and they should be!

Give Artbreat Studios a look to see for yourself. There's simply no better printing option for your portraits and landscapes!

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Gear Options for Portrait and Landscape Photography

portrait photography 3

 photo byGaretsworkshop via iStock

Here’s where I may surprise some of you. Much of my gear for portraits and landscape photography are interchangeable between the two genres. In fact, I may use some of the same items for most of my photography of any kind. 

What items go in my gear kit for portrait and landscape photography? If I am planning a photoshoot, I almost always have 2 cameras in my bags. In addition to having the insurance of a usable camera should one fail, I can also mount a different lens to each camera for speeding up my response to changing ideas or needs.

landscape photography

 photo bybjdlzx via iStock

A general setup for me has a wide lens (zoom or prime) on one body and a fast telephoto zoom on the other. Additionally, I may have a macro lens when shooting landscapes so I can capture close-ups of flowers and stuff, or I may include a really fast prime lens such as my Nifty Fifty or a short telephoto for portrait sessions in order to allow for greater application of the selective focus technique.

A good filter kit can be useful for portrait and landscape photography. With landscapes, a GND filter and a circular polarizer (C-POL) could be considered essential, while a softening filter could be useful for portraits. 

There are two things I use on a regular basis for camera support for both portrait and landscape photography. A steady tripod is essential for some types of photography and there are extremely useful tripod alternatives such as the OctoPad that can do the job of a tripod without all the bulk and bother of hauling around a full-featured tripod.

OctoPad

OctoPad is a small weighted disk with a ball head on top and with a non-slip pad on the underside. It can hold a camera and lens on virtually any surface indoors or outside, even if that surface is angled up to 45 degrees. Besides mounting a camera for long exposure landscapes, you could also use it for outdoor portraits to hold a fill flash or LED lights to create great modeling effects for that portrait.

You Can Be an Expert in Both Portrait and Landscape Photography

landscape photography 2

 photo byg-stockstudio via iStock

You really can, since they are actually very similar in about 80 or 90 percent of what you need to do with portrait and landscape photography. And what few differences there are, usually concern how best to expose, frame, compose, and post-process the image. As an expert photographer in any of the genres, you have the skills and probably most of the equipment needed to also excel in another.

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Quick Tips for Great Self-Portraits

Quick Tips for Great Self Portraits

 photo byPeopleImages via iStock

There’s never been a better time to practice self-portraits, considering many parts of the world are still at least partially shut down.  

Self-portraits allow you to understand photography better. It helps you to see things from a new point of view: the model’s or client’s.

But, self-portraits are also difficult for the same reason. You’re not going to be accustomed to it and it may feel weird for a while. 

Here are some quick tips to get you started on practicing your self-portraits.  

Self-Portrait Gear Essentials

self portraits 1

 photo byYana Tikhonova via iStock

You can’t take self-portraits if you don’t have self-portrait gear. Luckily, a lot of self-portrait gear is gear you can use in many other photography niches.  

The first self-portrait gear essential is obviously a good camera. Look for a camera that features a self-timer and a screen that faces forward and add to that a versatile lens like a 35mm or a nifty fifty lens

You’ll also need some other self-portrait gear, including a tripod (or tripod alternative), a remote control for your camera, and a reflector.

self portrait gear 2

I personally use a tripod alternative for my self-portraits because the OctoPad does what a tripod does but better.  

The OctoPad features a weighted bottom so you can put it absolutely anywhere without fear that it will slide around. This is just not a feature you’ll find with other mini-tripods. 

self portrait gear 3

I’ve been using mine for at least a year and it’s allowed me to be more creative than ever before because it never slips or tips over so I’m better able to play with angles in my self-portraits. 

Plus, for under $30, the Octopad is priced similarly to other mini-tripods.

Of all this self-portrait gear, if you have to leave something out you can leave the reflector out, because you can always DIY your own. 

Take a look at this video by Jessica Whitaker for more information on DIY reflectors.

Suggested Camera Settings

suggested camera settings for self portraits 4

Photo by ShareGrid on Unsplash

Now that you have your self-portrait gear, you’ll need to understand the suggested camera settings for self-portraits. 

Let’s start with aperture. You’ll probably want to shoot your self-portraits between f/2.8 and f/4. This will allow you to blur your background while keeping your face sharply in focus. 

You’ll also want to keep your ISO as low as possible. Somewhere between 100-400 should do the trick.

Finally, if you’re working with a tripod or the Octopad, you can set your shutter speed to 1/15th of a second.

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines for portrait camera settings. If you want more direction, check out our detailed tutorial on the best camera settings for portraits.

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Find Your Focus With a Stand-In

how to focus for self portraits 5

Photo by Daniel Wirtz on Unsplash

I understand that you’re reading this article about self-portraits to, you know, take a self-portrait. But, allow me to cheat for one second. 

If you do have a stand-in that you can work with, be it a family friend or even an older child, use them. 

Using stand-ins while taking self-portraits will allow you to adjust your camera settings to your exact liking and will prevent you from running back and forth dozens of times. 

Learning how to focus for self-portraits without a stand-in will simply take up more of your time and will be a pain, so even if you need to place a random object where you’ll be standing or sitting, it’ll do!

Use Your Camera’s Timer

portrait photography tips 6

Photo by Michael Soledad on Unsplash

I recommended a remote as part of your essential self-portrait gear so that you aren’t always relying on your camera’s self timer, however, if you don’t have a remote you can still take self-portraits the old fashioned way.

portrait photography tips 7

Photo by Jose Pablo Garcia on Unsplash

Your camera’s instruction manual will give you info about how to set an interval timer. When I’m taking self-portraits, I try to set my interval timer to take the first photo 10 seconds after I press the shutter. From there, I’ll have my camera take another photo a few times with a 2 second delay.  

This is a simple, easy way to get multiple shots, and with the other tips and tricks outlined above, you should be better-equipped to take improved self-portraits!

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Real Estate Photography Lighting Tips You Can't Miss

Real Estate Photography Lighting Tips You Cant Miss

Photo by sl-f via iStock

A question I get asked all the time is how to set up or work around real estate photography lighting... 

There are several reasons why this type of question comes up a lot. I’ll discuss that topic and talk about some simple solutions concerning lighting for real estate photography.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents:

Real Estate Photography Lighting Issues

Real Estate Photography Lighting Issues

Photo by Wirestock via iStock 

Picture this: the common real estate photography lighting scenario. You have a room with built-in cabinets or some other thing that isn’t simply a plain wall. There is a window on one wall, a ceiling light fixture, and maybe even a skylight. There could possibly be furniture in the room.

Typical scene, agreed? The issue comes from the scene's different light values and the recording medium's dynamic range. Those poorly lit areas can be several stops different in exposure or lighting value than under the ceiling light or near the window. 

To get good detail in one of the extremes of highlights or shadows, the other end of the scale often suffers. Exposing for a middle value might put both ends of the range out of the recording ability of our camera.

This issue regularly flummoxes newcomers to real estate photography because it doesn’t seem like a big deal at first glance. The reason for that train of thought is because of how our eye-to-brain connection works. We automatically compensate for lighting values and focus changes and movement virtually instantaneously.

No matter how new or sophisticated our camera rig is, though, it simply can’t compete with human vision. Whether using film or digital sensors, there will always be a finite limit to how broad of a range of exposure or focus it can capture that can be clearly discerned in a final image. 

In real estate photography, that image is vitally important for causing interest in a property. Poor images in an MLS listing can keep people from making an in-person appointment. For commercial real estate imaging, like an upscale hotel virtual tour or a restaurant website, a poorly exposed image will make people move on to the next place - one that has good pics.

Here is a great YouTube video by Don Tinsley that give some tips about using a shot list, too, so you don’t miss any necessary images:

In that list of needed shots for a real estate listing, you see how many furnished rooms can have these real estate photography lighting concerns. Now let’s go over how to take care of them.

Several Ways to Handle Real Estate Photography Lighting

Ways to Handle Real Estate Photography Lighting

Photo by imaginima via iStock

Several methods can be used to handle these lighting and focus issues in real estate photography.  

We can try to adjust for a perfect middle-of-the-road exposure, try some post-processing tricks, or balance out exposure with some real estate photography lighting gear. We can also blend several of these ideas together for a solution. 

Regarding focus range, we know how to adjust for deep depth of field. A typical real estate photography rig will probably include a wide-angle lens for capturing the interior spaces. 

A stopped-down aperture with a wide-angle lens at a moderate distance can have a deep enough depth of field, but that adds to the exposure issues because we’re using those smaller apertures. Smaller apertures require longer shutter speeds.

Real Estate Photography Lighting Gear

Real Estate Photography Lighting Gear

Photo by freemixer via iStock

Let me throw some light on the subject. Simple and inexpensive solutions exist for real estate photography lighting. Two of my favorite solutions are LED panel lights and small mounts to set them wherever I need them.

I like the continuous lighting of portable LED panel lights because positioning them is very straightforward. Turn them on, and you see where they should be and what power level works best.

I find it so easy to use LED lights when I can place them anywhere I need them, which is why I also love the Octopad camera mount. With an Octopad or two (or three), I can put a light anywhere in the room being photographed.  

Octopad Universal Compatibilty

The way these are made, I can quite literally put them anywhere, on any surface, even when that surface is angled up to 45 degrees. Octopad is a small disk of semi-rigid material with a ¼-20 screw on top and a non-slip pad underneath. That screw on top can hold a small ball head that, in turn, holds my light.

You will want to carefully balance out the lighting in the room so that the dynamic range issue is lessened or eliminated and features are not hidden by shadow. This is why I mentioned possibly using two or more portable lights, positioning them, and then adjusting color and intensity to blend in with ambient lighting.

Off-camera and on-camera flash units can also be employed for real estate photography lighting. If you go that way, I recommend using flash systems compatible with your camera’s TTL-OTF exposure features. 

Post-Processing Solutions

Post Processing Solutions

Photo by andresr via iStock

An excellent solution for all sorts of real estate photography lighting concerns is to use post-processing techniques to help balance out exposures and work with the dynamic range of your gear.

There are two primary methods I’ve used to handle this. One way is to shoot in RAW and use my post-processing program to open up shadow detail and tone down highlights as much as is reasonably possible. 

A better way (in my opinion) is to expose and post-process as HDR photography. HDR stands for high dynamic range and is also called bracket and merge. This method requires multiple exposures of any scene, changing the exposure value for each frame—exposures for highlights, mid-range exposures, and shadow exposures.

After capturing the image files, typically 3, 5, or 7 frames at the differing exposure values, your post-processing program is then used to create one balanced file of each scene. The highlights aren’t bunched up, the shadows aren’t blocked, and everything has good detail. 

Even with the fantastic workaround of the HDR bracket and merge technique, I still often need a light properly directed to a dark, shadowed area to get adequate detail, such as underneath kitchen cabinets or behind a couch. 

Blending techniques and equipment, I can usually handle almost anything I come up against.

The Importance of a Steady Camera

The Importance of a Steady Camera

One thing I really do want to stress is the importance of a steady camera. Using smaller apertures for more depth of focus means longer shutter speeds. Wide-angle lenses mean I should level my camera. Any multiple-exposure technique demands a steady camera. Using lights means I may need to put them out of arm’s reach when I’m at the camera. 

All of these are reasons why I use good camera support. For the times and places I can’t use a full-size tripod, I can steady my camera and lens with an Octopad, and I almost always use several for my on-location real estate photography lighting needs. 

The need for steadiness and lighting placement and the easy solutions I found applies to video and still photography. Use these tips as solutions for the real estate photography lighting issues that come up, and you will get better images with a better workflow.

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Shooting Video in the Field: Top GoPro Video Tips

Shooting Video in the Field Top GoPro Video Tips

photo bywundervisuals via iStock

Your new GoPro HERO 8 is an extremely versatile action camera for still imaging and video. Shooting video is a new practice for many new action cam users, here are some tips for shooting video with GoPro cameras. 

Some of the GoPro video tips cover the different camera modes, other tips for shooting video will list some helpful GoPro HERO 8 accessories and a few methods and techniques that I have found useful for anyone shooting video for the first time. 

GoPro Video Modes

gopro video tips 1

photo byDavid Arment via iStock

A lot of vital extra instruction and GoPro video tips can be found on the GoPro community pages. This is a fantastic resource for beginners and experienced users alike, I wish more camera manufacturers had something like this. 

A few of the video modes of the GoPro HERO 8 are Quick Capture, Timelapse, and Video Presets. 

Quick Capture is the simplest mode there is. One press of the shutter button will power up the camera and start recording with whatever settings you last used. No lost footage of swiftly appearing video subjects, just pick up the camera and shoot. 

gopro video tips 2

photo byRene Jansen via iStock

Timelapse is a whole lot of fun for me. This allows you to capture a short video of things that may take a while to unfold. Some beautiful videos I’ve seen from others are of nature trails, sunrises and sunsets, and ocean views.  

The 4 preset video modes for the GoPro are Standard, which records 1080p at 60 fps with the lens in Wide. Activity, 2.7K at 60 fps with SuperView lens, an ultra wide view. Cinematic, the highest quality mode with 4K at 30 fps and the Linear lens. Finally Slo-Mo, 1080p at 240 fps which captures motion 8 times slower.

Even though there is  mode labeled Standard, I find myself using Activity and Cinematic most often. Activity because it gives the GoPro look and ultra wide SuperView lens. Cinematic because it provides the absolute best quality video available. 

 

Recommended Videography Reading:

 

Keep It Steady 

shooting video 3

photo by swissmediavision via iStock 

Let me be perfectly honest here. Even though the GoPro HERO 8 is an action cam, and is designed to be used in motion, shaky camera footage will take me right out of viewing a video, even my own videos.

You can capture motion smoothly, without that shakiness in so many videos. Camera mounts are the key. Here are two I found useful.

OctoPad Camera and Accessory Mount

OctoPad

One of the most useful and inexpensive camera accessories for shooting video with GoPro I have is the OctoPad Camera and Accessory Mount. It is a weighted semi rigid pad with a non-slip bottom and an accessory mount on top. I usually use mine with a small ball and socket head, an articulated arm is another idea.

The mount simply sits where you place it. No suction cups, no clamps, no extending legs. It stays put on surfaces of many types and at angles of up to 45 degrees. You can use it to hold the camera, a microphone, or video lighting. 

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HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount

HandlePod 3 Axis Action Cam Mount

Sometimes shooting video, you just have to hold the camera in your hands. The HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount can be used in a variety of ways but I like it as a hand grip.

The GoPro cameras and other action cams are small and kind of oddly shaped compared to our regular cameras such as a DSLR or mirrorless camera. This makes them a little difficult to hold in our hands.

One of the configurations for the HandlePod is similar to a pistol grip, so this puts the camera and us in a very comfortable position to hand hold. 

Light It Up

Litra Torch 2.0

A primary consideration for any video production, regardless of camera, is exposure and lighting. For a good looking GoPro video, you will do the same as you would for another video you shoot. Sometimes that will mean adding a video light. 

Since the GoPro is portable and versatile, you want a lamp with similar characteristics. Litra makes a portable, battery powered, rugged LED video light that fits those requirements. The Litra Torch 2.0 is also very small and lightweight, another plus for pairing with your GoPro HERO 8 accessories.

Other GoPro Video Tips

shooting video with gopro 4

photo by lzf via iStock 

Shooting video with a GoPro action cam will open up your creative thoughts. That will result in videos that viewers will enjoy. They will want to see more from you, so you might want to think about creating your own YouTube channel. 

Basic video production methods and ideas will work with your GoPro camera. You will want to compose your videos in a way that is viewable. Since shooting video with GoPro cameras already gives you awesome features such as SuperView, use that to your advantage.

The Cinematic mode is super high quality. Use it as your prime footage or add it to your video from other cameras as B-Roll footage. You can even shoot your B-Roll at the same time you're filming A-Roll. 

A tried and true method that really makes for good videos whether or not you’re adding in B-Roll is storyboarding. A storyboard is an outline, more or less, of what you’re going to shoot and in what order you will be shooting video. 

shooting video with gopro 5

photo by smolaw11 via iStock 

In your storyboard, plan out all your shots, close ups, establishing shots, A-Roll and B-Roll, so that when it’s time to start actually shooting video, you can do so efficiently. This will also save you time when it’s time for editing.

Keep Your GoPro Ready All The Time

gopro hero 8 accessories 6

photo by DaveLongMedia via iStock 

A great feature of the GoPro cameras and the GoPro HERO 8 accessories is that they are small and simple. They can be ready to shoot in a moment, and that video is very high quality. 

Keep your GoPro and the accessories charged up, with media ready to record, and you will be shooting video that others will want to see again and again. 

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Simple Landscape Photography Tips For Beginners

Simple Landscape Photography Tips

 photo byCornelia Pithart via iStock

Simple landscape photography is one of the more rewarding of all of the photographic genres. 

The world around us is full of beautiful and interesting things, using simple landscape photography tips lets us capture that and share it with others.

Here are some of my favorite tips to use.

Where to Shoot

landscape photography tips

 photo bySmileus via iStock

What is landscape photography? Perhaps a good answer for simple landscape photography is that it is capturing views of the scenery around you. I tend to use this as a description of simple landscape photography because it encompasses a lot of areas. 

Beautiful landscape photography can be taken in your own backyard or neighborhood, in a place far away from any human encroachment, or anywhere in between these two extremes. The common denominator can simply be that it has interest. 

Man-made areas and objects can still count, by the way. A terraced garden, a city park, a tree-lined street, all of these have a natural element involved and any of them can be used as simple landscape photography ideas of where to shoot.

Once you decide on an area that has potential, it can often be just a matter of choosing a good spot a couple of feet away from where you first thought to make the difference between a nice landscape shot and truly beautiful landscape photography. Like Ansel Adams said: “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.”

What Lens to Use

where to focus in landscape photography

 photo byRon and Patty Thomas via iStock

How many lenses do you have? I’ll let you in on a secret, you can make awesome landscape images with whatever lens you have.  

We may think that only an ultra-wide-angle lens qualifies as a landscape lens, but a normal lens, a telephoto lens, the kit lens that came with the camera, are all usable options for simple landscape photography.

Sometimes, knowing where to focus in landscape photography is more important than the actual lens focal length, though it all is part of the equation of what makes a good landscape photo. Lens focal length, aperture, where to point the camera, how to compensate, are some of the many variables.

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How to Set Up

landscape photography

 photo byBulgac via iStock

You have the lens you want to use on your camera and you’re in a good spot at an interesting site, now you get the gear set up. 

Simple landscape photography can get complicated very quickly, so whatever we can do to ease up our workflow could really help to get us back to simple landscape photography. If we’re going to make use of small lens apertures for deep depth of field, an easy method to steady the camera will be appreciated.

A tripod sometimes seems too cumbersome to carry, so a nice tripod alternative such as the OctoPad Camera Mount can come in handy. Small, lightweight, and inexpensive, the OctoPad and other tripod alternatives can be a part of our regular outdoor photography gear bag.

We could also talk about using filters and spot meters but we’re considering basic and simple landscape photography right now, so we’ll leave those excellent tool choices to the many other articles we have on those subjects.

Automatic or Manual?

what is landscape photography

 photo byrusm via iStock

Here is an important question that beginners in simple landscape photography want to have answered, should you shoot in manual or can automation be a valid choice. 

Modern digital cameras with evaluative metering are extremely capable photography tools. The technology is really quite good. Still, there are some aspects of simple landscape photography that it may be better to control for ourselves.

Just as we wouldn’t want a robotic AI to control where we put our camera or what subject to capture, we also don’t necessarily want our camera to decide on some focus or exposure settings that can have a large impact on our image.

If we are opting for a selective focus technique or deep depth of field, the lens aperture should be firmly in our control. Using aperture priority automation is an option, as is complete manual exposure control. We also want to use an ISO and camera file type that will provide the image quality we desire. 

Autofocus is excellent in modern digital cameras, but manual focus control can actually be a better method for simple landscape photography, especially if we’re opting for those depth of field controls mentioned earlier.

After the Shot

beautiful landscape photography

 photo byjohnandersonphoto via iStock

What happens after the shot is taken is just as vital for simple landscape photography as all of the other things we do to take the image in the first place. A simple post-processing program can be as easy to learn as using our camera.

Many cameras come with a basic program for handling images on a computer, or you can subscribe to several different brands of programs with all sorts of capabilities. Even the full-featured programs have basic modes that can contribute to our simple landscape photography efforts. 

Simple landscape photography is within the reach of any photographer. If you are an absolute beginner or very advanced, with any type of quality camera gear, use these simple landscape photography tips for pleasing and fulfilling results.

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Simple Tips for Taking Photos With a GoPro Hero 10

Simple Tips for Taking Photos With a GoPro Hero 10

Action, sports, and outdoors enthusiasts among photographers are enjoying the GoPro Hero 10 Black with it’s super high res 5.3K video and 23MP still photos. Action cams are already a fantastic camera, adding the increased resolution to the GoPro Hero 10 simply makes it better.

We have found some good tips for taking photos with a GoPro, specifically the GoPro Hero 10 but also including general GoPro photography tips and basic ideas for how to take photos with a GoPro action cam.

Mount the Camera

tips for taking photos with a gopro

Our GoPro photo tips will primarily focus on how to handle the camera, what kinds of mounts to use for holding the camera. 

I separate GoPro camera mounts into two general categories, mounts for using it hand held and mounts for using it remotely. By remotely, I mean it can still be close to you, but you’re not holding it in your hands. 

So mounting it to your dog and to your own helmet as you're wearing it counts as remote for my definitions. To further confuse things, some camera mounts for remote placement can also be used as a handheld platform.

Hand Grips

gopro photo tips

One of the most basic types of mounts for using your GoPro camera is the handgrip. A hand grip gives you something to grab hold of instead of the camera itself. Which is really needed in a lot of situations primarily because actions cam in general are small.

Not just small, but a small rectangle or square, so finding a way to comfortably hold as you actually take pictures might be problematic as you’re engaged in the action you’re filming. A grip gives you a large surface to hold and helps put the camera in a position where you could plan on using GoPro photography composition tips. 

Some hand grips convert to a small footprint tripod and some can function as a floatation device for the action cam attached to it.

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Helmet Mounts and Body Harnesses

how to take photos with a gopro

Some very interesting points of view can be found by attaching your GoPro to your helmet or by strapping it to your arm, leg, or chest whale engaged in your activity.

With the camera   attached to your head or chest, you can fairly easily use your GoPro photography composition tips in order to capture interesting still images and video footage. You may not be looking through a viewfinder or on a viewscreen, but you can have a rough idea of what you’re capturing.

OctoPad Camera Mount

gopro photography tips

One of the best solutions for how to manage and use your GoPro photography composition tips is to use a versatile camera mount for positioning your camera just about anywhere. Instead of dragging around a tripod that would dwarf your GoPro Hero 10, OctoPad camera mount is a great tripod alternative.

There are some camera mounts that are suction cups, clamps, or spikes, which all work well, but what makes OctoPad such a good alternative is its design. It’s a semi-rigid disc of very heavy duty material with a non-slip pad underneath and a tripod screw on top.

The semi-rigid part is an interesting aspect of the design. It can actually conform a little bit of its shape to whatever it’s resting on. The surface you place it on doesn’t have to be flat or even. In fact, with its non-slip pad on the bottom, you can put it on a surface that has an angle of up to 45 degrees.

That makes it a good tool for holding the GoPro on all sorts of objects outside. A rock fence, a tree stump, an abandoned car’s hood, a really big rock, and many other surfaces we can find will make a good spot to mount the camera. 

Other Tips

gopro photography composition tips

Some other tips for taking photos with a GoPro camera of any style is to be very familiar with the features and modes of the camera. In addition to the increased resolution offered by the GoPro Hero 10, it has great features such as hindsight, live burst, and HyperSmooth 4.0 image stabilization that is extremely versatile.

Action cams are awesome photo and video tools, the GoPro Hero 10 Black and a few extra accessories is one of the most capable action cams to be released to date.

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The Beauty of Macro Photography: A Closer Look at the World's Tiniest Wonders

The Beauty of Macro Photography A Closer Look at the Worlds Tiniest Wonders

Photo by Valengilda via iStock

As a landscape and nature photographer, I love macro photography. Seeing the tiniest bit of a macro photography flower projected as a large print or filling a computer screen is a great reward for trying macro photography. 

There’s a lot going on when we’re doing macro photography. There’s the equipment, such as a macro photography lens, a tripod or alternative camera mount, and perhaps some lighting control. 

And the calculations are going on, figuring exposure or exposure modes and compensation, setting the focus, and using depth of field properly.

Then there’s also the thought of ‘How am I thinking of displaying this macro photography image?’ Will it be a large metal or acrylic print to wow the viewers? Am I illustrating an eBook or an online article?  

I have five worthwhile tips on different aspects of the macro photography puzzle to help you make the most of capturing those amazing macro photography images for your own art.

Table of Contents:

What Is Macro Photography?

What Is Macro Photography

Photo by ithinksky via iStock

Macro Photography is more than simply getting close to the subject matter, though it is a big part. It’s extreme close-up photography where the subject's size in the final display medium exceeds life size.

Life-size in macro photography is used as a representation of how close focusing is used. If a macro photography lens is labeled as reproducing Life Size (1:1) or Half-Life Size (1:2) in its macro capability, that means that the subject will be captured on the film or sensor as a 1-to-1 ratio (1:1) or 1-to-2 ratio (1:2) of its actual size.

In real-world words, if I’m photographing a ½” bug as 1:1, then the bug image on my sensor will take up ½”. With a 1:2 ratio, that bug is ¼” on my sensor. Some macro photography lenses can reproduce greater than life size, such as 2:1 (1” bug on the sensor) or more.

But that’s only the size it is on my camera’s sensor (or film frame if shooting analog). Once I enlarge the image file, that bug is bigger. For a Full Frame sensor image file, if I make an 8X10” print, that bug is now bigger than life. It measures 4 inches on the 8X10 print. Make bigger prints or view on a larger monitor, and things get interesting quickly!

That’s why macro photography is so fun and amazing. By the way, it doesn’t have to be a bug or a flower part. Lots of natural and man-made objects make interesting macro photography subjects.

Macro Photography Tip #1: Focus is Key

Macro Photography Tip 1 Focus is Key

Photo by Thomas Vogel via iStock

Among the most vital components of creating good macro photography is proper focus. A rule of how optics work in photography is that the closer we are to our subject, the less depth of field there is at any given aperture. In other words, less is in focus in front of or behind what our actual focus plane is.

Adding to the issues confronting us when doing macro photography is that lens aberrations are also increased. For many lenses, this ultra close focusing emphasizes a common optical characteristic of photographic lenses, curvature of field.  

Lens elements curve the plane of focus by a tiny bit. In normal distances, this curvature is well within the generous depth of focus. As you focus closer, however, this curve can sometimes affect the image. The depth of focus at super near focusing distances isn’t enough to cover the focus plane curve. 

We can use that to our advantage with macro photography of some subjects such as that friendly bug or a flower part, concentrating on focusing on the desired part of the subject, letting the rest of the focus plane work as a part of selective focus. 

Our regular lenses probably won’t focus close enough, so adding extension tubes or diopters (close up filters) is how we get close enough. If that focus plane curve is well corrected, we could use our lens to capture images that are flat, 2-dimensional.

That’s the advantage of using a macro photography lens. Not only do they have the mechanical means to focus super close, but they are also corrected for “flat field." A flat field macro lens can actually be used for copying documents, stamps, art, and so forth.

Macro Photography Tip #2: Steady the Camera

Macro Photography Tip 2 Steady the Camera

Photo by DieterMeryl via iStock

Focus plane curvature isn’t the only thing greatly magnified when narrowing in; so is vibration and camera shake. It seems that no matter how hard I try to implement my tried and true handheld techniques when doing macro photography, it just isn’t enough.

We need to mount our camera on a tripod or a tripod alternative. I often bring up the alternative to tripods with macro photography because sometimes my regular tripod is too much. I have found Octopad camera mount to be a great tool for steadiness in macro photography.

Octopad

It’s more compact than a travel tripod and steadier than a monopod or my own well-practiced stance. Octopad is a compact, flat disk of heavy-duty, weighted material with a ball head attached to the top. Underneath is a non-slip pad that allows your camera to be placed on the uneven surfaces we may find ourselves in, even if that surface is angled up to 45 degrees. 

Keeping the camera and macro photography lens rig still also helps in focusing. I can use a slower shutter speed and a smaller lens aperture for more depth of field. And it’s much simpler to make some of the focus ring micro adjustments I find myself doing when the camera and lens are secured in place.

Macro Photography Tip #3: Lighting Enhances Things

Macro Photography Tip 3 Lighting Enhances Things

Photo by nantonov via iStock

A lot of the time, I’m engaging in macro photography. I’m in the great outdoors, away from controlled auxiliary lights. Still, I want the image to be the best I can create, so I use light modifiers more than anything else.

A flashgun could be used sometimes, but we’re often too close. The camera and lens will partially block the built-in flash, and an off-camera flash calls into play using a hand that is tied up with holding and adjusting my camera.

I have found several options that fix these issues. A foldable reflector can be placed or propped up in the right spot to reject a small amount of light where I need it. Bonus tip: that reflector is the perfect portable background for a lot of nature-based macro photography.

I regularly use two more things in the field and closer to home or studio: a flash or an LED light. But I just got through complaining about holding a flash! Here’s the trick - I’m not holding it. My tripod, small light stand, or Octopad is holding it.

Same with the small, portable, battery-powered LED lights I love so much. Put it on my stand or alternative mount and point it exactly where the light falls. TTL flash control can be remote on a couple of my cameras. With an LED light, I can vary the power level for my exposure and also adjust color temperature.  

Macro Photography Tip #4: Exposure Tricks

Macro Photography Tip 4 Exposure Tricks

Photo by LdF via iStock

Well, not really tricks as such… more like using our basic photography skills to enhance our macro photography. The Exposure Triangle is king when I’m having fun with macro. Since my camera is likely already well-supported, and I have some lighting issues at least a little bit under control, I can play with the triangle.

A longer shutter speed requires a smaller aperture for correct exposure with any given light value. Since I'm not worried about camera shake, I can stop my lens down. In macro photography, every bit of extra focus depth can often be handy.

A handheld light meter can also be a great aid for macro photography. Here’s a nice video on some basic metering tips from Robert Machado:

Instead of relying on the built-in meter reading reflected light, I can hold a meter up to my subject and read the light falling on it. This is called incident meter reading, using that little dome cover with our meter pointed back at the camera. For macro photography, I find this method is sometimes best.

Macro Photography Tip #5: Post-Processing Punches It Up

Macro Photography Tip 5 Post Processing Punches It Up

Photo by lirtlon via iStock

Post-processing these files is the penultimate step of my macro photography. (The final step is printing it or displaying it somewhere.)

With many post-processing programs, the backgrounds can be minimized with different tools to make the macro photography subject stand out even more. One nifty trick I enjoy is selective color. Simply dial down the color or desaturate whatever isn’t the main subject, making that bug stand out even more by being in vivid color while everything else is closer to monochromatic.

Post-processing can also enhance the difference between in-focus and out-of-focus parts of the picture. Another great tool is noise reduction for less visual distraction, making the image POP even more, thus further enhancing your macro photography.  

Macro Photography Wrap Up

Macro Photography Wrap Up

Photo by Mordolff via iStock 

Almost any camera and lens combination is capable of macro photography; hey, my iPhone does it! Using a macro photography lens, keeping things steady, controlling light and exposure, and post-processing judiciously will let your macro photography images grab attention. 

Take those small things, whether it’s a bug, flower, computer chip, or something else, and put them on center stage with great macro photography techniques.

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The Best Intermediate Photography Gear

The Best Intermediate Photography Gear

Photo by Frankhuang via iStock

Are you thinking about moving up from entry-level photography to something more advanced? You’ve come to the right place! Intermediate photography and intermediate photography gear are options available to you.

Or maybe you were involved in film photography, and now you want to get into digital photography with a more capable camera than entry-level since you are already an experienced photographer. You could also be a serious smartphone or small camera photographer desiring more features, lenses, and capabilities.

Whatever the reason you’re considering intermediate photography gear, I have some ideas that can benefit your move, including investing in pre-owned gear from a trusted online platform like MPB. Buying new-to-you gear allows you to enhance your kit without blowing your budget.

Let’s get to it!

Table of Contents:

What is Intermediate Photography Gear?

What is Intermediate Photography Gear

Photo by Pheelings Media via iStock

The answer to what is intermediate photography gear is tied in with the question of what makes a person an intermediate photographer…

An intermediate photographer definitely knows what they’re doing photographically. This photographer is comfortable with learning new things and pushing themselves for improvement.

Making it personal, the intermediate photography gear you might want should allow you to grow, try new things, and break out of the basics of photography. This generally means that you will start to see limitations in cameras and other equipment meant for beginners. At the same time, professional photography gear may still be somewhat out of reach, for whatever reason.

What is Intermediate Photography Gear 2

Photo by ArisSu via iStock

Another term I like to use for describing a person who can benefit from intermediate photography gear is “photography enthusiast.”

Does that describe you?

If so, the type of cameras and lenses you enjoy will have more advanced features than entry-level gear, be made a little more rugged, and the lenses you lean towards will be faster, sharper, or have more range.

What is Intermediate Photography Gear 3

Photo by structuresxx via iStock

The accessories for intermediate photography gear are also a step up from the things found in entry-level kits. You want better options, more usefulness, and even more comfort since you’re using your camera more often. 

Lastly, as an intermediate photographer or a photo enthusiast, you’re comfortable sharing what you've captured and created, so you may be more likely to display your photo art in your home or office as enlargements or specialty prints. 

You might also easily transition into some paid photography gigs, so you may want more options for fulfilling your client orders. You want the prints you’ve made to do your excellent photography justice, so searching for a good printing company takes on added importance.

Intermediate Photography Gear - Camera and Lens

Intermediate Photography Gear Camera and Lens

What type of camera and lens qualifies as intermediate photography gear is a very mixed bag of possibilities. 

Some intermediate-level photographers are happy with an entry-level camera in a crop format or Full Frame. I have used entry-level cameras and kit lenses in many situations and never found them lacking in the quality of images. It’s some of those special features like bracketing or having an extra amount of ruggedness to the build that pushes me toward intermediate, prosumer, or pro cameras.

Many of the camera makers have kind of blurred the lines lately in what may be considered intermediate, prosumer, or pro. Considering the formats as well - Micro 4/3rds (MFT), APS-C, and Full Frame - are all viable contenders. The same goes for mirrorless cameras vs DSLRs for intermediate photography gear.

Canon EOS RP

A fine example of a Full Frame camera that could be your next intermediate-level camera is the Canon EOS RP with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM all-around zoom lens. You might also upgrade from the basic kit lens to something like the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM or Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM zoom lenses, both of which are the higher grade L-Series lenses. 

It’s a Full Frame format camera with a 26.2MP sensor, articulating LCD screen, and an eye-level viewfinder. It has 4779 AF points and can record in 4K video as well.

The three lenses listed above are complemented by a full range of Canon RF lenses in focal lengths from 5.2mm to 1200mm, primes and zooms, including some with f/1.2 maximum apertures!

Canon RF 24 105mm

I also like to recommend purchasing pre-owned intermediate photography gear from the online retailer MPB to gain a price advantage on upgrading your gear.

MPB specializes in high-quality used photography equipment and adds the advantage of offering thoroughly inspected items with clear and accurate condition descriptions. You also get a six-month warranty and seven-day return/exchange period on most of what they sell. 

Check them out! They can save your budget quite a bit of money on cameras and lenses that are still in current lineups, recently discontinued items, and they have an abundance of intermediate photography gear from all the major brands in stock right now. 

If you want entry-level, prosumer, or full-fledged professional gear, MPB has that too.

Learn More:

Accessories as Intermediate Photography Gear

Accessories as Intermediate Photography Gear

Two items I love to recommend as upgrades from a basic kit to intermediate photography gear are a versatile camera mount and a better strap option. I’ll list each below, along with where you can get them. 

From the “We have everything” online retail website Amazon, the Octopad Universal Camera Mount is one of the most capable items of intermediate photography gear around. All levels of photographers and videographers can make good use of this camera mount. 

octopad

Octopad is a small weighted disk with a ball mount on top and a non-slip pad underneath. It can be placed on virtually any surface, including those angled up to 45 degrees.

It holds a good amount of weight very securely and is inexpensive enough to keep several on hand for adding lights or mics, in addition to holding your camera rig stable and motionless.

Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo

From HoldFast Gear comes the Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo camera strap.

Replace that thin, uncomfortable strap that came with your camera with something that really works! The Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo is extremely comfortable, holds your camera securely, provides instant access for taking photos, and is good-looking to boot.

While you’re browsing HoldFast Gear, check out their amazing line up of practical as well as beautiful leather bags, lens quivers, and other specialty items you can use as intermediate photography gear that can give you an edge up in convenience, protection, and practicality.

Get the Most from Your Intermediate Photography Gear

Artbeat Studios 1

After all of your improvement as a photographer, it makes perfect sense to show off your images to others, or perhaps to consider starting in some form of paid photography, either as a part-time event, portrait, or real estate photographer or by selling physical prints and enlargements of your photos.

You want to do your fine images justice, so choosing a high-quality photographic printing company is a top priority. You also want the most value for your money, so finding a printing company that is reasonably priced and provides excellent work is another priority.

Artbeat Studios 2

Artbeat Studios fits all those criteria, offering a huge array of options for displaying your photo art.

They make very high quality (professional quality actually) paper prints that can be mounted and framed or put into photo albums such as a wedding album or a model’s portfolio. Some of the other processes they offer are Metal Prints, Canvas Wraps, and Acrylic Prints.

The Next Steps

intermediate photography gear

Photo by ferrerivideo via iStock 

The next steps are to use your intermediate photography gear in a way that improves your photography. What good is it to have more advanced camera and lens capabilities but not know why, how, and when to use them? 

We have several photography courses right here at Photography Talk. Plus a forum to trade ideas and knowledge with other like-minded photographers that can help you take your best shot!

Other Recommended Photography Gear

Learn More:



We Recommend


The Best of 2019

best of 2019Photo by Lyndon Stratford via iStock

As we near the end of 2019 (and the decade!), it's a prime time to look back on the year in photography.

It's been a crazy year with so many incredible innovations happening. I say that every year, but every year it's the truth!

When I think about the best photography gear, gadgets, products, and services, I think about things that are functional, easy to use, and innovative.

The list I've compiled below is full of products that tick these boxes...

Each item I've included on my Best of 2019 list is something that I have at the very least thoroughly tested or that I own.

With that said, here's a few items that blew me away in 2019.

Argraph Marumi M100 Filter System

marumi m100 holder

One of the hallmarks of the companies featured on this list is that they have all innovated the photography industry in some way.

For Marumi, their claim to fame isn’t just crafting some of the best filter systems available today, but creating filter systems that streamline your workflow in the field.

Marumi’s Magnetic M100 Filter Holder and their line of magnetic filters are just what the doctor ordered for photographers that are sick of sliding filters in and out of their holders.

The M100 filter holder sports a slim 10mm design with strong magnetic attachments that hold the filter in place. The foam gaskets on the filter holder ensure that there are no light leaks to ruin your photos.

marumi circular polarizer

If using a circular polarizer, it rotates independently in the filter holder and features water and oil-repellent coatings on both sides that minimizes clean up.

The filter also has anti-static-anti-scratch, and anti-reflection properties that ensure you have the ideal shooting experience.

marumi soft ND

The other magnetic filters in Marumi’s lineup have the same features, including their graduated ND filters and solid ND Filters.

The graduated ND filters include hard-edge, soft-edge (as shown above), and reverse grads for photographing landscapes with a definite horizon, a variable horizon, and at sunrise and sunset, respectively.

marumi solid nd

Of course, there are also many different solid ND filters available from 2-stops all the way up to 15-stops.

Like the other Marumi filters mentioned above, these ND filters are made of durable Schott 5270 glass that offers high-definition results.

When photographing landscapes, the quality of light can change from one second to the next. That’s why this magnetic system is so compelling - by reducing the time spent swapping out filters, you can spend more time photographing the beauty before you! 

Ikan E-Image Horizon One 3-Axis Gimbal

best photography products 2019

One of the most pleasant surprises for me this year was just how good the Ikan E-Image Horizon One 3-Axis Gimbal really is.

I use this rig with my Nikon Z7, and it absolutely rocks it in terms of helping me get ultra-smooth, cinematic-looking video.

This gimbal is extremely well built and feels solid and supremely sturdy in your hand.

Granted, my setup doesn't come close to meeting this gimbal's eight-pound load capacity, but I'm sure it could perform just as well if I used a heavier camera and lens package.

top photography products of 2019

The Horizon One has brushless motors that give you ultra-precise stabilization, and with the 12-hour runtime, you can shoot all day long without stopping to recharge the gimbal.

Built into the unit are five operational modes, including my personal favorite, "Dream Follow," which gives you 360-degree spin on the roll axis.

I can't even tell you how many gimbals I've tested and owned over the years - maybe more than a dozen!

And this rig is by far one of the very best.

It's impeccably built, full of features, and easy to use. If that doesn't say "Best of 2019," I don't know what does.

Ikan Onyx Digital Color LED Panel Light 

ikan onyx 1

I know what you're thinking...

How can a light be part of the Best of 2019?

Well, as you know, photography is all about great light, and the Ikan Onyx Digital Color Light definitely delivers on that front.

What I've found so impressive with this light is that it has RGB, white, and amber LEDs. And with five color modes, you can use this thing for just about any kind of photo shoot or video shoot.

In fact, in RGB mode, this light gives you independent control over the red, green, and blue LEDs, which means you can literally create millions of different colors to suit your needs and tastes.

Meanwhile, the amber and white LEDs give photographers the option of recreating daylight or tungsten light with incredible accuracy.

This light even has a CCT mode that offers an adjustable color temperature from 2800K up to 10,000K. You simply don't find that kind of range in most lights!

On top of that, the Onyx has a Hue Shift feature of green and magenta lights, giving you yet another option for exerting pinpoint control over the kind of light you have available to you.

ikan onyx 2

Ikan also stuffed the Onyx with eight special effects - like police lights and candle flames - as well as 33 different gels to give you even further light customization possibilities.

Heck, there's even a built-in 1/2-stop diffuser!

This is one of the best lights I've used this year, and the data backs it up - it has a CRI-TLCI rating of 95, so you know that the light it emits is clean and beautiful.

In my opinion, you just won't find a better light, which is why I've included it in my Best of 2019 list.

Exposure Software

I've been a fan of Exposure Software for a long time, and it just keeps getting better and better with more and more tools available that make editing photos a simpler, more streamlined process.

The latest version of Exposure - Exposure X5 - is brimming with innovative and easy-to-use features.

There's a huge collection of "Looks," which give you the power to change the appearance of the image with a simple click.

You can make selective presets too, that way the edits you want to apply only apply to specific areas of the image.

Exposure has all the basic editing tools you could want as well, including nondestructive layers, linear and radial gradients, a brush tool, overlays, creative focus, and more.

In addition to all that, Exposure is also a complete photo manager.

You can apply camera profiles and presets, migrate collections over from Lightroom, use keywords to manage and organize your images, and review images side-by-side for easy comparison.

Exposure also enables you to create smart collections of photos - just add specific criteria you want for the collection (i.e., rating, color label, flag, camera data, f-stop, and so forth) and Exposure will populate the collection for you.

Nice, right?!

 

One of my favorite features, though, is the 3D color masking tool in Exposure.

Basically, this tool gives you precise control over where an adjustment is applied in the shot. This is thanks to the range of definitions that Exposure uses to define adjustment areas, such as saturation, hue, and luminance.

Because you can target colors of a specific hue, for example, you can apply adjustments to specific areas of the shot, like the sky or to skin tones. You can do all this with just a few clicks, too!

From the intuitive user interface to the powerful editing tools to the suite of support features that help make your workflow smoother, Exposure has everything you need to create your best images. They even offer a free trial to give it a test drive!

Syrp

It's been a great year for Syrp...

They unveiled the Syrp Genie Mini II Linear this time last year to much fanfare.

If you're unfamiliar with this thing, the Genie Mini II Linear is incredibly portable and gives you the option to add motion control to your timelapse and films without lugging around a big, heavy piece of kit.

It can attach to any slider on the market and even cable cam systems up to 328’ in length, so you can quickly and easily upgrade your ability to capture gorgeous timelapses and real-time video.

Additionally, the Genie II Linear is loaded up with features for key-framing, shooting interviews, b-roll and timelapse with future available features including live view, and camera control for ramping exposure, just to name a few. It’s wirelessly controllable as well, via an iOS or Android device.

At the same time, Syrp introduced the Genie II Pan Tilt, which gives you an ultra-portable camera motion control that you can carry in your backpack. 

You can use it with a tripod for ultra-precise pan and tilt motion control, or if you want three-axis, use it in conjunction with the Genie II Linear for the most powerful 3-axis device on the market.

Like the Genie II Linear, the Pan Tilt offers tons of functionality, including timelapse and real-time video capabilities, key-framing, and much more. With multi-row Panoramas, you can capture high resolution ‘gigapixel’ images and shoot Panoramas all controlled from the app itself.

It also has a built-in screen so you don’t have to use the app if you don’t need it and you want to pack light, not to mention a built-in joystick for quick setup and re-positioning from the device itself. Not bad, right?!

After that, Syrp brought us the Tilt Platform, which allows you to get perfectly level, vertical footage.

It couldn't be easier to use, either...

It requires no tools, has angle markings to help you dial in accurate adjustments, and it has a 3/8-16" - 1/4-20" UNC thread adapter in the base to expand its mounting options.

Just use the easy-adjustable knob to change the lever tension to secure your camera, and away you go!

You can position the Tilt Platform up to 180-degrees, it can be used with motion control or manual sliders, and it'll hold up to 13.2 pounds of gear.

syrp

And as if all that isn't enough, Syrp just released a new app feature available through the Syrp Genie II app - stop motion.

This mode allows you to create stop motion videos more precisely (and faster) than ever.

You can set up any desired movement using the app's keyframe editor, and you have complete control over the video's frame rate.

Once you have the motion set up, all you have to do is move the motion controller to each frame and trigger the camera's shutter.

Stop motion videos have never been so easy to make!

Excire 

excire header excire search 1024x576

Excire is an innovative product that I became familiar with last year, and I just have to continue singing its praises. 

For me, there isn’t much that I hate doing more than manually tagging my photos in Lightroom. That’s why there are thousands and thousands of images in my Lightroom catalogs that aren’t tagged at all. 

Until now… 

excire header product en

What’s so great about Excire’s products - Excire Search and Excire Search Pro - is that they utilize artificial intelligence to tag your Lightroom photos for you. 

Yeah...we’re living in the future, my friends! 

Excire Search has 125 common keywords that can be used for tagging your images, so every shot you have of a mountain or a bike or a dog will be organized and easily identified. 

Excire Search can obviously be used to search your images as well. Just use the plugin to find the images in your catalog that meet your criteria!

excire header contact en

Even better, Excire Search Pro offers over 500 keywords for tagging, so you have even more capability to organize and search your photos.

It includes a keyword transfer function, too, which means you can use Excire Search Pro on your existing catalogs. That means no more hunting around for the images you need, even if you have an enormous Lightroom catalog of tens of thousands of images.

In other words, Excire transfers the keywords it extracts to your Lightroom catalog, and then those keywords can be used in Lightroom as if you had manually entered them.

excire header home en

Needless to say, Excire Search is a fantastic tool for beginner and hobbyist photographers, and Excire Search Pro is a great option for serious photographers and professionals.

It's this kind of innovation I looked for when considering my Best of 2019 list!

PolarPro Summit Filters

summit

PolarPro has built a reputation over the years of developing well-built, high-performance products, and their newest filters are no exception.

The Summit filter system was specifically developed for the rough-and-tumble world of landscape photography.

These filters are built to withstand the rigors of shooting outdoors in harsh conditions while at the same time having a design that makes them incredibly easy to use.

polarpro summit 1

On the one hand, the ND and graduated ND filters have aluminum frames that both protect the filter and help minimize fingerprints getting on the filter glass.

So, not only do you get filters that are more durable, but you also won't spend as much time cleaning the filters to get rid of fingerprints. It's a win-win!

On the other hand, the filters and filter housing feature materials that ratchet up the build quality.

polarpro summit 2

For example, the filters are made of fused Quartz glass with 16 layers of coatings that improve color fidelity and clarity while reducing glare.

As another example, the filter frames are made of lightweight aluminum that helps cut weight in your pack while providing you strong durability for years to come.

Add in a user-friendly design, light-sealed slots, filter locks to lock down the filter position, and the ability to rotate the filter system 360 degrees, and you have the makings of the ideal landscape photography filter kit - one of the best of 2019, in fact!!

Wolverine Data F2D Titan

wolverine data 1

What’s so great about the Wolverine Data F2D Titan is that it’s an 8-in-1 rig. 

In addition to working with slides, 8mm movies, and Super 8 movies, the F2D Titan also works with 35mm, 110, 126, 127, and APS film.

It has a 20-megapixel sensor that turns your analog memories into high-definition digital files at up to 5472 x 3648 pixels.

The F2D Titan makes quick work of scanning, too. In just three seconds, the scan is complete thanks to its speed-load adapters that are perfectly sized to each format of slide or negative that you’re scanning.

wolverine data 2 

You can view the results of the scan on the onboard 4.3-inch color LCD. You can even fine-tune the brightness and color balance settings. If you prefer to see your newly digitized photos on a larger screen, simply connect the F2D Titan to a computer or a TV.

Saving the digitized images is a breeze, too. Just use its internal memory or add your own SD/SDHC memory card.

Better still, you don’t need a computer or external monitor or software of any kind, so this unit is totally self-contained. Just have a power source (via an AC outlet or USB) and you can digitize slides, film, and old movies anywhere you like.

If you’ve got a lot of old memories to digitize, there’s isn’t a better or faster way to do so than with this bad boy! It's simply the easiest, most functional film to digital scanner I've ever tested.

RODE Video Mics

top gifts for photographers under 100 rode videomicro

I have several RODE mics, including the tiny shotgun microphone shown above.

The RODE VideoMicro is compact and lightweight, which makes it a perfect pairing for my GoPro.

But don't think that because it's a tiny mic that audio quality is sacrificed. In fact, it has a high-quality cardioid condenser mic capsule so you can get clear, crisp audio.

It's shocking just how good this little guy performs!

Since it's a directional mic, it minimizes sounds from the periphery so your video has focused audio from the subject.

Add to that a thermoplastic suspension structure for minimizing vibrations as you adventure around with your GoPro, and you have the ideal audio companion for the best adventure camera on the market!

For more heavy-duty action, I have a RODE VideoMic Pro.

This shotgun-style mic has a 1/2-inch condenser capsule, which results in ultra-clean audio that's broadcast quality. We're talking about a self-noise level of just 14db!

It has a super-cardioid polar pattern that reduces background noise while ensuring that it captures crisp audio of the source you want to record.

And, unlike lesser microphones, the RODE VideoMic Pro has a Rycote Lyre shock system that creates a buffer between the microphone capsule and electronics and the microphone mount. This, in turn, minimizes the vibrations of the mic and improves the quality of the audio even more.

Add in fantastic sound, easy-to-reach controls, and intuitive operation, and you have the makings of the ideal microphone for filmmaking! 

Camera Canopy

camera canopy 1

I first learned about Camera Canopy last year, and I have to say that over the course of 2019 I've grown to appreciate this unique camera accessory more and more.

Photographers that spend any time outdoors understand that when it rains, it can really put a damper on their ability to get the photos they want. That’s because even weather-sealed gear isn’t completely water-tight.

And trying to manipulate camera controls with a traditional bag-like rain cover for a camera is a huge pain in the rear. That’s why Camera Canopy is a much better alternative.

Camera canopy attaches to a camera via its hot-shoe mount, and then acts like a roof to protect the camera and lens from rain. It even protects the from glass of the lens so there’s no water droplets messing up the shot.

Better still, it’s adjustable for lenses up to 500mm in length.

camera canopy 2

Camera Canopy also has a mirrorless camera version, so now that I've gone totally mirrorless, I can still enjoy the benefits of having my camera and lens protected by a Camera Canopy.

Just like its big brother, this mirrorless version is extremely easy to mount to your camera, simple to adjust for different lens lengths, and still provides you unfettered access to your camera's controls.

It's simply the best wet-weather camera accessory money can buy!

Hex Brand Ranger Sling Bag

hex ranger sling 1

I had an opportunity to head up to Los Angeles a while back and meet the masterminds behind HEX.

It was a fun time looking behind the curtain at their operation, plus I got to bring one of their Ranger Sling bags home to test out.

First impressions are good, to say the least! And that's coming from an admitted bag snob.

hex ranger sling 2

For instance, I check the stitching inside and out to see how well put together it is, and with this bag, it’s very well put together.

It’s part of thoughtful construction and design processes that make this bag one of the very best I've used this year.

One of the things I like most about the bag is the collapsible interior dividers - including the bottom divider. This gives you a bag that can not only be customized to your gear for each photoshoot, but you can also fold up or remove the dividers to allow the bag to be packed totally flat for travel inside another bag. 

Speaking of customizations, this bag has side adjustable load straps and adjustable bottom carry straps so you can carry even more gear when needed.

This bag is also packed full of pockets to help you keep track of your stuff. There’s a front access organizer for small items, a faux fur lined pocket on the front for your phone or a pair of shades, a faux fur lined pocket for your table, and multiple hidden velcro stash pockets. And the bag sits very well when worn. It’s comfortable and easy to access your gear and really hugs your body.

hex ranger sling 3

With genuine Cordura material and YKK zippers with metal pulls, this bag will stand up to use and abuse, too. And since it’s so compact (just 1.3 pounds and 14.5"L x 7.25"W x 4.75"H), you can rock it in the urban jungle without worrying that it’ll be knocking into people as you move from shot to shot.

Something that really stood out to me was that, although the bag is listed at 8 liters, there is no wasted or negative space. In fact, I easily transferred all the gear I would normally carry in my Peak Design 10L Sling into the HEX Ranger Sling. I have to say that I am a big fan of the efficient use of space in this bag and the collapsible potential of the HEX bag certainly gives it a leg up.

With eight liters of storage space, a streamlined design, and looks that don’t quit, this is definitely one of the best products I tested this year! 

TravelSchool.Info

best photography giftsPhoto by anyaberkut via iStock

This entry on my Best of 2019 list is a little different from the rest...

Rather than a camera accessory or some kind of service you use to take better photos, TravelSchool.Info makes it on this list because of its innovative approach to education and furthering your ability to make money.

TravelSchool.Info enables you to learn how to harness the power of affiliate marketing all the while traveling the world. Sounds nice, right?

By teaching you how to create multiple revenue streams from affiliate marketing, TravelSchool enables you to earn active and passive income that frees up your time to pursue things that are more fun than working!

Travel School is a comprehensive training program for starting an independent affiliate marketing business. It will take you step-by-step through the process of building a business that is not only wildly successful in the short-term, but can sustain steady growth for the long-term too.

travel school

Travel School founder Emilian travels the world with his furry friend, Divak, and is eager to share his knowledge and experience with you and help you build a successful affiliate marketing business that will allow you to quit your traditional job and travel the world like you want!

But Travel School isn’t just a step-by-step training program. Instead, it will change your outlook on what it means to work, and at the same time will be a transformational experience that will change their entire life for the better.

With specific, actionable steps, you will learn how to connect with established brands, develop core marketing skills, and activate multiple income streams to realize their dream of living a life full of travel and freedom.

Not only does Travel School aid in leveraging the credibility of amazing companies, but they will also offer weekly private webinars to keep your loved one motivated and on track toward accomplishing their goals.

Additionally, all training sessions are recorded and available at any time, that way if questions come up down the road or a little extra motivation is needed, the lessons can be easily accessed. There are opportunities to learn and collaborate with other students too!

It’s not often that you have the opportunity to learn how to live a life with more freedom, but in this case, Travel School is does just that!

Octopus.Camera OctoPad

octopad 1

I’m a gear head and I buy and test all kinds of stuff - cameras, lenses, tripods, lights...you name it!

But one of the most pleasant surprises I had this year was the Octopus.Camera OctoPad.

I know what you’re thinking...how can a little weighted support system be all that innovative? Trust me when I say that OctoPad certainly is!

octopad

For starters, OctoPad is a much better alternative than suction cup mounts or even mini tripods because it actually stays put.

The weighted anti-slip mat keeps the OctoPad right where you want it, even if it’s on a smooth or uneven surface.

Additionally, OctoPad has a built-in 1/4-20 threaded male bolt for attaching any number of accessories like a microphone or a light. The included ball head also has a 1/4-20 threaded male bolt for accessory attachment.

octopad 3

That means that this little guy is a great option for supporting a compact camera or a smartphone, a GoPro, a microphone, or a light. Plus, it can be used for photo or video work, giving you even more versatility.

It’s easy to use and transport too - there’s a built-in grommet for attaching a lanyard and a cable strap to tuck cables out of the way of your shots.

This is just a well designed product that offers a ton of benefits for photographers and videographers alike. And the best part? It’s priced at just $26.95!

Snaptiles

snap tiles 1

One of the most innovative products I encountered this year is Snaptiles.

These ingenious patented magnetic photo tile system takes all the fuss and muss out of displaying your photos.

If you want to create a mixed tile array, you can do so in a matter of seconds thanks to the easy mounting system that Snaptiles employs.

All you do is attach the mounting bracket to the wall using four adhesive strips. Make sure to press down firmly for 10 seconds so that it holds tight to the wall. You can snap up to 12 photo tiles onto the first anchor tile. If you really want to have some fun push in the 4 included thumbtacks for additional support. You can then snap up to 30 Snaptiles to the anchor! Not a bad tradeoff for 4 small pin holes if you ask me.

snaptiles how they work

Next, you mount the anchor tile to the wall mount by snapping it into place.

Then, you can add any number of additional photo tiles, which connect together using rare earth magnets. And that’s it!

Now instead of having to put nails in the wall to hang additional photos, you can simply order 4 photo tiles from Snaptiles, add them to your array of mixed tiles, and enjoy your favorite photo (along with all your other favorites in the display).

snaptiles how theyre made

These tiles are super lightweight so if they fall they won’t break. They are printed onto a premium SBS Acid-Free paperboard using the same printing technology as high-quality photo books. Likewise, the UV protective lamination ensures that the images don’t lose their color over time.

Snaptiles has a unique ability to let you display your photos in a creative and ever-changing way. When it comes to hanging art and your favorite images, being able to swap them out quickly and easily is a huge bonus.

Best of all, four tiles are just $59 with Free Shipping, so you can enjoy four of your favorite images without breaking the bank.

What’s not to like about that?!

Westcott Rapid Box Octa

westcott top 12 last minute 1

As photographers, we all know the value of good light for creating compelling photos. And when it comes to modifying light to get the precise look you want, Westcott should be your source.

After all, Westcott has been in this business since 1899, so they know exactly what they’re doing.

In fact, Wescott holds 12 patents and has a product line of more than 600 products, so they’re much more than umbrellas and lights - they’re the go-to for all manner of durable, high-end lighting gear.

westcott best of 2019 module 2

It would be impossible to expound upon Westcott’s vast array of products, so I’ll illustrate why they’re included on my list of the Best of 2019 by using their Rapid Box Octas as examples.

I know you’re probably thinking, “Aren’t all softboxes the same?” Well, no, my friend, they aren’t!

Westcott’s Rapid Box Octa, which come in small (26-inch), medium (36-inch), and large (48-inch) versions, are the ideal softbox for modifying speedlites.

westcott best of 2019 module 3

For starters, these things are supremely easy to set up - you can have them ready to go in a matter of seconds, so there’s no long, drawn-out procedure for getting your gear ready for the shoot.

They’re easy to transport as well, given that they are completely collapsible and super lightweight.

But don’t think that because they’re collapsible and easy to set up that they’re somehow not durable. Far from it.

The solid metal framework ensures that these softboxes retain their shape over the course of years and years of repeated use, and the built-in mounting hardware means there’s a snug fit with your speedlite whether it’s a Yonguo, Nikon, or something in between.

In other words, Westcott makes this list of the Best of 2019 not just because they create superb lighting gear, but because they also have a proven track record of innovation when it comes to lighting gear.

Their products are durable and easy to use and show a demonstrated effort by Westcott to think purposefully about design and functionality so you and I have a better user experience.

But don’t take my word for it...see the Rapid Box Octa in action in the video above!



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The Best Smartphone Photography Tips for 2021

The Best Smartphone Photography Tips for 2020

 photo byFilippoBacci via iStock

The best camera for an unexpected photographic opportunity is the one you actually have on you. More often than not, that camera is our ever ready smartphone that we are rarely without. Smartphone photography can be serious photography too.

If you want to know good iPhone photography or Android smartphone photography tips that can have you producing high quality images with just a little extra preparation, read on. Developing good smartphone photography habits and knowing what smartphone photography accessories can make capturing good images easier are a couple of thoughts we’ll discuss.

Keep It Clean

smartphone photography 1

 photo bymiodrag ignjatovic via iStock

Our smartphones go through hell on a typical day, don’t they? They get carried around in a pocket, purse, or in our grimy hands. That tends to result in lots of fingerprints, dirt, and greasy fingerprints on our phones. If we see that on the screen, there is a good chance it’s the same story on the lens, too.

The solution is to clean up the lens before taking a picture. A good habit to have is to have a microfiber lens cleaning cloth with us. They are small and can be folded to fit in a purse, jeans pocket, maybe even a wallet. Hopefully we don’t use our microfiber cloth to sop up soda spills or check the oil in our car.

Another way to keep a smartphone cleaner is to not let it get dirty in the first place. A case that folds shut and covers the phone is one idea, a pouch style case will also work, though both styles of case will slow us down a little bit when we want to quickly use our phone. 

Steady Goes It!

smartphone photography accessories 2

Many of the newest phones we use for smartphone photography have some pretty advanced features and functions, including the ability to use slow shutter speeds for long exposures. If we use these slower shutter speeds, we should prop up our smartphone somehow. Holding the phone out at arm’s length provides a pretty unsteady platform.

One of the best new smartphone photography accessories is the OctoPad camera mount from Octopus Camera. Instead of a tripod, clamp, or suction cup, the OctoPad is a weighted pad with a rubberized bottom pad and a ball and socket head on top. It can be placed on any surface up to a 45 degree angle for a steady way to hold a smartphone or accessories like an LED light or microphone. 

Learn More:

Shoot Horizontal and Vertical

smartphone photography tips 3

 photo byDragonImages via iStock

The orientation of the camera can sometimes make the difference from a decent picture to an outstanding photograph. Too often we only use our smartphones for smartphone photography in portrait orientation because that’s how we usually use the phone for everything else.

smartphone photography tips 4

 photo byFeverpitched via iStock

But some subjects are better rendered in landscape orientation which means turning the phone horizontally. An advantage for using landscape orientation with some subjects is that certain social media platforms are more friendly to showing the full image in landscape than in portrait. 

I’m not sure why the square format social media functions work that way, but some of them do. For Instagram, it’s the little <> symbol in the bottom left corner when in the crop tool of setting up the post.

Shoot Video In Landscape

beginner photography tips 5

 photo byurbazon via iStock

While the still images we take in smartphone photography may sometimes work out better in portrait orientation, video rarely does. The reason is because of how we’re used to viewing video footage, on a TV screen or a monitor with a similar aspect ratio.

Whenever you see at the scene recording footage on the news of a developing story, you will notice how they edit the footage so that it is formatted to these aspect ratios and orientation.

Our smartphone videos will look more professional overall if we get into this one small habit of only recording video in horizontal or landscape orientation instead of vertical or portrait orientation. Even though our still images can be either way or even square, our TV raised subconscious expects video to look like TV.

Stay On the Grid

iphone photography 6

Photo by YAMONSTRO via iStock

If you’re a smartphone user, you probably rarely think of going “off the grid” in the way a survivalist might mean it. But we do tend to often think off the grid in regards to our smartphone photography by not using this fantastic composition tool built in to almost all smartphone camera apps, the framing grid.

The grid available for our smartphone photography is a neat tool that helps us out with framing and composition to keep things balanced in the image. Using the grid, we can either tell how centered or uncentered our subject is, or we can use the grid itself to make use of the Rules of Thirds composition guideline.

I have my smartphone camera app settings adjusted to where the grid shows up on my viewscreen as a default. Depending on your particular smartphone, you may need to find it in the menu and turn it on when you’re considering any serious smartphone photography.

It IS a Serious Photography Tool

Best Smartphone Photography Tips 7

 photo byTero Vesalainen via iStock

Smartphone and iPhone photography can be very high quality if we take the time to develop a couple of good habits and lose some bad ones. Since we almost always have our smartphones on us, it is often the best camera for the job by means of being the camera available at that moment.

Now if only that UFO would actually land and drop off Bigfoot and Elvis so I can get a good picture, then I would be happy.

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Tips for Creating Engaging and Well-Composed Video Shots

Tips for Creating Engaging and Well Composed Video Shots

Photo by mediamasmedia via iStock

Video content is everywhere today. Whether on live television, streaming platforms, or social media apps like YouTube and Instagram, more people than ever spend their free time watching videos rather than looking at photos or reading. In fact, recent studies have shown that video is now the number one way people consume content, especially young people.

Therefore, if you want to stay relevant as a digital content creator, shifting your photography business strategy to include more videos is essential. That said, it’s not as simple as just creating more videos. You must also produce high-quality, engaging, and well-composed video shots to attract more viewers and build a loyal following.

How do you do that? You’ll find out if you keep reading! In this article, we’ll share our top videography tips that have helped us shoot better videos and grow our audience. Additionally, we’ll recommend a few pieces of videography gear that will aid you along the way. Now, without further ado, let’s get to it!

Check out the video above by Pat Kay to learn more about videography basics and how to improve your video shots. 

Table of Contents

Understanding Basic Compositional Principles for Video Shots

Understanding Basic Compositional Principles for Video Shots

Photo by eyecrave productions via iStock

If you don’t have at least a basic understanding of the most important video composition principles, you won’t be able to consistently create well-composed videos. It’s a simple truth that many new videographers overlook, and if you fall into this category, we recommend that you immediately go out and learn those basic composition principles. 

The most common ones include the rule of thirds, leading lines, the 180-degree rule, symmetry, and negative space. You can sign up for a videography course or study independently to better understand composition. We recommend free self-learning resources such as YouTube, blogs, and podcasts.

Playing with Perspective and Depth for Better Video Shots

Playing with Perspective and Depth for Better Video Shots

Photo by Finn Hafemann via iStock

Another way to capture beautiful, engaging video content is to play with perspective and depth. While not all of these experimental video shots will be perfect, you will learn which types you like most and when to use them over time. Three tried and true video shots people are routinely attracted to are low-angle, birds-eye-view, and over-the-shoulder perspectives. 

A Tripod Alternative for Your Minimalism Photography

The best way to record low-angle videos is using a small, sturdy, stabilizing device like the Octopad.

This unique tripod alternative features a patented universal support base that won’t move even on sloping, uneven, or wet/slippery surfaces. Moreover, it’s compatible with other video accessories like external microphones, lights, monitors, and gimbals.

Better still, you can use it for traditional photography, be that portraits, landscapes, cityscapes, or somewhere in between. And since it’s such a compact gadget, you can easily take it with you anywhere you go!

Phone on an Octopad

Octopad is an ideal companion if you primarily shoot with your smartphone, too. The universal ¼-inch thread allows you to add the smartphone adapter of your choice, turning Octopad into a photo, video, camera, and smartphone-compatible accessory that offers tremendous value.

At the same time, drones are ideal for birds-eye-view videography, and gimbals can help you record smooth over-the-shoulder video shots. As for manipulating depth, using lenses with a high maximum aperture (low f-stop number) is your best bet.

Level Up Your Video Shots With Color and Contrast

Level Up Your Video Shots With Color and Contrast

Photo by Artal85 via iStock 

Equally important is color. Even a well-composed scene will be less visually appealing if the colors are off. The best way to guarantee good colors in your video shots is to understand color theory. That way, you can use colors correctly to capture viewers' attention and evoke emotional responses. You can also control colors by adjusting the settings of your video camera. 

Now, let’s say you are watching your video shots later and notice the colors and contrast still don’t look like you envisioned them. Lucky for you, thanks to advanced video editing programs like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, color grading footage in post-production has never been easier.

Learn More:

Balancing Static and Dynamic Elements

Balancing Static and Dynamic Elements

Photo by Edwin Tan via iStock 

Including a solid mix of static and dynamic shots is another way to level up your videos. For example, your videos might bore viewers if you rely too heavily on static shots. On the other hand, if you have too many dynamic shots, your videos will be chaotic and hard to follow. That’s why striking a perfect balance is crucial.

What are static and dynamic video shots? Static shots are video clips where the camera doesn’t move. They are also known as locked-off or immobile shots. In contrast, dynamic shots have camera movement (pan, tilt, zoom, dolly, etc.).

Video Shots Should Create Emotion and Atmosphere

Video Shots Should Create Emotion and Atmosphere

Photo by Gago-Image via iStock

Lastly, your video needs to be interesting, and you want to connect emotionally with your audience. While this step isn’t as important in short-form videos like Instagram Reels and TikTok videos, it’s a core element of all other types of videos. If videos don’t have a compelling storyline that the audience can believe, relate to, and connect with, why are people watching?

Techniques for constructing different emotions and atmospheres in your video shots include lighting, sequencing, storytelling, and camera angle. Lighting, in particular, plays a big part in videos, which is why videographers should always carry lighting equipment with them in their videography kit. 

More Videography Tips

More Videography Tips

Photo by mediaphotos  via iStock

Thanks for taking the time to read our videography review. We hope it helps you create better, more engaging video shots moving forward. Finally, as a bonus, here’s a list of more tips to help you improve your video skills! 

  • Invest in the right videography gear. 
  • Experiment with different types of video content (films, short-form, etc.). 
  • Plan your video shots in advance.
  • Don’t forget to capture high-quality audio. 
  • Learn how to edit videos like a pro. 

Recommended Photography Gear

Disclaimer: Just so you know, some of the cool stuff we mention comes with affiliate links, meaning we earn a commission if you buy (no extra charge to you!). Plus, we occasionally feature sponsored content, but rest assured, we only shout out products we genuinely stand behind.

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Top 10 Last-Minute Gifts for Photographers - 2019 Edition

last minute gifts for photographersPhoto by evgenyatamanenko via iStock

Even though I'm writing this the last week of October, you and I both know that there will be some scrambling as the holidays draw near to find the perfect gift for the photographer in your life.

A lot of photographers are picky (myself included), so it can be difficult to find just the right gift that will bring a smile to their face and that won't end up shoved in the back of the closet.

With that in mind, I've put together the following list of awesome last-minute gifts for photographers that should give you some inspiration for your gift-buying this holiday season.

Let's get to it!

Camera Canopy

camera canopy 1

Those of you that follow my ramblings here on PhotographyTalk know that I love to shoot landscapes.

But something I definitely do not love is using those clingy camera rain covers that feel like you're reaching into a wet plastic bag.

Granted, I don't have to worry about the rain all that often here in Southern California, but when it does rain, I have my Camera Canopy with me.

As you can see above, the Camera Canopy sits above the camera and extends outward to protect both the camera body and the lens.

It attaches to the hot-shoe mount on your camera, so it's easy to attach when the weather turns sour.

The shield extends and retracts, so it'll protect your gear whether you're using a 50mm lens or a 300mm lens.

What's more, there are versions for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, so no matter the camera system the photographer in your life uses, there's a Camera Canopy they can use.

Aside from the ease of use and the fact that the Camera Canopy protects the end of the lens from getting wet, I love that it doesn't obstruct the camera's LCD or controls. No more clingy wet plastic bag!!

So, this thing is convenient, functional, and well-designed, and would make an ideal addition to any photographer's kit.

Learn more about Camera Canopy for DSLRs or Camera Canopy for Mirrorless Cameras

A Large Print from AP Solutions & Graphics

gifts for photographers

What photographer wouldn't appreciate a large print or graphic of one of their photos?!

AP Solutions & Graphics makes it easy to give the gift of a beautiful large print thanks to their quick and simple online ordering process.

In fact, you can easily get a quote for your print based on your specifications, including height, width, depth, and media type.

They offer fine art canvases, photographic prints, and signs, banners, and other display medias too.

If you order from AP Solutions & Graphics, you can rest assured that the item you order is made from the finest materials and is constructed right here in the USA.

I appreciate the fact that these guys are dedicated to turning your favorite photos into lasting memories. And the photographer on your holiday shopping list will certainly appreciate it too!

No one wants to get a sub-par print, especially if it's of their own photos. But you don't have to worry about print quality with AP Solutions & Graphics because they use high-quality canvas, fine art photo paper, quality fabrics, top-grade inks, and more.

As a U.S. Navy Veteran, I try to patronize businesses that are owned by fellow veterans, and AP Solutions & Graphics fits the bill.

This veteran-owned, U.S.-based business is ready to make your last-minute holiday gift dreams come true!

Learn more about AP Solutions & Graphics

Hazard 4® Freelance™ Sling-Pack

hazard 4 freelance

Rarely do you encounter camera bags described as “tactical,” but in this case, the rank definitely fits the Hazard 4® Freelance™ Photo Sling-Pack.

Hazard 4® designs exceed military specs, so these are trusted by demanding users in the harshest environments - special forces to expedition reporters. Thoughtful sizes, organization, and ergonomics, with 1000 D Cordura® fabric, YKK zips, and patented hardware protect cameras, accessories and survival gear in a futuristic aesthetic that deflects harsh use.

hazard 4 freelance 2

You can cleverly rotate Freelance™ from back to chest for quick gear access without taking it off. Sized for most mirrorless systems with movable padded dividers to organize lenses and accessories, it’s also made in a Drone Edition with special dividers and “Drone Pilot” patch on its velcro I.D. panel.

hazard 4 freelance 3

Three exterior pockets fit extra gear. A sweat managing thermo-molded zip back panel cradles 10.5” iPads®. An admin panel organizes pens and SD cards, among other small items. A molded shell fits two Mavic® Pro batteries and has a patented Hard Point® bus for attaching Hazard 4® systems loops and tie-downs or GoPros® via a ¼-20 screw.

hazard 4 freelance 4

Modular webbing (molle) throughout allows exterior gear expansion. A patented roto-lock buckle prevents drops. Add grab-handles, tripod/compression straps, and more for the makings of one killer last-minute gift for the active photographer on your holiday shopping list!

Learn more about the Hazard 4® Freelance

PolarPro Summit Filters

summit

PolarPro has built a reputation over the years of developing well-built, high-performance products, and their newest filters are no exception.

The Summit series was specifically developed for the rough-and-tumble world of landscape photography.

These filters are built to withstand the rigors of shooting outdoors in harsh conditions while at the same time having a design that makes them incredibly easy to use.

polarpro summit 1

On the one hand, the ND and graduated ND filters have aluminum frames that both protect the filter and help minimize fingerprints getting on the filter glass.

So, not only do you get filters that are more durable, but you also won't spend as much time cleaning the filters to get rid of fingerprints. It's a win-win!

On the other hand, the filters and filter housing feature materials that ratchet up the build quality.

polarpro summit 2

For example, the filters are made of fused Quartz glass with 16 layers of coatings that improve color fidelity and clarity while reducing glare.

As another example, the filter frames are made of lightweight aluminum that helps cut weight in your pack while providing you strong durability for years to come.

Add in a user-friendly design, light-sealed slots, filter locks to lock down the filter position, and the ability to rotate the filter system 360 degrees, and you have the makings of the ideal landscape photography filter kit to give your favorite photographer this holiday season!

Learn more about the PolarPro Summit Filter System

Snaptiles

snap tiles

If you’re cutting it close for the holidays and need a killer photography gift, look no further than Snaptiles. Snaptiles are a new patented Magnetic Photo Tile that is 8”x8”x1” and super lightweight.

This innovative system uses a single wall mount with a built-in level to anchor a central print to the wall. Then you can snap together the other tiles onto the first! The wall mount uses four adhesive strips that don’t damage the wall, yet offer all the support that’s needed to display up to 12 tiles. Just make sure you press down firmly for 10 seconds. You can also push in the 4 included thumb tacks for additional support, then mount up to 30 tiles on the first tile! Not a bad tradeoff for 4 little pin holes in your wall.

The process is simple: just attach the wall mount to the wall, mount the anchor tile to it, and then begin to create an array of mixed tiles by adding additional Snaptiles.

snaptiles how they work

Each tile connects with strong magnets, so there’s no worry of the tiles sagging or slipping.

Best of all, though, this system enables you to swap images out as you get new photo tiles, rearrange them in the display, and create different shapes with an array of images.

It really couldn’t be any easier!

snaptiles how theyre made

The images are printed on a premium SBS Acid Free archival paperboard to give you long-lasting durability. On top of that, the UV protective lamination on the tiles has a beautifully soft touch.

I just ordered 25 of these photo tiles for my son’s room. He loves art and he loves building, and I think he will love putting his Snaptiles together (with my help of course!) on his bedroom wall.

This isn’t just a great last-minute gift, but it’s also a fun project you can share with whomever you give them to. It’s a win-win!

Learn more about Snaptiles

Travel School Membership

best photography giftsPhoto by anyaberkut via iStock

Wouldn’t it be nice to travel the world as you make money, pursuing your dreams without being encumbered by a traditional job?

If that sounds like a dream that’s too good to be true - it isn’t! Even better, it’s a dream you can make a reality for that special person on your last-minute holiday shopping list.

Travel School is a comprehensive training program for starting an independent affiliate marketing business. It will take your loved one step-by-step through the process of building a business that is not only wildly successful in the short-term, but can sustain steady growth for the long-term too.

But Travel School isn’t just a step-by-step training program. Instead, it will change your loved one’s outlook on what it means to work, and at the same time will be a transformational experience that will change their entire life for the better.

With specific, actionable steps, the person on your holiday shopping list will learn how to connect with established brands, develop core marketing skills, and activate multiple income streams to realize their dream of living a life full of travel and freedom.

travel school

Travel School founder Emilian travels the world with his furry friend, Divak, and is eager to share his knowledge and experience with you and help you build a successful affiliate marketing business that will allow you to quit your traditional job and travel the world like you want!

Not only does Travel School aid in leveraging the credibility of amazing companies, but they will also offer weekly private webinars to keep your loved one motivated and on track toward accomplishing their goals.

Additionally, all training sessions are recorded and available at any time, that way if questions come up down the road or a little extra motivation is needed, the lessons can be easily accessed. There are opportunities to learn and collaborate with other students too!

It’s not often that you have the opportunity to give the gift of freedom, but in this case, Travel School is just that!

Learn more about Travel School

Deity D3 Pro Microphone 

best gifts for photographers

More and more photographers are getting into video production, and to do that, they have to expand their arsenal of tools beyond traditional photography gear.

And while having a camera with good video capabilities is a must, so too is having a high-quality microphone to record audio for the videos. After all, a video can have incredible footage, but with poor audio quality, the video will fall flat.

That's where the Deity D3 Pro comes in...

This super cardioid directional condenser shotgun mic has a sensitivity of -50dB to 28dB and uses an on-board microprocessor that digitally talks to the audio input it's connected with.

That means it can work with a tablet, a DSLR, a mirrorless camera, or a smartphone - essentially anything with a 3.5mm microphone jack.

deity

The internal battery offers a whopping 51 hours of runtime, yet it charges in less than two hours.

A neat feature is that you can adjust the gain by using the stepless analog gain adjustment dial. This is the only microphone in the world that has this feature!

Add in on-board low-cut filters, a rycote shock mount, and broadcast-quality sound, and you have the makings of an ideal gift for a photographer that wants to step up their videography game!

Learn more about the Deity D3 Pro Microphone

Octopus.Camera OctoPad

octopad

If you’re rushing around trying to find that perfect last-minute gift for your favorite photographer, you might consider the Octopus.Camera OctoPad as an excellent choice.

The OctoPad offers what many other stabilization devices don’t - it doesn’t collapse under the weight of gear it’s supporting and it doesn’t slide around, even if it’s placed on a smooth or an uneven surface thanks to its weighted non-slip mat design.

octopad 6

The OctoPad has a built-in male 1/4-20 inch threaded bolt for attaching accessories and a high-capacity removable ball head that also has an adjustable 1/4-20 inch threaded male bolt.

That means that not only is the OctoPad well-equipped to stay in place, but it can also support a wide range of gear, from a GoPro to a smartphone to a light or microphone.

octopad 2

There’s even a built-in cable strap to keep cables from getting in your way and a clip grommet for attaching a lanyard to easily carry the OctoPad.

What photographers want in a gift is something that’s versatile and functional, and the OctoPad is definitely both. Best of all, it’s just $26.95, so you can give an awesome gift without busting your budget!

Learn more about the Octopus.Camera OctoPad

Aputure Amaran AL-MX Bi-Color LED Mini Light

aputure

This pocket-sized light might be small, lightweight, and portable, but it packs a mighty punch with 128 LEDs, 3200lux of brightness, and a "boost mode" that increases brightness by 30 percent for bursts of 60 seconds.

Add to all that power the ability to tune the light from 2800-6500K so the photographer on your list can make fine adjustments to how the light looks to suit each and every photograph.

The quality of the light is top-notch, too - it offers a CRI of 95+ and a TLCI or 95+ as well.

aputure 2

This light has a wide beam angle of 120-degrees, a portable design that's about the width and height of a credit card, and a durable metal body that's crafted of aircraft-grade aluminum.

It has a 1/4 screw and a universal cold-shoe mount so it can be mounted on a camera, a tripod, a light stand, and so forth.

This unit has a built-in battery that offers about an hour of runtime at full power and four hours of runtime at minimum power. The battery is rechargeable via a USB-C cable.

This is simply a well-built, bright, easy-to-use light that any photographer would appreciate in their stocking this holiday season!

Learn more about the Aputure Amaran AL-MX Bi-Color LED Light

Haida M-10 Filter System

haida m10 filter kit first impressions

One of the newest additions to my camera bag is the Haida M-10 Filter System, and I can't sing its praises enough.

The filter holder is super lightweight thanks to its aluminum construction, so it's durable and sturdy, but doesn't add unnecessary weight to your lens.

Inside the holder are slots where you can drop filters in. The slots are even lined with felt to help prevent scratches to the filters!

Another neat feature is that the holder has a quick-release clip for easy on and off. The clip is well-built and has a good amount of tension, so you don't have to worry about accidentally disengaging the clip as you work.

haida cpl

You can use square or circular filters with this holder. In fact, the kit comes with a variety of filters, including a circular polarizer, a variety of graduated ND filters, and solid ND filters as well.

And since the holder has two filter slots, you can mix and match filters as needed.

Both the filters and the holder are very well built - you can tell when you're holding them that they are high-quality products that will last a good, long while.

That being the case, if the photographer on your list has been hinting at needing a new filter system, you've got the perfect gift for them!

Learn more about the Haida M-10 Filter System

Exposure Software

exposure x5 is here

The latest version of Exposure - Exposure X5 - was released just a few weeks ago to much fanfare.

Exposure has a ton of easy-to-use, yet powerful editing tools that any photographer would appreciate. This includes:

  • An extensive library of film presets that you can customize
  • Creative tools like tilt-shift, creative lens focus, and film grain
  • Non-destructive editing with layers
  • Selection and masking tools to apply effects to specific areas
  • An intuitive and easy-to-use workspace

On top of all that, Exposure X5 has 3D color masking functionalities that will give the photographer on your shopping list the ability to have precise control over where an adjustment is made to an image.

These color controls can be defined by very specific features, like saturation, hue, and luminance, which means you can target the sky, skin tones, or other specific color ranges, all with just a few clicks.

This software also has vignette correction, chromatic aberration correction, fringe removal, and custom camera profiles to boot.

You can even test-drive Exposure for free for 30 days to see if it's something you want to give as a gift this holiday season.

Hakutatz Pocket Size RGB+AW LED Light

hakutatz 2

If you’re not sure what to get the photographer on your holiday shopping list, an ideal last-minute gift is the gift of light.

Light - good light - is essential for making high-quality photographs, and good light is exactly what you get with the Hakutatz Pocket Size RGB+AW LED Light.

This rechargeable light is ultra-portable and will fit in a photographer’s pocket for easy transport.

hakutatz 1

Photographers can utilize both white and amber light and a wide variety of RGB lighting options that allow for precise adjustments to get just the right light for each shot.

With 152 LEDs (40 white, 40 amber, and 72 RGB), adjustable saturation from 1-100%, 1480 lux brightness, and an adjustable color temperature from 3000-6500K, this light offers superb functionality and tons of customizations.

hakutatz 3

The light connects to any Android or iOS smartphone, which allows for changing the color temperature, the RGB color, and dialing in special effects. These changes can be made both quickly and easily thanks to the intuitive and user-friendly LCD display.

Use one light on its own or multiple lights to combine effects to get the perfect shot. Either way, photographers have the power to add vibrancy, visual interest, and accents to their photos right at their fingertips!

Learn more about the Hakutatz Pocket Size RGB+AW LED Light

BlueTooth Photo

bluetooth photo last minute gift guide

I don’t know how many BlueTooth speakers I’ve had over the years. Come to think of it, I couldn’t even tell you how many BlueTooth speakers I have in my house right now.

They’re utilitarian. They’re forgettable. Most BlueTooth speakers are nothing special.

But the patent-pending BlueTooth Photo changes all that because it turns your favorite photo or piece of art into a canvas that sings.

All you have to do is upload your image and the fine folks at BlueTooth Photo do the rest. You get a premium-grade, artist-quality canvas that showcases your favorite images all the while being the perfect vessel for fantastic audio quality for your music.

bluetooth photo last minute gift guide 2

What better way to enjoy music than by listening to it emanate from your favorite photo? And what better way to appreciate your favorite photo than by having a look at it each and every time you want to listen to your favorite songs?

It’s the best of both worlds!

BlueTooth Photo is a fantastic gift idea for the photographer (or anyone else!) on your holiday shopping list. Get them an 8x12 image in either portrait or landscape orientation this Christmas for just $89.00.

Use the coupon code PT20 to get $20 off your purchase!

Learn more about BlueTooth Photo

Luminar 4

luminar

Yet another top choice for a last-minute gift for the photographer on your list is Luminar 4.

At the time of this writing, Luminar 4 is still a couple of weeks from being released, but I've had a chance to look at it, and WOW is a word that immediately comes to mind.

Luminar makes use of artificial intelligence to allow photographers to make specific and detailed edits to their photos, but without the process being one that's laborious or time-consuming.

For example, Luminar 4 features an AI Sky Replacement tool that allows you to automatically change the sky in any photo. Yes, change the sky - not just edit it to look prettier.

Better still, you can change the sky without creating masks or making selections, and the AI Sky Replacement Tool will relight the entire image, that way the original image and the new sky match in terms of brightness.

luminar 4 portrait enhancement under 100

Luminar 4 also has handy tools for portrait photographers, like the AI Skin Enhancer, which detects blemishes and removes them, all the while preserving details in the skin. This tool will detect skin anywhere in the photo (not just people's faces), and its corrections are made with just one click.

There's also an AI Portrait Enhancer that has 12 tools that enable you to make corrections to the face, eyes, and mouth in a way that maximizes control while maintaining ease of use.

Needless to say, Luminar 4 is packed with features and will make a great addition to any photographer's workflow!

Learn more about Luminar 4

Wiral LITE Cable Cam

I've had the Wiral Lite Cable Cam for a couple of months now, and I can't tell you how much fun I've had using it.

It is incredibly easy to use, too, as it has a simple rope system that allows for quick setup.

And once you have it setup, you can get beautifully smooth, dynamic tracking shots that take your videos to the next level.

This patent-pending rope system is called "Quickreel," and uses an ultra static rope so you get superb performance with excellent safety. The beauty, though, is that this rope doesn't add bulk or weight, so it's easy to carry.

This rope system can be used with a variety of cameras, from a GoPro to your smartphone to a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

If you watch the video above, you can see the kind of long, smooth video sequences that are possible.

It looks like a video that was taken using a big, expensive setup!

But this rig is less than $500...

Quick setup, loads of features, huge functionality, and a great price. What more could you want in a last-minute gift for the photographer on your list?!

Learn more about the Wiral LITE Cable Cam

Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo

One of my favorite pieces of gear is my MoneyMaker Solo camera strap. This thing is gorgeously crafted, easy on the eyes, and super functional, too.

What I like most about this strap is the comfort it offers.

It has a big, contoured shoulder strap that helps keep fatigue at bay. The shoulder strap stays in place on your shoulder too (go figure!), so carrying your camera for extended periods of time doesn't turn into making constant adjustments to how the strap interacts with your body.

Part of what helps the strap stay in place is the stability strap that wraps under your arm.

The other component of that is the ingenious Belt Anchor, which keeps the camera attached to your hip, rather than flopping around as you walk.

Not only does that improve the comfort level, but it makes it a safer endeavor to carry your camera, especially in crowded areas.

The construction of this thing is worth mentioning, too.

It's made of a single piece of full-grain leather, so it's absolutely stunning to look at.

The high-quality leather is paired with stainless steel hardware, so you know that the strap and its components will last the photographer on your list for years and years and years to come!

Check out my Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo Review to get more details on this awesome gift idea for photographers.

Learn more about the Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo

 



We Recommend


Top 5 iPhone Photography Accessories for 2021

5 Top iPhone Photography Accessories for 2020

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

Smartphone photography has grown so much in the past few years. Led by Apple, iPhoneography is a well established genre in the world of photography. 

Much the same way users of other cameras do, many of us are looking for iPhone photography accessories and other smartphone photography accessories to enhance our photographic experience.

5 Top Smartphone Camera Accessories for 2020

Using the right photography accessories, photographers can engage in a lot of techniques and methods. Some camera accessories let you make long exposures, some are artificial lighting, others may be related to the A/V capabilities of modern cameras including smartphone cameras.

OctoPad Camera Support 

octopad 1

Think of this patent-pending unique small camera support as the alternative to carrying a tripod. Mobile devices are meant to be mobile. But sometimes that mobility puts us in a situation where we need to support or iPhone camera with something other than our hands.

Photographers have been making use of some form of camera support since the inception of photography for the masses in the mid-1800s. Tripods were designed into extremely useful and very portable devices. 

What makes the OctoPad one of the best iPhone photography accessories is that it is small, easy to use, inexpensive, and it really holds your smartphone camera securely in many situations.

octopad 2

It is a non-slip, weighted pad that can be placed on nearly any surface, and it has a ball and socket head. You can attach any number of mounting adapters to it, including a smartphone holder. It’s not a suction cup, the weight and the non-slip material is what holds it in place.

octopad 3

Since the cost is very budget friendly, you could combine several together to accomplish what you need to do. As an example, if you are filming remotely for your YouTube channel, use an OctoPad for your phone to free up your hands, one to hold a microphone close to your subject, and another OctoPad for your auxiliary light source.

Learn More:

Hakutatz Portable LED Light

hakutatz 1

A primary concern for many of our potential images is the lighting. We need to make sure we have enough light and that the light is placed where it needs to be. The Hakutatz battery powered portable LED light is one of the photography accessories iPhoneographers should be aware of.

This portable light is one of the best iPhone photography accessories to have for several reasons. It’s battery powered and portable, it emits low heat, is energy efficient, has very bright LED bulbs, it has multiple color options, and it can be controlled by our smartphone with an app.

hakutatz 2

With one or more of these awesome lights, we can have complete control over our smartphone photography. Even though our smartphone cameras are amazing, the lenses are slow by their very nature. So, we often would get better results for still images and video by adding an artificial light source.

The multiple color capability of this small LED light is for more than special effects. With the smartphone app, we can dial in the proper color temperature to match the ambient light. This allows for our artificial light to blend in perfectly with the entire scene.

hakutatz 3

Great photos need great light, and despite the incredible advances in the cameras and software on iPhones, the tiny flash just doesn’t cut it.

That’s why the Hakutatz pocket-sized LED light is one of the most useful smartphone camera accessories we could find.

Bamoer 22x Telephoto Lens Kit

bamoer 1 

Our smartphone cameras have high-quality lenses, but they are limited compared to interchangeable lens cameras. Several manufacturers have figured out ways to add extra lenses to smartphones. Many of these lens kits fit Samsung, iPhone, Google, and other brand smartphones, making them great smartphone photography accessories. 

There are several good choices, but I liked the Bamoer 22X Telephoto Lens Kit for its huge range of focal length alternatives to our built-in lens. 

bamoer 2 

The most noticeable item in the kit is that super telephoto attachment. Magnifying 22X is the equivalent of using a 1,100mm lens on a 35mm full frame camera. That’s a whole lot of telephoto. Using the included small tripod or a mount like the OctoPad is essential for that much telephoto power. 

Lenses also included in the kit are a macro for ultra-close focusing, an ultra-wide angle, and an extreme wide-angle 180-degree fisheye lens. As smartphone camera accessories go, this choice will expand your photographic options quite a bit.

Wireless Lavalier Microphone 

mic 1 

YouTubers, vloggers, and anyone else using their smartphone for video recording will benefit from a remote mic. One of the easiest to implement is a wireless lavalier mic system

mic 2

Using this will improve the audio quality of your recording immensely. Other options to consider are lightweight shotgun mics that you would use from camera position.

Audio is a vital part of any video we shoot, so this idea fits perfectly with the best smartphone camera accessories we may consider. 

Learn More:

Anker PowerCore 10000 Portable Power Pack

anker 1

All of these smartphone photography accessories and iPhone videography gear tend to draw a lot of power, draining our phones batteries. If not actually functioning by means of our phone battery, the increased amount of time we spend using all these cool gadgets means we use more power.

anker 2

Therefore, an external, extra source of electronic power can really come in handy. One of the better models we found is the Anker PowerCore 10000. It operates with many different mobile devices, allowing you to stay out in the field longer, making movies or capturing images. 

Other iPhone Photography Accessories

We included the top 5 that can give you the most versatility in your smartphone photography. Other accessories you might find useful are bags, waterproof cases and sleeves, remote controls, and awesome editing apps. 

Adapting one or more of these items to your iPhoneography will enhance your photographic experience and could enable you to take your photos and videos to the next level!


 



We Recommend


Top GoPro Accessories for Traveling

Top GoPro Accessories for Traveling

Photo by lucas Favre on Unsplash

Editor's Note: This article was written before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Obviously, travel right now is difficult, if not impossible. Let these suggestions for GoPro gear be advice for future travels. In the meantime, stay healthy and safe.

As someone who purchased the very first GoPro ages ago, the amount of GoPro accessories currently available on the market is shocking.  

And as someone who travels frequently, all of my GoPro accessories for traveling are lifesavers. They ensure my more expensive photography gear isn’t stolen, while ensuring I also put out the same quality content my followers expect.

Here are my top GoPro accessories for 2020. 

Camera: GoPro HERO 8 Black

gopro accessories 1

There’s no point in purchasing GoPro accessories if you don’t already have a GoPro... 

I need to upgrade my GoPro every couple of years to ensure my footage is as crisp as possible, and honestly, I feel like the GoPro HERO 8 is the most improved GoPro to date.

First of all, it features 4K video, which is extremely impressive for something this small.

gopro accessories 2

Second, the inclusion of digital lenses allows you to vary your looks, from narrow to SuperView and points in between.

Third, Hypersmooth is now updated with a 2.0 version that does a better job of stabilizing your footage, even if you’re recording as you ride down a bumpy mountain biking trail.

Additionally, its low-light capabilities are nearly unprecedented. Of course, you get the same go-anywhere, do-anything ruggedness you expect.

Plus, it’s only $350, which is also unheard of in the photography gear industry. 

 

Recommended Photography Reading

 

Light: LitraPro

gopro for traveling 3

When shopping for GoPro accessories, especially if you’re planning on taking them traveling, the most important thing is portability. Is this accessory going to weigh you down? 

With the LitraPro, this isn’t an issue. First, the LitraPro only weighs 6oz, which is the equivalent of a hockey puck. It’s really, really tiny. 

However, that doesn’t mean it can’t perform. The LitraPro lasts for up to 10 hours on a single charge, is 100% dimmable, and features 1,200 lumens. That’s enough to easily light a space of up to 10 feet.

gopro for traveling 4 

It’s 2.8 x 2 x 1.2 inches, is drop resistant and waterproof up to 90 feet, and can mount directly to your GoPro. 

Plus, I’ve used my LitraPro for everything from underwater photography to light painting to portraits and everything in between. It’s extremely versatile! 

You can pick up yours for $220. 

Tripod: Octopad

gopro accessories for traveling 5

While the Octopad isn’t technically a tripod, it does work better than any tripod I’ve ever bought for under $30. 

The Octopad, like the rest of our GoPro accessories, is incredibly lightweight at 1.6 lbs and small at 6.5” across. 

You can use the Octopad as a mount for your GoPro or your lighting or your microphone because it doesn’t buckle under weight or slip on uneven surfaces due to its anti-slip technology. 

gopro accessories for traveling 6

When looking for travel photography accessories, you’re also looking for accessories that are cheap because the chances of getting your photography gear stolen or lost during travel is much higher. 

In this case, you’ll be happy to know that the Octopad is just $27, so if someone absconds with it, you can replace it on the cheap.

Learn More:

Handheld Mount: HandlePod

travel photography accessories 7

While shopping for GoPro accessories, make sure you purchase a mount to keep your videography stable.

I use the HandlePod for its $35 price tag, its portability (it fits in your pocket at just 4oz!), and its lifetime warranty.

 travel photography accessories 8

My favorite thing about the HandlePod is that it functions just like a more expensive handheld mount. It rotates 360 degrees, it doesn’t slip in your hand, and it's big enough to have a comfortable grip without being unwieldy.  

Plus, it can be used as a tabletop tripod when need be, and it can be lashed to things like trees or fence posts when you’re out filming and you need to work hands-free.

GoPro Floating Grip

travel photography accessories 9

I’m not frequently shooting in water, but when I am, I always wish I had the necessary GoPro accessories to make that shoot as easy as possible.

The GoPro floating grip allows me to shoot in water for the low price of $30, while maintaining stability in the choppiest of waters. 

It comes with a wrist strap, so you’re always sure you’re never going to lose your GoPro, and neon coloring just in case you do. 

Extra Batteries

travel photography accessories 10 

There’s no point in purchasing GoPro accessories if your actual GoPro runs out of steam.

For just $20, make sure you purchase extra GoPro batteries. 

Battery Charger

travel photography accessories 11

Just in case you forgot to purchase your extra GoPro batteries, the GoPro Dual Battery Charger charges up to 2 GoPro batteries at once to ensure you’re always ready to shoot.  

It’s only $50 and comes with a 1 year warranty. What’s not to love? 

Learn More:

 



We Recommend


Top GoPro Hero 10 Accessories

Top GoPro Hero 10 Accessories

The GoPro Hero 10 is an absolutely amazing action camera. Finding the best GoPro Hero 10 accessories will let us get the most out of this fine imaging and videography tool. 

Here are some GoPro Hero 10 accessories that I think many action videographers as well as still image photographers will find useful: 

You should also check out all of the informative video instructions on the GoPro YouTube channel. Their videos cover all aspects of GoPro camera use for stills and videos, plus give many helpful tips on how to integrate the best GoPro Hero 10 accessories with your style of shooting and your needs. 

Another thought to help as you read this list: many of these GoPro Hero 10 Black accessories also work with earlier models of GoPro action cams. Check out the compatibility line in each of the listings for GoPro Hero 10 accessories to see if it will work with the GoPro camera you currently use.

GoPro Hero 10 Overview

GoPro Hero 10 Overview

You may be wondering if you want to upgrade to the GoPro Hero 10 or you may be new to GoPro action cameras and are deciding which camera to choose. Here are some specs:

  • 5.3K/60 and 4K/120 video resolution
  • 23 MP still imaging
  • RAW file capture plus JPEG
  • Extreme low light capability
  • Hypersmooth stabilization
  • Waterproof to 33 feet
  • Connected to the cloud with GoPro subscription

The GoPro subscription gets you updates, unlimited cloud uploads at full resolution, and other GoPro-specific perks, so check it out as you're contemplating this camera as your next or first action cam.

Okay, now that we’re all on the same page about how usable this camera is, let’s look at the best GoPro Hero 10 accessories that will enable us to get the most out of all of these features. 

Another thought to consider about finding, buying, and using the best GoPro Hero 10 accessories, it’s your skill and vision that allows you to capture interesting footage. These GoPro Hero 10 accessories make certain aspects of that capturing either easier to do or make the camera’s capabilities work better.

GoPro Protective Housing

GoPro Protective Housing

While the camera is already waterproof down to 33 feet (10 meters), many sports divers and professionals will routinely dive much deeper than that. The GoPro Protective Housing will let you go as deep as 60 meters (196 feet) while still having access to all of the normal camera controls.

A housing is also a great idea for above water extreme activities such as mountain biking, motocross, snow skiing, and aerial sports such as skydiving or paragliding. It adds an extra layer of protection from debris and any hard landings regardless of the activity.

OctoPad Universal Stability Mount

OctoPad Universal Stability Mount

One of the best GoPro Hero 10 accessories (or for any camera) is the OctoPad Universal Stability Mount. It is a weighted disk with a ¼-20 screw on top that can take a camera directly, though most of us would likely use the included ball head or an optional extension arm. (You will need a GoPro tripod adapter, see my last item on this list.)

One of the best things about the OctoPad is that it has a non-slip pad on the bottom of the slightly flexible weighted disk body of the mount. What that does is allow for placement of your action cam on virtually any type of surface even if it’s angled up to 45 degrees. 

OctoPad Universal Stability Mount 2

Since many people end up using their GoPro as the go-to video camera for any vlogs they create (because of the 5.3K video), being able to place the camera anywhere they go is a huge boon for creating good-looking, interesting footage. Use 2 or 3 of these OctoPads for adding a video light or a directional external microphone to make your videos even more professionally produced.

The price is low, the OctoPad can fit in many camera sling packs or backpacks, and it gives exceptional support to cameras as large as Full Frame DSLRs, so you’ll end up using it as more than an action cam mount. It’s one of my personal favorite GoPro Hero 10 accessories.

Learn More:

Neewer 50-in-1 Accessory Kit

Neewer 50 in 1 Accessory Kit

No matter what I’m looking for, I always see something that would work for video from the Neewer brand, GoPro Hero 10 accessories are not an exception. 

The relatively low cost for all of the stuff included is a definite plus. The Neewer 50-in-1 Accessory Kit includes head, chest, and wrist straps, a handlebar mount, a selfie stick, a floating handle, and several other pieces useful as GoPro Hero 10 accessories.

GoPro Media Mod

GoPro Media Mod

If you’re like me, you will be using your GoPro as a regular tool for creating all sorts of videos in addition to action sequences. A GoPro even makes a good B-Roll camera for full video productions with its 5.5K and 4K recording.

The GoPro Media Mod will be one of your heavily used GoPro Hero 10 accessories for these types of stations since it adds better audio capability with the directional mic as well as 2 cold shoes for additional videography tools, a 3.5mm mic port, and an HDMI output.

GoPro Floaty

GoPro Floaty

The GoPro Floaty is a must-have item of GoPro Hero 10 accessories for any use on the water that doesn’t involve diving under the water. It floats, it’s bright orange, and it will also add an extra layer of cushioning to the camera. 

INKEE Falcon Plus Gimbal Stabilizer

INKEE Falcon Plus Gimbal Stabilizer

Sometimes you simply need a powered gimbal for smoothing out your handheld motion sequences. The INKEE Falcon Plus Gimbal Stabilizer is small, uses a rechargeable battery, and designed to fit with the Media Mod. It’s quick enough for sports action and is a great choice for GoPro Hero accessories that can improve your vlogging.

HSU GoPro Tripod Adapter

HSU GoPro Tripod Adapter

The majority of GoPro Hero 10 accessories meant for stability make use of the special GoPro mounting system. If you need to mount your GoPro on a tripod or monopod, the HSU GoPro Tripod Adapter is the best method. 

It’s aluminum, and I like to get the brightly colored ones so I can find them easily when I’m on the go. This is what you will need in order to use the OcoPad mentioned above, by the way.

GoPro Hero 10 Accessories

What GoPro Hero 10 accessories have you found to be indispensable? Drop us a line or post it on our Facebook page or in our message board! 

Learn More:



We Recommend


Top Unusual GoPro Accessories

top unusual gopro accessoriesPhoto by lzf via iStock

Can you believe it's been 15 years since the first GoPro went on the market?

Crazy, right?

In the decade-and-a-half since, GoPros have become the most recognized action camera in the world. Their durability, functionality, battery life, and other features have made leaps and bounds over the years to make GoPros fully-featured video and still cameras.

What's also changed a lot is the accessories you can buy for GoPros. It used to be a selection of suction cup mounts and harnesses. That's no longer the case.

So, I thought I'd take a look at some of the unusual GoPro accessories on the market that make GoPros even more functional.

Table of Contents

Hazard 4® Cyclone™

As much as GoPros have improved over the years, there is no denying the tiny, ultra reflective screen. That glare in the sun makes it annoying to compose your shots, and can cause significant eye strain too. Throw in blowing water, sand, or snow, and you have a situation in which it's virtually impossible to see what you're framing up.

But now there's a real solution to this issue - the Hazard 4® Cyclone™ optical viewfinder.

Not only does this patent-pending device block out the bright sun so you can actually see the GoPro's screen, but it magnifies that small screen to give you a better look at the details.

Additionally, the Cyclone™ protects the GoPro screen from the elements, avoiding scratches and other damage that makes the screen even more difficult to see.

Speaking of the elements, it’s waterproof in rain or snow, and durable for a go-anywhere addition to your GoPro.

Hazard 4® took care to design this device in a way that it is easy to mount to your action cam. It takes just seconds to mount it to your GoPro's bottom screw, enabling you to quickly review the scene and get your shots without missing any action.

What makes the Cyclone™ unusual is that it isn't just a viewfinder.

Instead, you can tilt it downward and use it as a handle, which keeps your fingers out of the frame so you can get clean, unobstructed shots. And with an inexpensive add-on, you can head mount the Cyclone™ for occasions when you need your hands free.

cyclone collapsible

It collapses down for transport. Heck, this thing can even be used as a mini tripod if need be!

With a diopter focus for getting a crystal-clear view, a tether loop for keeping this gadget close-by, and a high-vis, self-closing cap to protect the lens, the Cyclone™ just doesn't quit with innovative and unusual features that greatly increase the functionality of your GoPro.

Learn more about the Hazard 4® Cyclone™

Octopus.Camera OctoPad

octopad top unusual gopro accessories

One of the most interesting and unusual GoPro accessories I got my hands on this year is this little fella, the Octopus.Camera OctoPad.

What I've found is that this gadget is a much better alternative than more traditional suction cup mounts for my GoPro.

That's because it has a weighted anti-slip mat to help keep it in place, even when the going gets rough.

In fact, I mount my GoPro to my OctoPad and put it on my dashboard to use as a dashcam, and it stays in plays - even when I go offroad.

Aside from its ability to stay put, OctoPad doesn't wither under the weight of my GoPro like some mini tripods have done in years past.

And with a 1/4-20 threaded male bolt, the OctoPad enables me to add accessories for recording videos, like my LitraTorch 2.0 (discussed below).

But the OctoPad isn't just for using with a GoPro. You can use it as a light stand, a microphone stand, a stand for your smartphone, and even as a support device for a compact camera.

OctoPad is easy to use and easy to transport, too. It takes up next to no space in my camera bag, and it has a built-in grommet for carrying it with a lanyard.

There's even a cable strap to keep your camera cables and accessory cables out of your shots. Nice!

OctoPad is durable, functional, and has tons of uses. It's also budget-friendly! If that isn't a great combination of features for a GoPro accessory, I don't know what is.

Learn more about the Octopus.Camera OctoPad

HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount

The great thing about the HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount is that you can use it in a variety of ways, depending on what the situation calls for.

It's a fantastic grip for shooting handheld video, but it also deploys as a stand to act like a mini tripod (as shown above). It even comes with an elastic cord for lashing it to objects like trees or fenceposts to get hands-free video and stills with your GoPro.

So whether you're indoors or out, stationary or on the move, the HandlePod can help you get steady and stable video with your GoPro.

Learn more about the HandlePod 3-Axis Action Camera Mount

LitraTorch 2.0 

As I mentioned earlier, I often use a light with my GoPro, and that light is the tiny, yet powerful LitraTorch 2.0.

At just 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.65 inches and weighing 3.17 ounces, this is the perfect light to use with a GoPro.

In terms of portability, you just can't beat this thing!

This light has 16 LEDs that offer 100, 450, or 800 lumens depending on what you need for the shot.

Regardless of the lumen output, you’ll get clean, crisp, flicker-free light with a 70-degree beam angle. As you’d expect from Litra, this light offers a CRI of 90+ and a TLCI of 92.

You can use the light on its low setting for up to four hours or get about 35 minutes of output on the maximum brightness.

It’s also waterproof to 60 feet in case you need to do a little scuba diving, has a magnet for easily attaching to metal surfaces, and two ¼-20 mounts too.

The LitraTorch 2.0 is simply a versatile, do-anything light, and is the ideal pairing with a versatile, do-anything camera like the GoPro!

Learn more about the LitraTorch 2.0

GOWORX GoKnuckles

goworx goknuckles

What might be the most unusual GoPro accessory on this list is the GOWORX GOKnuckles pictured above.

This unique handheld mount certainly won't go anywhere thanks to its interlocking design.

The patented design connects with your fingers so you get reliable and secure hands-free performance while you're skiing, paragliding, snorkeling, skating, and so forth.

The durable rubberized plastic construction is safe in fresh and saltwater, sand, snow, and other elements.

You can use the mount on either hand for low-profile, hassle-free performance with your GoPro.

And since it's just 5.5-inches long and weighs 3 ounces, it's a GoPro accessory you can easily throw in your camera back and take on every adventure!

Learn more about the GOWORX GoKnuckles

Wiral LITE Cable Cam System

innovative camera accessories wiral lite 

Another one of my favorite and unusual GoPro accessories is the Wiral LITE Cable Cam system.

Cable cam systems aren’t anything new, but what makes this one so unique is how small, lightweight, and easy to set up it is.

In fact, one of the most unusual features of this rig is that it takes about three minutes to set up. Crazy!

The Wiral Lite includes just three components - the main unit (shown above), the remote control, and the quick reel rope system.

The whole thing is tiny and super portable, so it's easy to take along with you on your adventures with your GoPro.

It has a payload of up to 3.3 pounds, so it has more than enough capacity for your Hero 6, 7, or 8.

The cable itself is incredibly innovative, too.

The unit comes with 164 feet of rope (or you can get an optional 328-foot length if need be) so you can send your GoPro over just about any span you want.

The thinness of the rope is absolutely incredible - it’s just 0.1 inches thick. It can be that thin because Wiral uses UHMWPE ultra static rope that’s incredibly lightweight without sacrificing payload capacity or safety.

It really is quite a marvel, which you can see in my video above. I think we got some pretty darn good footage myself!

Learn more about the Wiral LITE Cable Cam System



We Recommend


Tricks for Shooting B-Roll Solo

Tricks for Shooting B Roll Solo

Photo by Kyle Loftus from Pexels

If you’re reading this article, you must be wondering how best to capture B-roll. Especially if you are a one-man production team, shooting B-roll solo may seem to be a bit challenging.  

There is a very simple method that can be used when shooting B-roll solo to ensure you have viable footage that can be edited in later to your production. Two methods, actually. 

We’ll talk about the two I consider the most useful, and how to shoot B-roll with both methods. 

What Is B-Roll?

shooting b roll 1

Photo by Kyle Loftus from Pexels

First off, let’s quickly review what B-Roll is and why it is an important concept for video projects.  

The sole purpose of shooting B-Roll is to add to the story already being told by your primary video footage. B-roll by itself isn’t capable of fully telling the story. But adding it to A-roll, whatever story you are telling is fleshed out, enhanced, and made more clear. 

B-Roll makes your videos more viewable. If you were to look on YouTube right now for videos of the subject you are wanting to film yourself, you will see many videos shot from a very basic, one camera perspective. Which is fine, especially if that one camera point of view is properly lit, steady, in focus…

Shooting B-Roll footage to add in makes the final video more appealing in many cases. It’s what people are used to seeing on TV, even in short commercials, so your film having B-Roll makes an impression of being shot by a professional. In the long run, this can give your YouTube channel more subscriptions and each video more views.

 

Recommended Videography Reading:

 

Method One - Shoot It Later 

shooting b roll 2

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels 

The easiest way to gather B-Roll is to simply shoot your B-Roll right after you film your primary footage. 

A benefit of this method is that it doesn’t require any additional gear. Disadvantages of this method include the fact that things move, people get antsy and don’t want to stick around, and lighting conditions, especially if outside, can change significantly. 

This is a valid method, though. It can give you workable B-Roll many times, but you really do need to work at keeping it fresh if you're filming other people. 

Learn More:

Method Two - Shooting B-Roll At the Same Time

Tricks for Shooting B Roll Solo 1

 photo by castenoid via iStock 

Well, how are you going to do this with one camera? You won’t, this method requires a second camera. However, you don’t have to have a movie studio budget to shoot with two or more cameras. Many photographers already have multiple cameras, but we tend to gravitate toward using our newest or best camera for shooting video. 

Think about this: you may still have the entry-level camera you started with in your gear bag. Maybe you held onto it as a backup camera. Well, this is a good opportunity to dig it out of the bottom of your bag and make use of whatever video mode it has.

shooting b roll solo 3

 photo by Dmitrii Guldin via iStock 

Perhaps the perfect camera for shooting B-Roll is your action cam. Advantages of shooting B-Roll with GoPro or other brands of action cam include the already excellent video capabilities of the GoPro, the small size of action cams, and that they are usually simple to set up for remote use. 

You could probably just open your gear kit and set up for shooting B-Roll right now. All the GoPro video tips you’ve already learned apply to using your action cam for shooting B-Roll video.

Simple B-Roll Video Gear

shooting b roll with gopro 4

As an example of what gear you need to start shooting B-Roll with GoPro style cameras, check out this idea of a simple rig you may already own.

An excellent camera choice for anyone looking for an action cam is the GoPro HERO 8 Black. It is one of the most full-featured GoPro cameras and it is very easy to capture high-quality video remotely. If you don’t already own this action camera, it’s budget-friendly and simple to set up and use.  

gopro video tips 5

For your lighting, the LitraTorch LitraPro battery-powered LED continuous light is usable either on camera, paired with a GoPro on a small bracket, or used separately. It has the ability to be controlled from a smartphone app and the battery lasts from 1 hour on high to up to 10 hours on low for extended shooting.  

what is b roll 6

Well, that’s the camera and lighting, now how do we use these to capture B-Roll as we’re engaged in our primary filming?

OctoPad to the rescue! The OctoPad camera and accessory mounting system is one of my favorite new tools in my gear bag. I use it for virtually all the styles of photography and videography I do. 

The combination of the GoPro HERO 8, LitraTorch LitraPro, and Octopad and make it virtually effortless to get great footage when shooting B-Roll solo because these are all very small, quite easy to use, and extremely functional.

B-Roll is How We Roll

how to shoot b roll 7

Gathering B-Roll is one of the biggest things you can do as a videographer to improve your finished video productions. Of course, you also want to learn about lighting techniques, camera supports, editing programs, and advanced camera operations.

Editing is going to be a key skill for finishing your videos in a way that results in a project that looks like a professionally made film. Shooting B-Roll with GoPro type action cams is another key factor in creating videos and vlogs that people will enjoy and will come back for more. 

You don’t need to hire out for additional people - you can do it all yourself. Shooting B-Roll solo and adding that footage to your finished productions will result in fantastic videos. Try it out for yourself! 

Learn More:

 



We Recommend


Understanding Photography Composition Techniques: Tips for Framing Your Shots

Understanding Photography Composition Techniques Tips for Framing Your Shots

Photo by Anton_Sokolov via iStock

Composition in photography is a fascinating subject. There are several photography composition techniques you are probably already using. Concepts such as the Rule of Thirds, Curves, and Leading Lines are common and easy to implement. 

Some other composition techniques for photography might be less familiar, such as the Golden Spiral, Negative Space, Symmetry and Asymmetry, and Centering. Whether you shoot mainly portraits, landscapes, weddings, or products, you are using photography composition techniques all the time.

Other photography composition techniques don’t necessarily fit into those categories I listed above, but it is still important to know when and how to use them. Framing your shots is what I’ll present in this discussion.

Table of Contents:

Photography Composition Techniques - Framing

Photography Composition Techniques Framing

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Framing as one of the photography composition techniques is how we draw attention to the subject. It’s also how we decide what is in the view of the image we capture and what isn’t. Framing can also be described as placing the main subject in relation to other minor subject elements.

I like to take all of those into consideration. After a while of doing this, it pretty much becomes second nature to mix and max these ideas of photography composition techniques. All you really have to do is watch what’s in your viewfinder as you’re using your other composition techniques for photography.

One important thing to remember with your framing composition in photography is what shape and aspect ratio your final image will be. Horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait) orientation, square or rectangle, and 3:2, 4:3, or 5:4 aspect ratio are things to keep in mind.  

You don’t want to lose part of your in-camera framing by having to crop to change the aspect ratio. Such as, you filled the frame of your Full Frame or APS-C format camera with your composition, but you need to print it out as an 8X10 enlargement. This changes the aspect ratio from 3:2 to 5:4, meaning some things on the edges could get cropped out. 

I keep the gridlines turned on in my viewfinder and viewscreen, which helps out in many ways. It helps me keep my camera level, lets me see how my composition is doing, and reminds me that the viewfinder edges may not exactly correspond to my final image. It keeps me on my toes!

Photography Composition Techniques - Equipment

Octopad

There are two pieces of equipment that I use a lot for using framing in photography composition techniques: dual shutter releases and a camera mount. 

The dual shutter releases will be found primarily on cameras at intermediate, advanced, and professional levels, either built into the camera or on an additional battery pack. It makes it easier to compose and frame in portrait or landscape orientation. 

A camera mount like the low-cost and compact Octopad is invaluable as a tool for framing. Instead of a tripod, I carry one or two of these on many of my photo treks for work or fun. I haven’t put away my tripods because I need them for certain situations. But when the situation allows, I enjoy using my Octopad camera mounts.

Super compact, I can fit them in my camera bag or camera backpack. Octopad is a weighted disk of heavy-duty material that has a very slight bit of flex to it. Underneath is a non-slip pad, and on top is a screw for a ball head or an extension arm. 

I can use my Octopad indoors and outdoors, plus it can hold my camera on uneven surfaces, such as I might encounter outdoors or inside in a venue I don’t control. It will even hold my camera on a surface angled up to 45 degrees! Besides my camera, I also use them to hold an LED light or an external mic if I’m recording video.

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Framing Landscapes

Framing Landscapes

Photo by tobiasjo via iStock

When framing landscapes, I look within the scene for any naturally occurring boundaries. This could be a shoreline, the edge of a forest, or a rock face. Once out in the field, you’ll see many natural boundaries. 

I’ll mentally butt up against one of those boundaries as I use my other photography composition techniques. It’s a good idea to change up sides as well as backing out a bit from the edge to make sure you have room for whatever cropping you may be doing for the finished image.

Framing Portraits

Framing Portraits

Photo by filadendron via iStock

Framing portraits often has me adjusting between portrait and landscape orientation as I search for the best composition or something a little different.  

Those same ideas I use for framing landscape photography also come into play for portraits. Whether indoors or out, there are many naturally occurring borders to make use of. You can add props for those borders if you’re in an environment with more control, such as your home studio.

Shooting environmental portraits will allow for many options for framing, and group portraits might even use the number of people to create framing options, such as a wedding party framing the happy couple. Try out several ideas as you mix and match framing and the other photography composition techniques you regularly use.

Framing for Stock Photos

Framing for Stock Photos

Photo by miniseries via iStock

Shooting for stock agencies adds its own ideas and challenges concerning framing. Wherever you can, try to capture several images of the same subject but with that subject in different areas of the frame. Also, it’s a good idea to include negative space in our framing composition. 

This gives our images a higher chance of being chosen since whoever is considering them can choose our file defending their editorial use. Ad copy is a major consideration for stock agency buyers. Giving them several options from which to choose is a smart way to shoot for stock images.

Frame Within a Frame

Frame Within a Frame

Photo by FG Trade via iStock

Among the more fun framing ideas in photography composition techniques is to use a frame within a frame. This idea works with portraits, landscapes, street photography, architectural studies, nude and glamor photography, sports photography, and product advertising.

Here’s how you make it work: look for those borders and boundary lines that exist in a lot of scenes and put the main subject INSIDE those boundaries. As in the image above, it can be as simple as posing the portrait subject in a window frame.

We’re not limited to only portrait subjects for frame within a frame; it works great for landscapes, too. It’s not posted here, but one of my favorite images of the Colorado Rocky Mountains is on I-70, just a few miles from Denver. I framed the mountain peaks underneath an overpass. Simple, true, but I love it. It’s hanging on my office wall as a large metal print!

The bottom line is that framing as part of our photography composition techniques and tools is valuable and necessary. Use these simple to implement ideas and enjoy your portraits, landscapes, and other images that you purposefully framed in-camera and afterward in post-processing cropping.

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Use Artificial Light for Landscape Photography? Yes, You Can!

Use Artificial Light for Landscape Photography Yes You Can

Photo by MarinMtk via iStock

Landscape photography covers a large array of ideas for interesting, compelling, and gorgeous images. Adding artificial light for landscape photography is one such idea that deserves a look.

What would you use artificial light for landscape photography? What type of landscape photography lighting gear is useful? I’ll answer these questions and also give some helpful tips about using artificial light for landscape photography. 

Table of Contents:

Why Use Artificial Light for Landscape Photography?

Why Use Artificial Light for Landscape Photography

Photo by Tycson1 via iStock

The first question people will probably ask when reading this article is, “Why would we use artificial light for landscape photography?”

Two good reasons to use artificial light for landscape photography are to create or enhance foreground interest and to balance out contrast extremes. Let’s take these one at a time.

Artificial Light for Landscape Photography - Foreground Interest

Artificial Light for Landscape Photography Foreground Interest

Photo by simonmayer via iStock

Adding artificial light for landscape photography works fantastically for creating or enhancing foreground interest. It can also highlight aspects of the scene elsewhere in the frame, such as an off-center element. 

This technique is especially useful when the foreground subject you want to use as an important part of the composition is backlit or otherwise too dimly lit to impact the photo.

Here’s how to do it: Set up your scene as you normally would, adjusting the exposure to capture the landscape. Then, add a light for the foreground subject. While your camera’s built-in flash may work in some instances, you’ll likely need something more powerful or closer to the subject for situations like this.

Many digital camera systems have amazingly accurate and versatile flash units that work with the camera’s AF and metering system to perfectly balance the combined exposure. 

Here is a nice YouTube video from Øyvind Martinsen showing how to use fill flash as artificial light for landscape photography: 

Sometimes, you won’t want a perfectly balanced exposure but rather a foreground subject that pops out at you. A small, portable LED light source is a better choice in these situations. A camera mount system like the Octopad is handy for this use, whether for a foreground subject or something else in the frame.

A handheld LED light or a flashlight can be used to create a light painting within a landscape image. This technique is usually best when the ambient light is very low, such as during Blue Hour, twilight, or fully dark nighttime.

Artificial Light for Landscape Photography - Balance Contrast

Artificial Light for Landscape Photography Balance Contrast

Photo by kevron2001 via iStock

Situations for using artificial light in landscape photography will often be similar to the above situations. Instead of highlighting the foreground objects, however, we blend in and balance the artificial light with the natural or ambient light.

The automated flash systems on the camera or the LED lights placed near the subject could be utilized for this style of using artificial light for landscape photography. To fine-tune exposures, you can also use some of the controls in post-processing programs such as Lightroom or Luminar.

Types of Artificial Light for Landscape Photography

Types of Artificial Light for Landscape Photography

I use three types of artificial light for landscape photography. 

A large reflector can be used to modify light, directing reflected light toward the subject that needs illumination. An on-camera flash unit is a simple method for adding light that can work with your camera’s automation.

The third type of artificial light for landscape photography, a portable LED light, is what I consider the most versatile. Battery-powered LED lights for photography can be placed anywhere you need them, the power level is adjustable, and many of them have controls for changing the color temperature of the light emitted to match what’s already in the scene.

Useful Accessories for Landscape Photography Lighting

Useful Accessories for Landscape Photography Lighting

For many of the situations in which we need to add artificial light for landscape photography, we also need that light to be placed off-camera.

Octopad is the most useful light holder for landscape photography lighting due to its unique combination of features. 

The first feature I like to highlight is that it can go anywhere. Octopad is a semi-rigid, weighted disk made of heavy-duty material with a non-slip pad on the bottom. With this construction, it can be placed on any surface, even if that surface is angled up to 45 degrees. 

Octopad has a ball head on top that can also be combined with an extension arm if more height is needed. It’s easy to carry in a camera backpack, and since it’s low-priced, you can keep two or more on hand for using several lights. It can also be used as a tripod alternative to hold a camera and lens, or it can hold a remote microphone for videography.

Photo Ideas Using Artificial Light for Landscape Photography

Photo Ideas Using Artificial Light for Landscape Photography

Photo by Adventure_Photo via iStock

Your creative brain is already working, creating all sorts of situations in which you could use artificial light for landscape photography. 

One situation that often arises is shooting into the sun's direction for whatever artistic reason you’re employing. This leaves the foreground parts of the scene pretty much backlit or falling into shadow. 

Light painting, either extreme or subtle, is a fantastic use of artificial light for landscape photography. It can be quite striking when used as an art form in its own right, but I think the subtle use of light painting often creates a beautiful landscape with clearly defined objects throughout the scene. 

Let’s not forget environmental portraiture. What better way to create an environmental portrait than to put the subject in the environment and use them as part of the landscape? 

Architectural subjects, such as abandoned structures in rural areas, can also be great subjects for using artificial light in landscape photography. If you put your mind to it, you’ll come up with dozens of other ideas for landscape photography lighting.

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Versatile Camera Gear You Need in Your Bag

Versatile Camera Gear You Need in Your Bag

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As you get more comfortable in your photography, growing in skills, artistry, and technique, you find yourself wondering if certain tasks or methods could be better or more easily accomplished with the right photography gear additions. 

You don’t need to add camera gear simply for the sake of having more toys (but what’s wrong with that?), but there are certain items of versatile camera gear that can assist you without being big, pricey, or difficult to learn.

As we look at this versatile camera gear, remember that it’s your skill and artistic eye that is most important, camera gear simply allows you to take advantage of your abilities. 

What’s in Your Bag Now?

versatile camera gear

 photo byMakidotvn via iStock

Camera gear for beginners is pretty versatile camera gear already. Look at your camera, it can take full resolution RAW files and smaller Jpegs for still images and also record video. It likely has a built-in flash, built-in microphone, and image stabilization.

The kit lens covers wide angle, normal, and short telephoto focal lengths, can focus close up for macro photography, and focuses automatically with manual override. 

Your kit may have also come with a small tripod, some basic filters, and a pretty nice bag to hold it all. Here are some ideas of other versatile camera gear you can add to your kit.

LED Light

photography gear

 photo byDmytro Varavin via iStock

A portable LED panel light that fits on camera and runs off of battery power is a useful tool for both photography and videography. Continuous is necessary for video and is useful for still photography as well, so a small LED light satisfies both ways.

Since they’re LED bulbs, these lights are very efficient allowing them to be used  with rechargeable batteries. They also run cooler than other continuous lights, making them very versatile for all sorts of subjects.

Fast Prime Lens

camera gear

 photo bydelihayat via iStock

One of the major limitations of the kit lenses included with entry level camera gear is the maximum lens aperture. A fast prime lens, such as the Nifty Fifty for Full Frame format, is more versatile camera gear for use in lower light levels or for enabling use of selective focus techniques.

The focal length of the Nifty Fifty normal lens will be different for the crop formats. MFT format would use a lens around 25mm while APS-C format normal lenses are generally 35mm. The maximum aperture of these fast prime normal lenses, regardless of the format, are usually f/2.0, f/1.8, or even f/1.4, which are about 2 or 3 stops faster than the kit lens.

Other choices for a faster than the kit lens prime focal length lens include macro lenses in the normal or close to normal focal length. A fast prime macro lens for APS-C format that is common is a 40mm f/2.8. Not as fast as the normal lenses but with the added feature of being designed for ultra close focusing.

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Camera Mount

octopad

Sometimes we need a tripod for added stability but carrying one with us all the time can prove to be tedious or cumbersome. Tripod alternatives such as the OctoPad can become extremely useful as a camera mount.

The OctoPad is so versatile because of how it's designed. It’s a small, semi-rigid disk with a non-slip pad on the bottom and a ball head or extension arm on top. It can be placed on virtually any surface up to 45 degrees and is small enough to fit in most camera bags. Except for the one that came with the kit, but we got you covered there, too.

Collapsible Reflector

camera gear for beginners

 photo byRenewer via iStock

Some portrait situations have us wishing for a way to turn our subject away from the sun to avoid those squinty eyes and harsh shadows and yet have a nice, soft light for their face. 

A collapsible reflector is what lots of photographers find to be one of the best versatile camera gear choices around. A 42 inch reflector can be folded or collapsed to fit into a small pouch only about 10 inches or so across. Being extremely portable is what makes a collapsible reflector so versatile.

Sling Pack Camera Bag

Camera Gear You Need

 photo byMikhail Dmitriev via iStock

One of the worst components of most camera kits is the small, unpadded bag it all is supposed to fit in. Another issue with most of these kit bags is that they have no place to put anything extra, such as an OctoPad, prime lens, or collapsible reflector. They also tend to be kind of tacky looking or advertising for the camera brand. 

A sling pack style camera bag is a great choice for holding your versatile camera gear because they combine the best aspects of a regular camera bag combined with a backpack. Many of these types of bags have excellent camera protection as well as being versatile in how you set them up for your own personal gear.

Use these options of versatile camera gear for beginners to enhance your artistic eye and your increasing skills as a photographer. 

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What Can I Use Instead of a Tripod to Stabilize a Camera?

What Can I Use Instead of a Tripod to Stabilize a Camera

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Modern digital cameras are incredible photography machines. In addition to their outstanding image quality, most of the DSLRs and mirrorless cameras from entry level up to professional grade have some sort of image stabilization technology that lets us take pictures in marginal lighting conditions.

But those features aren’t able to cover every situation when you may need to stabilize a camera. So, we buy tripods to hold our cameras. Sometimes, though, a tripod is either impractical or maybe we just forgot ours. What can I use instead of a tripod?

I will show you some tips, tricks, and an idea for a makeshift tripod or two that you can use to stabilize a camera.

Monopod

Monopod

Especially for outdoor photography, a good monopod is one of the most useful tools a photographer can have. I also like to use mine as a walking stick for trails or simply to climb that one hill in the neighborhood.

What is a monopod? Basically, a monopod is a one legged tripod. It’s a single pole with a tripod head on top to hold the camera. The monopod pole is usually extendable in several segments. They are lightweight, strong, and versatile.  

Monopod use is fairly straightforward, you plant the leg on the ground and you pretty much complete being the tripod with your own two legs. For using long lenses or in marginal light conditions, a monopod can provide just enough extra solidity to help stabilize a camera.

Monopods have limitations, they can’t be used for shooting situations that require absolutely no movement such as nodal point rotation for spherical panoramas, ultra long exposure photography,  or HDR photography needing perfect frame to frame registration.

OctoPad

OctoPad 1

The Octopad is a unique and useful camera mount that is a weighted semi rigid pad with a non slip bottom and a ball head on top. It is small enough, light enough, and cheap enough to be in your camera bag, car glove box, and your bicycle saddle bag.

The weighted mount can be placed on almost any type of surface up to about a 45 degree angle and stabilize a camera completely. Since it’s not super heavy and has a pretty small footprint, you  probably won’t be able to utilize a panorama mount without moving it, but it is definitely secure enough to use for low light, HDR, or ND filter long exposures.

OctoPad 2

Besides using the Octopad as a makeshift tripod camera mount, you can mount lights or other accessories with it, such as video recording on location for your YouTube channel and placing lights and a microphone exactly where you need them. 

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GorillaPod

GorillaPod

GorillaPod is actually a tripod, but with unique construction and features. It is a small table top tripod with articulated legs that can also act like a grip or clamp. Used normally, GorillaPod sits on a table or any other mostly flat surface and holds your camera with the ball head on top.

Take a close look at those legs. You can twist and coil those legs into shapes that allow for wrapping them around a fencepost, tree limb, stair railing, bike handlebars, and so on. In some of these positions, it may not be able to hold a lot of weight, but for most cameras with a kit lens attached, it’ll do just fine.

The legs are very well made and sturdy, but after a while of being used in mud, dirt, branches, and et cetera, the articulated joints get jammed up with crud making them hard to use. This will either take quite a while or some extremely hard use, so most of us will get a lot of good use out of one before this happens.

String

If you’re in a situation where you need just a little bit more stability, a ¼ - 20 thread eye bolt and a piece of string can save the day, as shown in the video above by CNET.  

Here’s how this makeshift tripod works. Screw in the eye bolt to your camera’s tripod socket, tie about 4 to 6 feet of string, twine, or fishing line to the eye part of the bolt, hold the camera up to your eye (with proper hand holding stance), and step on the string. The increased tension adds just enough stability to make possible a clean shot in marginal light.

It will take a little practice to get used to this method, but it can come in handy when you’re stuck wondering what can I use instead of a tripod to stabilize a camera. 

Furniture 

what can i use instead of a tripod

 photo byPavelIvanov via iStock

Within reason, of course. I don’t want my new camera on the arm of a rocking chair or the back of a recliner while it’s in use, but a handy ottoman, end table, or desktop can really save the day when there is no tripod or tripod alternatives handy.  

You’re stuck with whatever height and angle the furniture is, but maybe there is a stack of books nearby or a suitcase that can be placed on the table or desk or couch to act as a makeshift tripod. 

Turn Off Image Stabilization

stabilize a camera

 photo byLightFieldStudios via iStock

Whenever you do use a tripod or any of these makeshift tripod ideas, be sure to turn off the in camera image stabilization  feature. Otherwise, your camera may actually cause image blur on its own by trying to stabilize when it doesn't need to.

Keep shooting, keep looking around for alternatives to your existing gear or techniques, and give us a shout if you have another alternative or makeshift tripod. 

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What is Lifestyle Portrait Photography?

What is Lifestyle Portrait Photography

Photo by puhhha via iStock

Lifestyle portrait photography is a wonderful way to provide interesting and very personalized images for ourselves, our friends and family, and our clients. Lifestyle portrait photography can be done with simple techniques and basic equipment.

The methods and techniques used for lifestyle portrait photography include lighting configurations, lens choices, exposure and focus techniques, and both advanced and basic post-processing workflows. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents:

What Is Lifestyle Portrait Photography?

Lifestyle Portrait Photography

Photo by Cecilie_Arcurs via iStock

When we say lifestyle portrait photography, what does that mean? In most classic portrait photography, we primarily focus on posing and composition for a head and shoulders image, maybe a little closer or a little wider than that, and isolating the subject from the background.

In lifestyle portrait photography, we are concerned with telling a story or providing a visual description of the subject. This could include background and foreground elements, using deeper depth of field focus techniques, and perhaps lighting for mood. Post-processing ideas may consist of bracket and merge exposure and decreasing or increasing contrast levels.

The general idea behind lifestyle portrait photography is proving clues about who the person is, not merely what they look like. Is the person a dog lover? What could show that? Are they an artist? Do they come from a large family? What are their passions? A lifestyle portrait, also sometimes called an environmental portrait, can give a viewer a clear picture of the answers to these questions and many more.

Lifestyle Portrait Photography Gear Choices 

OctoPad Camera Mount

Since lifestyle portrait photography often shows more of a view than a fairly tightly cropped pose, lenses of wider focal lengths than the standard portrait lens short telephoto are an obvious choice, from normal for the format to wide angle. 

Ultra-fast lens apertures aren’t as important for lifestyle portraits because of usually stopping down the lens a bit for deeper depth of focus. A high-quality zoom lens is helpful for an active shooting style, something in the normal range for kit lenses, but perhaps a replacement for the kit lens with better performance, wider apertures, and a more rugged build.

Lighting configurations and longer than handheld shutter speed times may necessitate camera and light supports such as tripods, stands, or alternative mounts. Among the most useful tripod alternatives that can hold either a light or a camera is the OctoPad Camera Mount

OctoPad Camera Mount 2

OctoPad may be the best item in our gear kit for lifestyle portrait photography outside our favorite camera and the right lens. It’s a weighted disk made of heavy-duty material with a ball head on top and a non-slip pad on the bottom. It can hold a portable LED light, flash unit, or camera. 

They can sit on virtually any type of surface, even if the surface is angled up to 45 degrees. Our lifestyle portrait photography session often happens on location instead of in a controlled studio environment, so placement versatility is a huge boon. Using three Octopads, one with our camera and two with portable LED lights, is a great traveling setup for lifestyle portrait photography. 

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Photography Settings for Lifestyle Portraits

Photography Settings for Lifestyle Portraits

Photo by JGalione via iStock

What kind of camera, lens, and flash or lighting settings should we use for lifestyle portrait photography? Obviously, there will be a lot of variables involved here, but we can provide some basic guidance.

Lens choice will depend on the distance to the subject and how much besides the person you want in the image. Generally, we move away from the standard short telephoto “portrait lens” in favor of wider optics. A normal lens for our format or a moderate wide-angle works well in many instances. 

For Full Frame format, lenses like the Nifty Fifty, a 35mm semi-wide lens, or a 24 or 28mm wide angle lens. A high-quality zoom lens that covers those focal lengths is valuable and versatile. I don’t like recommending the kit lens zooms for this, even if they cover those focal lengths, primarily because the maximum aperture is so slow, especially at the telephoto end of their range. But a normal range zoom lens such as a 24-85mm or 28-105mm works well.

Moderate lens apertures produce a fair amount of depth of field at medium distances. Even though we’re stopping down the lens a bit, having a decently wide aperture assists us in focus determination and gives us more options, such as getting a selective focus head and shoulders portrait along with the lifestyle portrait we’re working on.

So, a medium distance also fits in because we are attempting to capture more in the image than just the person. Without lights, a moderate aperture in a setting for a lifestyle portrait will likely result in a slower shutter speed, so that camera mount comes in handy.  

If we try any bracket and merge HDR photography, we also need a solid spot for our camera to eliminate movement. If we opt for HDR imaging or longer exposures, we need to communicate to our lifestyle portrait photography subjects the need to stay still during the exposures.

Lighting Configurations for Lifestyle Portrait Photography

Lighting Configurations for Lifestyle Portrait Photography

Photo by katleho Seisa via iStock

We may be on site for our lifestyle portrait photography sessions, so it may seem that setting up a lighting configuration might be difficult. Still, with portable LED lights, battery-powered camera flash units, portable camera mounts, and light stands, we can light up things as easily as we can in a controlled environment like our own studio.

Many of the same lighting configurations and lighting ratios used in regular portrait photography will work just as well in many lifestyle portrait photography situations. Using two lights in a 3:1 lighting ratio works the same as in a standard portrait. Experiment with various power settings and how many lights or flash units to use. What out for reflections from items in the image view, unless you want them, of course.

Lifestyle Portrait Post-Processing

Lifestyle Portrait Post Processing

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Post-processing for lifestyle portrait photography is how you can correct for different light color temperatures, opening up or blocking up shadows and highlights, perspective correction, and any bracket and merge HDR photography. 

As with all serious photography, post-processing is best used when “tweaking” a great image into a superb one as opposed to attempting to “save” a substandard image file. Enhancement and slight corrections lead to a very natural final image.

That’s most likely what we expect when engaging in lifestyle portrait photography, a natural image, comfortable people, and a little story being told about the subject by what we have captured.

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What is the Best Camera for Landscape and Wildlife Photography?

What is the Best Camera for Landscape and Wildlife Photography

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Attention landscape and wildlife photographers! Are you looking for a new camera? Perhaps you’re new to serious landscape and wildlife photography and wondering what you should use. Whatever situation describes you, read on for recommendations for the best camera for landscape and wildlife photography. 

When I’m considering purchasing the best digital camera for landscape and wildlife photography, I immediately head over to the best online platform for finding fantastic photography gear, MPB.

MPB specializes in pre-owned photography equipment, and they do it right! MPB is run by experienced photographers and provides the best customer service for buying, selling, and trading pre-owned or used cameras, lenses, flashes, and other gear.  

Everything they sell is thoroughly inspected, and the condition is accurately described in each listing. They offer a 7-day return/exchange window and a 6-month warranty on most gear, too.

I use them all the time, and I always get a great deal on high-quality new-to-me camera gear. Now, on to my recommendations of the best camera for landscape and wildlife photography.

Table of Contents:

Features I Want From the Best Camera for Landscape and Wildlife Photography

Best Camera for Landscape and Wildlife Photography

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My biggest need and want for the best camera for landscape and wildlife photography is a great sensor. Next, I want my best digital landscape and wildlife photography camera to be rugged, durable, and dependable. Finally, I want simple and quick setup and operations. 

I’m going with a Full Frame format camera in the mirrorless style for my use. Other formats and styles are also great and perhaps even better choices for you, but I like Full Frame since there is no crop factor, it has excellent low light capabilities, and the highest resolution sensors. 

I’m choosing mirrorless for the best and most choices of lenses, including specialty and very fast lenses. Plus, a prosumer or advanced mirrorless camera is a rugged imaging machine, and full-fledged professional models are extremely durable.

A simple, intuitive set up and a workflow while using the camera are also vital for a camera to be labeled the best camera for landscape and wildlife photography by me. 

Best Camera for Landscape and Wildlife Photography - Canon EOS R5

Canon EOS R5

Drumroll!!.... My personal choice for the best camera for landscape and wildlife photography is the Canon EOS R5 Full Frame mirrorless camera. It’s easy to see why with specs like this:

  • 45 MP Full Frame sensor
  • 30 secs to 1/8000th sec shutter speeds
  • ISO 50 - 102,400
  • Up to 8 stops of stabilization
  • Weather and dust sealed
  • 100% AF coverage with 5,490 focus points
  • 8K video and oversampled 4K video
  • 12 fps cycling rate (still images)
  • Silent shutter mode
  • 2 card slots, CFE and SD
  • Long battery life (optional battery pack available)
  • Fully articulated viewscreen
  • Joystick control input
  • Accepts RF lenses, EOS lenses with an adapter, and other adapters available
  • Lightweight and compact 

Let’s talk about that sensor. A Full Frame format 45MP sensor is a beast of an imaging tool. The image files it captures in RAW are beautifully high resolution - a must-have feature for me as a best camera for landscape and wildlife photography. I can bring out all sorts of latent detail with post-processing, and the sharpness of a well-exposed and in-focus image is off the charts!

This super high-resolution sensor makes the EOS R5 an excellent video camera, too. A maximum video resolution of 8K is supplemented by oversampled 4K and up to 4K/120 for extra usability. It sets a high bar for the best digital camera for landscape and wildlife photography for still imaging and video recording. It provides performance superior to most other cameras on the market.

It is a professional-level camera, super rugged and durable, with weather and dust sealing, long battery life, and rapid and accurate AF. Canon EOS RF lenses are a perfect match, but it can also use EF lenses utilizing a Canon-made adapter that allows full functionality of older lenses. 

Best Camera for Landscape and Wildlife Photography Canon EOS R5

A huge array of lenses from the last 100 years can be mounted using several 3rd party lens adapters. That’s a bonus of mirrorless cameras that may not mean much to some, but if you dream of using a classic landscape lens like the Leitz Thambar 90mm f/2.2 on a modern camera, well, it would be a dream come true!

Using this camera is a joy due to its great control surfaces, including a small joystick for certain adjustments. The articulating rear screen doubles as a high-resolution viewscreen for high magnification focus checking and also a touch screen for menus and other controls. 

The ultra-high resolution for landscape use is supplemented by the rapid AF and 12 fps cycling rate for wildlife photography. Add the great ergonomics of the EOS R5, and you see why this is easily my choice as the best camera for landscape and wildlife photography.

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Best Camera for Landscape and Wildlife Photography - APS-C Runner-Up

Nikon D500 DSLR

Runner up for best camera for landscape and wildlife photography is the APS-C format Nikon D500 DSLR style camera. This camera captures beautiful landscape images with a 20.9MP APS-C format sensor and an ISO range of 50-164,000. Shoots video up to 4K as well. 

Professional construction, 10 fps, a 200-image RAW buffer, and excellent AF with 153 AP points mean this camera is fantastic for wildlife and sports photography. The camera is weather and dust sealed, has 2 SD card slots, and takes various Nikon F-mount lenses.

Best Camera for Landscape and Wildlife Photography - MFT Honorable Mention

Panasonic Lumix DC GH6

In the honorable mention slot for best digital camera for landscape and wildlife photography is the top-of-the-line MFT (Micro 4/3rds) format Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 mirrorless camera.

This contender in the best camera for landscape and wildlife camera contest has a super compact body taking equally compact lenses and using a 25.2MP MFT sensor. It has 315 AF points, is professionally robust, and records up to 4K video.

The Best Tripod Alternative for Wildlife and Landscape Photography

Best Tripod Alternative for Wildlife and Landscape Photography

 A tripod is very useful for holding your best camera for landscape and wildlife photography. Still, you might sometimes need to use a tripod alternative, such as the Octopad camera mount pictured above. 

Octopad is very handy because it’s small and easier to transport than a larger tripod and can be placed just about anywhere. It’s a compact disk with a little bit of heft to it. On the top is a ball head for attaching the camera, and underneath is a slightly flexible non-slip pad. 

That configuration lets you put it on uneven surfaces such as a tree stump, rock outcropping, or your vehicle's fender. The non-slip pad lets you use it on surfaces angled up to 45 degrees! This is very useful for many outdoor situations, such as wildlife with a long lens or a macro lens, motion blur landscape images, or any time you need a sturdier mount than your own hands.

An Awesome Rain Shield for Outdoor Photography

GoShelter Self Canopy

 My recommendation for protecting your camera from rain, wind, salt spray, and so on is the GoShelter Self Canopy.

It protects from all sorts of weather, rain, snow, blowing dust, and water spray from the ocean or waterfalls. It’s deep and offers protection from on three sides and above you without obstructing your view to the front.

Rain Shield for Outdoor Photography

This is a great solution when you need to stay somewhat mobile while capturing landscape or wildlife images in less-than-perfect conditions. It also folds into a compact size to easily carry in a bag or a backpack.

Other camera protection solutions are cumbersome and restrict your ability to access the camera’s controls (and they don’t protect you). Thus the benefit of the GoShelter - you get protection for yourself, protection for your gear, and you have unencumbered access to your camera. Nice! You can even get $15 off your order at the moment if you use the PT1Umbrella coupon code. Get protection from the elements and save money at the same time!

One Bag to Hold Them All

Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW II

 An excellent choice to carry your best camera for landscape and wildlife photography into the great outdoors is the Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW II backpack-style camera bag. Developed by Lowepro, a premier camera bag maker for professional and other serious photographers, this bag is roomy enough for all your gear needed for a good photo trek and is super comfortable.

Now that you’ve seen my recommendations for gear and the best camera for landscape and wildlife photography, what will you end up with? If you get it from MPB, you’ll have a great camera at a great price and real peace of mind.

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When is Low-Angle Landscape Photography Appropriate?

When is Low Angle Landscape Photography Appropriate

Photo by borchee via iStock

Low-angle landscape photography is a proven method for creating or including foreground interest in landscape photography. There are other good reasons why you should use low-angle landscape photography that can be incorporated into your general landscape photography.

Join me as I discuss when to try low-angle views in your landscape photography, how to capture low-angle landscape photography, what equipment is useful for it, and some other general landscape photography tips.  

Table of Contents:

What Is Low-Angle Landscape Photography?

What Is Low Angle Landscape Photography

Photo by cinoby via istock

Let’s describe what low-angle landscape photography is. Many times, when we’re out taking pictures of anything, we are standing up, and our camera is at eye level. 

Even when using a heavy-duty tripod for my landscape photography, I often find myself setting up the tripod so that the camera height is close to my head, maybe lower. So, many photographs get made with the camera and lens about 72” inches (5 feet) above ground, give or take a foot.

I define low-angle landscape photography as deliberately setting up my camera rig at a significantly lower height than 4 to 6 feet above ground level. I would consider anything from right on the ground to about 2 or 3 feet up as low-angle photography.

Here’s another thought about low-angle landscape photography: it doesn’t always mean I’m pointing the camera upward from that position. I could be shooting down from that low level or straight across at a subject. As you can see, photography method and technique definitions can be quite fluid.

When To Use Low-Angle Landscape Photography

When To Use Low Angle Landscape Photography

Photo by Stephen Harker via iStock

So then, when would I be using low-angle landscape photography techniques, setting up at a much lower level than head or shoulder height? 

As I mentioned in the introduction, low-angle landscape photography is a great technique for creating or capturing foreground interest in landscape photography. Foreground interest is when a subject nearer to the camera position either dominates or balances the image's composition. 

An example of this can be seen in the image of tumbleweeds in irrigation wheels above. There is a lot of foreground interest, and the lowered position of the camera accentuates it. It would still work if taken at eye level; low-angle makes the foreground interest dominant.

Adding to our landscape photography tips, the leading lines composition technique is another good time to be using low-angle landscape photography. In the image below, notice how the gentle curve of the rocks leads you from the front of the scene to the mountain in the back, all of it tied together in harmony by low-angle camera placement. It has leading lines, S-curves, foreground interest, rule of thirds, negative space, symmetry/asymmetry, and color contrasts, all in one image.

When To Use Low Angle Landscape Photography 2

Photo by july7th via iStock 

As mentioned earlier, we’re not always pointing up or straight across from the lower-level camera placement; sometimes, we’re pointing down. Macro photography is a prime example of this. Macro imaging can be a regular part of low-angle landscape photography, whether with a special-purpose macro lens or an all-around lens with close-focus capability.

What Equipment Is Helpful for Low-Angle Photography?

What Equipment Is Helpful for Low Angle Photography

Let’s look at some equipment ideas for your low-angle landscape photography. I’ll separate it into two major categories: camera stabilization and lens choices.

Few tools beat a good tripod for camera stabilization in low-angle landscape photography. I like the heavier-duty versions with horizontally adjustable center columns and independently adjustable leg angles.

Sometimes, the best camera mount for many low-angle landscape photography is a well-thought-out tripod alternative, such as the Octopad camera mount.

Octopad is unique in the world of tripod alternatives in that it is almost universally applicable as a camera-holding tool. It is a small but weighty semi-solid disk of heavy-duty material with a screw post on top and a non-slip pad underneath. 

What Equipment Is Helpful for Low Angle Photography 2

A medium-sized ball and socket head is usually attached on that top screw post (¼-20). You can add an extension arm between the disk and the head if you need a little more height or adjustment for odd-angle placement. 

The bottom of the disk is pretty solid but has a very slight amount of give so it can be placed on less than even surfaces. The non-slip pad means that the surface you’re putting the camera rig on can be angled up to 45 degrees without the rig sliding on you.

What Equipment Is Helpful for Low Angle Photography 3

Octopad is a tool I use all the time for low-angle landscape photography, GND filters, macro photography, and anytime and anywhere a tripod won’t work. It can also be used for holding portable lights. Videography uses include optimal placement of a microphone.

It’s compact enough to fit into a camera backpack and, to complete the awesomeness of this handy tool, it’s low priced.

Lens choices are varied; many low-angle landscape photography images can be captured with lenses you already own. Normal focal lengths to wide-angle lenses seem to work the best for the ideas we come up with for low-angle photography. With these lens focal lengths, you can stop the aperture and use deep depth of field to include foreground interest.

Macro lenses that focus ultra close and have optical corrections for those focus distances can be found in focal lengths ranging from normal to short telephoto. A lot of nature photographers find the longer focal length macro lenses allow for adding light or for being at a reasonable shooting distance, but whatever you need or want will be an excellent choice.

How To Capture Low-Angle Landscape Photography

How To Capture Low Angle Landscape Photography

Photo by franckreporter via iStock

One of the most useful features of digital cameras for low-angle landscape photography is the rear viewscreen, especially if it tilts out. In many low-angle photography situations, whether inside a studio or outdoors for low-angle landscape photography, the camera position makes it difficult to be up at the camera eyepiece.

Using a wired or wireless remote to trigger the camera shutter, simply fold out or tilt the rear view screen so that you can clearly see the image you’re photographing. If your camera’s viewscreen isn’t articulated or tilting, it is still helpful in that it’s much larger than the eyepiece and can be seen from an angle.

To figure out when to try low-angle views, look up from where you’re taking pictures and see if a different viewpoint makes a better image. Squat down, look around, and exhaust all of the angles. Then, use the landscape techniques you already know; just do it from less than eye-level height.

General Landscape Photography Tips

General Landscape Photography Tips

Photo by narvikk via iStock

Shooting in RAW, using a lower ISO if possible, and knowing the sweet-spot aperture of your lenses are some general landscape photography tips I like to repeat for anyone newer to the fun field of landscape and nature photography. 

Check out our many articles for specific ideas and improvement of techniques and skills. You will also enjoy this instructional video from the Gary Gough YouTube channel covering basic landscape photography techniques:

Many of these low-angle landscape photography tips are the regular landscape photography tips you already know and use; we’re just applying them to low-level imaging. Keep doing what you’re already doing; just do it from down there for low-angle landscape photography.

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Which Types of Action Camera Mount Do You Need?

Which Types of Action Camera Mount Do You Need

Photo by Onfokus via iStock

Thanks to their size, image quality, durability, versatility, and price, action cameras are becoming more and more popular every year. Another perk of action cameras is their compatibility with tons of amazing mounts!

In this article, we’ll explore different types of action camera mounts to discover which ones are best for you and your needs. We’ll take an in-depth look at an action camera tripod, action camera chest mount, action camera water mount, and action camera car mount. You’ll learn the benefits of each and what types of photography/videography they’re best suited for. 

We will use GoPro as an example action camera since their action cams are currently the most popular on the market. However, as you are reading, please keep in mind that every action camera mount discussed below is compatible with nearly any action camera. With that in mind, it’s time to determine which ones you need for your camera kit!

Table of Contents

An Action Camera Mount for Low-Angle Photos and Videos

An Action Camera Mount for Low Angle Photos and Videos

 Our top choice for creating low-angle photo and video content is the OctoPad. It’s a one-of-a-kind action camera tripod compatible with all action cameras, digital cameras, smartphones, and more. Its unique design ensures it always remains sturdy, even on sloping, uneven, and wet/slippery surfaces. 

We have tested various other suction cup supports and action camera tripods, and none offer the stability the OctoPad provides. Furthermore, its compact, lightweight, and durable design is unbeatable. It folds up super small when not in use and takes up nearly no space in a purse, backpack, or suitcase. This portability makes it perfect for traveling and everyday use.

In addition to travel photography and videography, the OctoPad is a great choice for portrait, architecture, and adventure content. All of which look great when captured at a low angle. You can also use it to hold camera accessories like external microphones, lights, monitors, and gimbals. 

An Action Camera Mount for POV Photos and Videos

An Action Camera Mount for POV Photos and Videos

 For POV (Point of View) photos and videos, our go-to action camera mount is the GoPro Performance Chest Mount. It’s extremely comfortable, easy to get in and out of, and adjustable for all body types. Moreover, its innovative design ensures it doesn’t bounce or move around when you wear it, leading to sharper photos and smoother videos.

The GoPro Performance chest mount is ideal for action sports like biking, skiing, and hiking. Some of the most epic POV shots we’ve ever recorded were with the help of this action camera chest mount. Alternatively, it’s a good hands-free solution for vloggers who need to use their hands for other things.

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An Action Camera Mount for Water

An Action Camera Mount for Water

 One of the best things about action cameras is that they are waterproof, which allows you to capture underwater photos and videos like never before. When swimming, though, the last thing you want to happen is to accidentally drop your camera and have it sink to the bottom of the ocean—enter the GoPro Handler.

It’s a floating hand grip that eliminates the risk of losing your action camera and makes it easy to shoot beautiful, smooth content. Additionally, it features a non-slip construction that feels comfortable in the hands and makes it more secure. For extra peace of mind, it has a wrist strap lanyard.

The handler is perfect for water activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, kayaking, wakeboarding, etc. You can also use it out of the water as a small selfie stick or to reduce camera shake when recording videos. If you want an even smaller action camera mount for water, consider the GoPro Floaty.

An Action Camera Mount for Vehicles

An Action Camera Mount for Vehicles

Thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies who are looking for a way to take good photos and videos while behind the wheel of their vehicles will love the GoPro Suction Cup Mount. It attaches to cars, motorcycles, quads, boats, you name it. So you can focus on steering and safety while capturing the experience on camera.  

Unlike other suction cup mounts, the GoPro suction cup mount was engineered to stay put even when whizzing through the air at incredibly high speeds. It features an industrial-strength suction cup that can withstand speeds over 150 mph (when installed correctly). Lastly, you can easily change it from vehicle to vehicle because of its quick-release base.

Final Thoughts on Action Camera Mounts

Final Thoughts on Action Camera Mounts

Photo by lzf via iStock

Using an action camera mount is an excellent way to capture unique photos and videos you wouldn’t normally be able to take. Due to its versatility, the OctoPad is the most useful action camera mount in day-to-day life. However, if you frequently bike, swim, or drive, the other mounts above will also be extremely handy.

As a bonus, here are a few more trending action camera mounts and accessories compatible with GoPros and other action cameras:

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Why You Need Multiple Tripod Options

Why You Need Multiple Tripod Options

photo byTrifonov_Evgeniy via iStock

Serious photographers have several things in common. A love of art, a love of the craft of photography, and often a love of the tools of the photographic process. Among the most useful tools for serious photographers are our tripods.

How many tripods does a photographer need? What are the tripod options or tripod alternatives available to us? If I already have a good tripod, do I need a tripod alternative? These are all good questions, some of the answers may be a little surprising.

The Importance of a Tripod

do i need a tripod 1

photo byfranz12 via iStock

As we grew more skillful and more confident in our beginner photography, we moved on from questions such as do I need a tripod and is a tripod really necessary to the questions of what tripod options to consider for our first tripod. 

Especially in landscape photography, a tripod is important. Using ultra wide angle lenses, leveling the horizon is a simple task with a good tripod. Ultra long exposures with ND filters and adjusting dynamic range with GND filters pretty much require a tripod. 

There are other good reasons for using tripods such as panoramas, HDR photography, astrophotography, and any time we need ultra sharp exposures. 

Tripod Options

do i need a tripod 2

photo byperets via iStock

That list above is just the start of the many situations we need tripods. So, for our first major tripod purchase, we probably put a lot of thought into it, determining what would be just the right tripod. 

However, just like with lenses, filters, camera bags, and flashes, we end up having needs and wants not completely satisfied by one single item. This is actually a very normal turn of events for a photographer and it doesn’t mean we are suffering from Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.), the purchasing of gear simply because we want more gear. 

So we end up with multiple tripods optimized for our various likely photography situations. What tripod options are we using?

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Full-Size Tripod

is a tripod really necessary 3

photo bystock_colors via iStock

This will be our main tripod. Usually tall enough to use at eye level and sturdy enough to ensure no movement not only during an exposure but also keeps it steady between exposures such as for methods and techniques used for our night shots or other long exposures and for HDR and panoramic stitching. 

It’s also the tripod we’re most likely to set up in our studio or home studio for portraits, product shots, or flat art reproduction. It’s large, spreads wide, and might be somewhat heavy. A lighter tripod alternative like a carbon fiber version of a full-size tripod might be more desirable for photographers shooting mostly on location.

Travel Tripod

is a tripod really necessary 4

photo byNarathip12 via iStock

While our full-size tripod is an awesome tool, its bulk or weight might sometimes tempt us to leave it behind when we’re traveling light. But we still want to use our ND filters or some other reason for using a tripod pops up in our mind, so we find a smaller, lighter version  tripod alternative.  

A travel tripod is a good tripod option here. Often these have multiple leg sections that allow for extending to a pretty tall height and collapsing to be small enough to be easily transported, perhaps even in our camera sling style bag we use when shooting on the go.

Tabletop Tripod

importance of a tripod 5

photo bybasketman23 via iStock

For those times when we need even smaller tripod options, a tabletop tripod is likely another choice we already found ourselves purchasing. The name is an apt description of this type of tripod is tabletop. 

We place this tool on top of a table or other flat surface to get it near to the position and height we want to shoot at. Usually these have no leg extension at all and a simple ball head for adjustment.

OctoPad

tripod alternative

What if we need a tripod alternative that is super steady, easy to carry, and can be placed on surfaces that aren’t straight and flat? Well, you just read a description of the OctoPad in that question. 

OctoPad is a weighted semi rigid pad with a non slip bottom and a ball head up top. OctoPad can be placed on virtually any surface at an angle of up to 45 degrees and can hold a fairly significant amount of camera and lens weight very steady in all sorts of situations inside or out.

These are pretty inexpensive, too, so in addition to being a great tripod alternative, you could also use several at once to position lights or a microphone if you’re doing videography such as vlogging on location.

Do I Need a Tripod?

tripod options 6

photo bydchadwick via iStock

After learning photography basics, photographers tend to reexamine their skills and options and think about the type of photography they really enjoy. This often leads to purchasing or trading out our equipment choices including our tripod options. 

So the answer is yes, I need tripod options or a tripod alternative because I’m doing more photographically than when I first started as a photographer and tripods are an important and useful tool.  

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You Need This Universal Camera Tripod Alternative in Your Bag

universal camera tripod alternative

As you get more and more involved in photography, you'll find that you need more than just the basic essentials of a camera, a lens or two, a tripod, and a camera bag.

The gear you need to acquire depends on a lot of factors - your skill level, your needs, and your budget, to name a few.

But regardless of whether you like to photograph people or landscapes, and regardless of whether your budget for gear is a few bucks or a few thousand bucks, there's one tool that every photographer should have in their camera bag - a universal camera tripod alternative.

What is a tripod alternative? And why do you need one? Let's find out!

What is a Universal Camera Tripod Alternative?

Years ago, I expanded my work into videography, and was doing a lot of solo filming at the time.

That meant that I needed to have multiple cameras on multiple mounts so I could capture different angles of what I was doing.

I had my primary camera on a traditional tripod and did the same with my secondary camera at first. But the footage looked too matchy-matchy when it was from the same eye level.

So, I picked up a universal camera tripod alternative so I could place my B-roll camera on a different eye plane to make the footage more interesting.

The universal camera tripod alternative I chose was the Octopad.

This little guy was a perfect addition to my kit because it's compatible with so many different cameras. I often use it with my GoPro Hero 10 Black, but I've also used it with my iPhone, and when I had my Canon EOS M50 Mark II, I used it with the Octopad as well.

Heck, I even use it for mounting off-camera lighting or a microphone, so it truly is a universal camera mount (and a mount for other gear, too!).

universal camera tripod octopad

What I like so much about Octopad is that I don't have to worry about how I'm going to "attach" it to a surface.

The weighted non-slip mat on the bottom of the Octopad means that it will stay put on just about any surface - even if that surface isn't level.

There's no worry about suction cupping it to anything and whether or not the suction will hold. There's also no concern about it tipping over because of its wide base - the no-legs construction means that there's no legs to collapse under the weight of your gear, either.

In other words, it's just a handy accessory to have whether you shoot with a small DSLR, a mirrorless or compact camera, an action camera, or your mobile phone.

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What Features Does the Octopad Have?

Octopad comes with a standard 1/4-20 both, making it a truly universal camera tripod mount.

There's a mini ball head included, which clamps securely in place to protect your gear. It's also removable for added flexibility in terms of how you use Octopad.

This universal camera tripod alternative even comes with a cable strap that allows you to tuck cables in and prevent accidental catches on them as you work.

And, as I mentioned before, the anti-skid base gives you peace of mind that wherever you place it, it'll stay there for the duration of your photo or video work.

For such a small accessory, there sure are plenty of features that help you get the photos and video you need!

Why Should I Get a Universal Tripod for Cameras?

The primary reason why you should add a universal camera tripod alternative like Octopad to your gear bag is because it's so versatile.

As I noted earlier, I've used Octopad with many different kinds of cameras and other accessories, which makes it like an extra pair of hands when I'm out shooting.

Another reason why a tripod alternative like this is such a good investment is its size. Unlike a traditional tripod, Octopad is small, lightweight, and doesn't take up much room in your camera bag. This makes it easy to throw in your bag and take along with you on photography and videography outings of varying lengths.

universal camera tripod mount

Of course, there's the advantage of the price as well - at less than $30, you get a high-quality support for your cameras that will extend your range of flexibility while you're out shooting.

There's a lot of gear you can invest in as a beginner, and it's important that you spend your money wisely. For my money, investing in a universal camera tripod mount like Octopad is a no-brainer. It's highly functional, offers loads of utility, is easy to transport, and it's budget-friendly.

What's not to like about that?!

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