holiday

This is a guest post by Rex Weiner, Editor/Publisher A&I Books

You have all these terrific photos you took during the holidays, and now you want to collect them in a photo book for family and friends. It’s going to be a great gift, memorializing the precious time spent together, a keepsake for the ages to be handed down by generations to come, and so easy to do right now, using free, do-it-yourself print-on-demand online software.

The holidays are coming up! We've got some great holiday offers available right now, but you'll need to find a way to make the most of that new purchase. If you'd like to take better holiday photos, then here are some great tips from Olympus Visionary Jay Kinghorn.

While there may not ever be a "perfect" lens, there has long been a need for a one-lens solution for shooters who want to head out the door with one camera and one lens over their shoulder. The reasons vary. For some it's a matter of convenience. For some, it's a matter of pure laziness and for others it's the fear of getting dust on the sensor. For frequent flyers it's a matter of logistics, i.e., there's a limit to how much airlines allow you  to carry aboard the plane (almost all of these lenses are surprisingly compact).

So you've made the rounds holiday gift shopping for your loved ones and friends, and now it's time to treat yourself to some useful toys for your home recording studio. Whether you've got a small songwriter demo setup or an elaborate multi-track facility, you're still a studio owner, and by definition that means you're always looking for a good deal on recording gear. What we've done is scour our inventory for a selection of products available at B&H for our customers, and we've compiled an equipment list below representing that elusive combination of quality, value, and functionality that you'll be using on a daily basis for as long as you're using your studio.

The 'Best of the Best' does not always mean expensive. But then again, sometimes it does. While compiling the 2008 'Best of the Best' photo gift wish list, we had to keep the dizzying realities of the day's financial headlines in mind. And to the ancient wise man who said, "May you live in interesting times", all we can say is "Thanks… wish you were here."

The Un-Rebels

Quick. Name a very cool camera that looks like a Holga, takes Holga-style pictures, and comes in colors. Stumped? How about a color Holga? Designed to capture 'artsy-type' pictures with dark fuzzy edges, these modern classics are now available in Blooze Brothers, Violet, Sunset Boulevard, Oscar, Twilight Zone, Pretty in Pink, Yellow Brick Road, Jawz, Casablanco, and Commando. Aside from their retro design, they also shoot a retro media – film*.