A Winter Image and Inspirational Thoughts by Photographer and Digital Photo Academy Instructor Frank Siteman

I’m very happy to announce that periodically, The Imaging Buffet will be highlighting images, tips and insights from instructors at Digital Photo Academy. Digital Photo Academy offers live weekend photography classes in approximately 20 cities across the United States each month. This month, we’re highlighting an image from Boston-based Photographer Frank Siteman, one of the 100+ Digital Photo Academy instructors. With winter coming soon (hopefully not too soon!), Frank’s image and tip to capture a snowy evening can serve as inspiration:

photo © Frank Siteman, All Rights Reserved (click for a larger version)

“This image was made while I was working on a motion picture in Woodstock, VT in the late spring.  One of my assignments was to shoot footage for the opening sequence and to scout locations.  Driving around snow-covered muddy roads was a challenge, but finding beauty in the early morning was anything but.

I found this house, enveloped by a wet sticky snow, before 5AM, and being the only vehicle out at that time… and a stranger to boot, drew attention.  It was just what was needed to create a human touch to offset the cold and somewhat forbidding environment. Daylight color balance assured the light from the inside of the home would be very warm and since the sun was hours away from rising, the daylight, like the day itself, remained a very cool blue.  This intense contrast of those complimentary colors, as well as the web of snow covered tree limbs worked well to create an atmosphere of intrigue.  This image, with the person peering from behind a curtain, presents an unknown story, and in doing so, maintains interest for the viewer.  Who’s looking at whom?

Using a 20mm wide angle lens, I  hand-held my camera for a 1/30^th sec exposure at f/4, at ISO 100.”

You can learn more about Frank, and check out some of his other images on the Digital Photo Academy site by visiting this page: https://digitalphotoacademy.com/portfolio/frank-siteman/

Please note: The Imaging Buffet receives no compensation for bringing these images and tips to you, and we have full editorial control over the content. As a part of our relationship with Digital Photo Academy, you will find information about The Imaging Buffet and upcoming workshops and events on their website.

PhotoPlus Expo 2014 Day 1 Quick Review

It’s late October, and that means the candy store of all candy stores for those who love everything related to photography and video (a.k.a. the PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo) is open for business at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Before Day 2 begins, I wanted to get a quick post out about my thoughts on the show, and highlight a few things that I highly recommend seeing.

To sum things up in a few words, the show (as usual), is amazing. There are about 220 vendors, representing virtually every photo and video product category imaginable. My favorite thing to do at the show is see the prints on the walls, whether they are from printer manufacturers, paper manufacturers, contest winners in various galleries on the trade show floor, or companies who specialize in fine art printing, and there are many opportunities to do that at this year’s show. Here are just a few specific booths that really impressed me, and I recommend checking out this post from last year with many booth reviews, since most of what I wrote about the companies last year is still valid for this year’s show. You’ll just need to find their booth number for this year’s show. I will also restate one quick tip that I cover in this other article (along with information on the PhotoPlus Mobile App, which is fantastic) and that is to bring a few SD and/or CF cards with you so that you can put them in various cameras and “pixel peep” later on. The miracle of metadata inside the files will give you a lot of information about the images.

A Few Highlights From the Show Floor

1. LED Light Cube (Booth #1073): This was probably the biggest “jaw dropper” that I saw at the show. Imagine a powerful, battery-powered portable light that’s about the size of a square tissue box that can produce both continuous light and flash using LEDs (with no recycle time). You can also dial in the flash duration from 1/8000 to 1 second. Cost is about $600 and there is a show special available from Adorama and possibly other vendors who sell the product. For more information, visit this page.

2. Phottix (Booth #1025): Phottix is known for its wireless triggers and other flash accessories, and this year they announced an impressive 500 watt second portable AC/DC strobe unit with battery pack called the Phottix Indra500 TTL Studio Light. Here’s a good overview of the product, with a video and list of booth presentations for the rest of the show.

A model being photographed by Clay Blackmore during a demo of the new Phottix Indra500 TTL AC/DC flash. photo © Andrew Darlow

3. Epson (Booth #701): Epson’s booth is always filled with incredible photographs made on its printers. This year the company is highlighting a new 13-inch-wide printer, the Epson SureColor P600. The main improvements you’ll see when viewing prints is that the black density has been improved, which allows for better Dmax (maximum black levels). Also, the amount of ink used when switching between the photo and matte black inks has been reduced significantly. The prints on display (especially those made on Epson’s different canvas media) are stunning. There are nine cartridges in total (8 used at any one time), and each holds 25.9 ml of ink. MSRP is US $799. For more information about the new printer, visit this page.

A comparison of prints made with the new Epson SureColor P600 compared with the Epson Stylus Photo R3000. Photo © Andrew Darlow

4. Unique Photo (Booth #937): Unique Photo always has a big booth at the show, and the main reason I mention them is that their booth presentations by working pros are always very informative, and their stage with body-painted models offers a great opportunity to get some great photographs without having to hire an artist and models. For more information, including a schedule of booth talks, visit this page.

5. Panasonic (Booth #837): I mention Panasonic’s booth for a few reasons. First, they, like a number of other camera manufacturers, are offering free clean and checks of their cameras during the show. Also, in the booth this year will be Frederick Van Johnson, host of This Week in Photography (TwiP). The show is one of my favorite photo-related podcasts, and it’s one that I have had the honor of being a guest on a few times over the years. Frederick will be conducting interviews with Pros who use Panasonic gear. The interviews will also be recorded, and you can find a link to them (as well as a contest to win a Lumix GM5 camera) on this page.

There are many other booths I could highlight, but I want to make this post live ASAP, so I’ll be back soon with more of my suggestions.

Enjoy the show if you plan to visit!

Hands-On Review and Kickstarter info: PeakDesign’s Capture Pro, Slide, Clutch and Anchor Links

If you’ve seen me walking around with my gear over the last year or two, you will probably see my camera hanging off the left side of my chest, supported by a small metal object called the PeakDesign Capture Pro Camera Clip. I originally purchased the product, along with a DUALplate that works with both ARCA style and Manfrotto RC2 Quick Release (QR) Plates via the company’s first Kickstarter campaign, and I absolutely love it. It is very strong, easily supporting my Canon 6D and 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS lens (about 3 lb. combined), and I plan to test an 8 lb. lens soon to see how it fares. It is easy to attach my camera to the clip via the DUALplate, and it’s also very easy to release my camera from the Capture Clip using my opposite hand on the red button. That being said, I often keep the camera attached to me and take photos that way, which was a fantastic revelation when I tested it the first time. Turning the camera to a vertical orientation is a bit more difficult while it is attached, but I manage to make it work. The advantage is that I will never drop the camera this way–I can quickly take a photo and not waste a moment, and the stability of the images is definitely improved.

The company launched its third Kickstarter campaign in July of 2014. Until now, I’ve purchased all of their gear via their two other Kickstarter campaigns and at their booth at the PhotoPlus Expo, but I was very interested in testing their newest gear, so when I was asked if I was interested in reviewing each of their newest products: Slide, Clutch and Anchor Links, I said “definitely!.” I plan to do a more in-depth review of these products soon, but I wanted to make sure I posted this before their Kickstarter campaign ends. In general, you can save at least $10 by purchasing via the Kickstarter campaign, and if the campaign has ended when you read this, the estimated availability of the products can be found on Peak Design’s website.

Here I am hanging out on the Boardwalk in Point Pleasant, NJ with a standard backpack and the PeakDesign Capture PRO Camera Clip (it is supporting my Canon EOS 6D and Canon 28-135mm IS lens). I can hardly feel that the camera is there, and I can take photos without even removing the camera from the clip, as I describe in the review (close-up of camera follows).

The small red button you see on the left below my collar is the part you press to release the camera from the PeakDesign Capture PRO Clip.

Slide

Let’s start with the PeakDesign Slide. This is a camera strap that uses the company’s Anchor link system (the anchors look like a coin attached to a small rubber band, and fit into a metal fastening device), which is truly a fantastic way to attach gear via a one-finger release that is almost impossible to mistakingly open (unlike some other “plastic click lock” systems I’ve seen). The strap works almost like a camera sling because the material (similar to seat belt material), slides along most clothing very smoothly. The padded strap is extremely well made, easy to adjust and the wide strap makes it very comfortable, even with relatively heavy DSLR/lens combinations (this is user dependent of course, but I could hardly feel my 3 lb. lens/camera combo when using the strap and walking around a studio and outdoors for an hour or so). You have the option of attaching the anchor links to the traditional metal neck strap rings or to one of PeakDesign’s QR plates. I prefer using the metal neck strap rings so that I can leave the QR plate free for mounting on my Manfrotto RC2-compatible tripod heads or monopod with RC2 adapter.

One minor thing I would have liked to see with the Slide is a choice of PeakDesign QR plates (for the Kickstarter campaign, only their ARCAplate is included). It’s really not a big deal for me for two reasons: First, I am not attaching the Slide to a plate at all, so it is just a bonus item that is included. If I did want to attach the Slide to the bottom of my camera, I already have a DUALplate. For those who don’t have a PeakDesign Capture or Capture PRO, which come with a choice of plates, and if you then want to use the Slide and attach the anchor links to the bottom, you’ll just need to purchase a DUALplate (about $30).

Clutch

Clutch is a new hand strap designed for the side of a camera. It is very nicely designed, and I found it very comfortable to use. It attaches to the right-side metal camera strap ring as well as the bottom of the camera via an anchor link. What I like most about it is that it is easy to tighten by pulling down on the sturdy rubberized part located on the end of the strap. It is also easy to release by just pulling up on the metal ring that has a carabiner on one end.

Anchor Links

Until the announcement of this product. PeakDesign’s Anchor links could only be found integrated into some of their products, including Leash (a lighter-weight camera strap compared with the Slide (but also strong and well-made) and Cuff, a wrist strap (also very well made and a product I like a lot).

Anchor links now allow you to turn any camera strap (or even straps like Guitar Straps (hint, hint!)) into quick-release straps using the very strong, one-hand releasable anchor link system.

New Products Announced: Shell and Capture Bino

PeakDesign also just announced two products, called Shell (a rain and dust cover) and Capture Bino (a binocular holder). See the Kickstarter page for more information.

Summary

I’m very impressed by all of PeakDesign’s products that I’ve used so far including their Capture Pro, ProPad, (which acts as support for their Capture plates), DUALplate, Slide, Clutch, and P.O.V. kit. I expect to post at least one more review  in the near future, including a review with video to show how I use the products. If there is one thing I’d like to see changed, it would be having the option to choose between the company’s ARCAplate and DUALplate (or new plate called the PROplate). Hopefully, that will be an option when the products start being sold. I would also like to see even stronger anchor links (maybe reinforced with steel wire). The current material used is very strong (I’ve been using them for years on different cameras), but they can fray, so you need to keep an eye on them.

To visit the company’s Kickstarter page (campaign ends 8/15/2014), visit this page.

Full Disclosure: I received one PeakDesign Slide, Clutch and set of Anchor Links to do this review and to test the products. I  will be keeping them for further testing, reviews, etc. I have not been compensated in any way other than by the receipt of the products for testing.