Over the past couple of weeks I have had the pleasure of putting the Think Tank Photo Streetwalker HardDrive camera backpack to use. It started with a few local outings and then I headed off to PMA 2009 in Las Vegas to give the Streetwalker HardDrive a run through a couple of security checkpoints, storage areas on a few jets and a bit of jostling about the streets of Las Vegas. Want to know how it held up? Read on to find out.
The Streetwalker HardDrive is what I would call a normal-sized backpack. It is about the size on the outside of the LL Bean backpacks that you see college students carrying around (or at least that’s what I saw them wearing 10 or 12 years ago). It’s probably a little bigger than that, but it doesn’t appear to be when you are looking at it on someone’s back. I think that’s a good I thing.
I really dislike carrying camera bags around in crowded public areas that look like camera bags. Call me paranoid, but I would rather not advertise the fact that I’m carrying around expensive camera equipment. The Streetwalker HardDrive is very unassuming as a camera bag. It really just looks like another backpack – again, a good thing. [click to continue…]
The Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM (above middle) is a new consumer-level telephoto zoom lens for crop-sensor DSLRs like the Nikon D60 and Canon Rebel XSi.
The optical stabilization helps to reduce camera shake induced blur and allows you to use slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible. The hypersonic focusing motor makes for quicker autofocusing.
The Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM will be available for Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony and Pentax DSLRs.
More details from Sigma’s press release below. [click to continue…]
Announced at PMA 2009, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM (at left in above photo) is a welcomed addition to its ever-growing line-up of crop-format lenses.
Two features really make this lens stand out. Optical stabilization helps reduce camera-shake induced blur and allows the steady-handed photographer to use slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible when shooting hand held. Sigma’s hypersonic focusing motor is known for its speed and, in my experience, rivals the real world use of Canon USM-equipped lenses of similar max aperture ranges.
The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony and Pentax mounts.
More details from Sigma’s press release below. [click to continue…]
After the announcement last fall, Canon USA has finally taken Canon Professional Services (“CPS”) live. In order to be a part of CPS, you must be a full time professional photographer who owns a requisite amount of Canon gear. [click to continue…]
The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM builds upon Sigma’s popular 10-20mm f/4-5.6 lens with a brighter f/3.5 aperture. The new lens continues with the same EX build quality and speedy hypersonic autofocus motor. The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM will be available for Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony and Pentax DSLRs.
More details from Sigma’s press release below. [click to continue…]
In this article, contributing author and stock photographer, Rich Legg, provides a lesson on pre-visualization in photography. You can learn more about Rich and how to connect with him at the end of this article.
One of the skills I have worked to develop that has helped my photography is to take a page from the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and “begin with the end in mind”. How I relate this to photography is that I strive to always take time before I shoot a subject to create a mental picture of what I plan to photograph and how I will capture it. Famed photographer Ansel Adams called this technique pre-visualization. By taking the time to pre-think the shot, I find that I am able to create a better end result.
I make my living creating stock images that I sell through iStockphoto. When I am planning a stock photo shoot, the first thing I do is take time to envision what I want the final images to look like. I will generally come up with a few “signature” shots that I want to capture in the photo shoot. Once I have the images visualized in my mind, I then make some quick notes detailing what I want. These notes then serve as a sort-of blueprint which I use when determining what models, locations and props I will need to complete the photoshoot.
Here is an example of this pre-thinking and planning of a photograph. This sample is one of my early stock images that began as an idea sketched out on a piece of paper late one night.
I had the idea of creating a simulated crime scene. I was able to picture in my mind a body laying in a doorway with light streaming in through the opening behind the body and crime scene tape across the scene. My original sketch (which I now wish I would have saved) showed a very similar scene to what was represented in the final image. [click to continue…]
