Search results for: photography lighting basics
About 177 filtered results
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Are accessories essential to completing a look? As a camera store, we're not exactly fashion experts. That said, we can confidently say that certain photo accessories are essential to getting the most out of your compact cameras. In this guide, we're looking at the must-have accessories that every compact camera owner should own—from absolute necessities to the more stylish options. Let's get started.
Memory Cards
When unboxing a point-and-shoot camera, expect to find a camera, battery, wrist strap, and a charger. What's usually not included
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Sony's super-telephoto lenses have long been divided into two well-defined categories. At one end of the spectrum, you have a variety of relatively affordable super-zooms ranging from 100mm to 800mm. On the other end sit the primes, highly sought-after optics that are just as cumbersome as they are expensive. For years, these categories have been separated. That all ends today with the unveiling of not one but two ultra-lightweight lenses. Introducing the FE 400mm f/4.5 and FE 600mm f
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
The bald eagle, one of the most regal birds of prey, has a secret. It’s notably one of the most difficult subjects to expose for. If we trust the camera in an automatic mode, we’re likely to get either an overly bright head, or a body that’s too dark in shadow to see. The only reliable way to capture good exposures of these birds is to expose to the right.
Mathew Malwitz
This technique is as useful as it is controversial,
by Luke Rollins · Posted
Learn about how to get started with dental photography, including what gear to use, which photographic fundamentals you should be focusing on, and why dental photography is critical for both clinical care and promoting your own dental practice.
IN THIS ARTICLE
1. (Don’t Fear) the Gear2. Good Dental Photography Is Good Photography3. Macro Discipline, Portrait Mindset4. Embrace the Flash5. Clinical,
Photography is all about light, and the light we capture with our cameras is known as an exposure. What goes into making an exposure, you may ask? And what constitutes a good or proper exposure? We’ve got you covered. We’ve put together the ultimate guide to teach you the basics, from the three pillars of exposure to how we can manipulate it to achieve our artistic vision.
by Luke Rollins · Posted
At first glance, studio photography and the compact camera may seem strange bedfellows. The type of work associated with the studio—still life, product photography, portraiture, macro photography—usually wants cameras with larger sensors and interchangeable lenses, especially in professional applications. Compact, point-and-shoot cameras, for their part, have their natural home in everyday, travel, nightlife, and street applications, where their discretion and size become virtues.
It might seem almost cruel to introduce the compact to the
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
When choosing binoculars or scopes, a term that should be heavily considered is "exit pupil." What is exit pupil, and what does it do? In optics, we're often focused on magnification and light-gathering capabilities, and these are essential for understanding how optics works, but overall viewing experience shouldn't be discounted.
If you look at any optic at arm's length, you'll see the small pinpoint sized window of
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Ever find yourself still struggling to make out a bird, even when your binoculars are trained directly on it? No matter how steady you hold yourself, you simply just don’t have the reach. You could get a stronger pair of binoculars, but these come with inherent drawbacks, such as stability issues and, of course, a heftier build. What’s our solution?
It’s only natural that after using a pair of binoculars, some birders will find that they yearn for more, and the only way to practically get more reach is to use a spotting scope. These are
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
At one point or another, you’re bound to hear someone say that you need to shoot in a RAW file format. There are advantages to this decision, from additional detail to better control over the look of our final image. But what exactly is a RAW file and what does it do for our photographs? In this guide, we aim to give you a better understanding of the RAW file and how to use it to our advantage.
What Is a RAW File?
RAW files, sometimes referred to as digital negatives, are the raw data recorded by your camera’s imaging sensor. This data is
by Jennifer Hahn · Posted
Point-and-shoot cameras are a great value-add to your photography kit, social media sharing, or as a vacation companion for quick stills and capturing memories on the fly. And these days, the value is even greater with point-and-shoot video recording. The point-and-shoot design makes things simple to change to video mode and press record. Though after you’ve captured your video, it can become cumbersome to edit and share that footage.
Some cameras allow you to edit/trim your video footage (also called “Movies” in some cameras) in camera, which
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Have you ever taken a photo that looked so good on the back of your camera, only to get home and see that it’s just not sharp? We’ve all been there, and even the experts miss more shots than they keep. That said, there are many tricks and techniques we can learn to improve the odds. In today’s guide, we’re looking at five techniques to aid us in confidently capturing tack-sharp photographs.
Sharpness is critical in most genres of photography, especially nature and wildlife. Sure, we can intentionally blur elements to showcase motion. We
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Dental photography is a unique genre of photography that requires a specialized set of tools to deliver the clarity, brightness, and color accuracy dentists rely upon to accurately record their patients’ progress.
In this guide, we’re going to cover the essential tools dental professionals need to capture the best quality images of their work, from the camera itself to the lighting tools required to accurately capture the color and detail of those pearly whites.
The Camera
Of course, one could use almost any camera, so long as it produces
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
The new school year is nearly upon us, which means it’s time to start stocking up on necessary gear and supplies. For film and photo students, that means finding the camera and gear that’s right for you.
Generally, schools require a DSLR or mirrorless camera with detachable lenses and full manual controls. Far from the smartphone or point-and-shoot pocket camera many of us are used to. To help you get the perfect tool, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite cameras broken down into four categories:
Best Overall Cameras
Best Mid
by Luke Rollins · Posted
Whether you’re the designated photographer at a friend’s night out or a professional working an event, a compact, point-and-shoot camera can be a strategic choice for creating a distinctive look for your images. Depending on where you’re starting, the move to a compact camera can be either a step up from the smartphone or an embrace of a more limited feature set. In either case, the best event and party photography with a compact camera says one thing: you had to be there.
The number one advantage to using a compact camera is social. The
by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Content creation can be as simple as we make it, but if you truly want to make your content stand out, you’ll need the right tools to do it. Visually pleasing lighting and quality audio can go a long way to legitimizing your work and giving it a pro level feel. In this guide, we’ve put together a few kits ranging from budget friendly to higher end and everything in between.
Best Budget Kit
It’s said that the best camera is the one you have available. Odds are, you likely have a smartphone, so that’s our budget camera. Most modern smartphones