tom kirkman

Tom Kirkman is based in the New York City area and has been taking photos professionally for more than 40 years, with experience in food and editorial, as well as writing articles and creating projects for various publications.

Latest Articles

2 years ago
Paper Shoot is looking back to the days when you could assemble your own camera with its 4.5 x 2.8 x 0.5" point-and-shoot cameras. These little build-it-yourself beauties feature wood,…
3 years ago
Neutral density (ND) filters allow photographers and videographers to shoot at wide apertures in bright environments, use slow shutter speeds to create a blur effect, or produce a smoky, fog-like look with moving bodies of water. Graduated ND filters offer a soft-edged transition from dark to light to darken specific areas of the image, such as the sky.…
3 years ago
ANDYCINE is offering three photographic crystals that split a beam of light into its spectral components or colors of the rainbow to create eye-catching effects. Each has 1/4"-20 female threads so it can be mounted on a small tripod or stand with the aim of shining light through it to splash color throughout a room. Another novel use is mounting these lightweight crystals on an accessory, such as…
3 years ago
Ledgo offers three LED tube lights with a host of features that include an expansive variable white light range, RGB Mode, high CRI, DMX or wireless 2.4 GHz control, and three sizes. The AltaTube 80C measures 34.6" in length, while the…
3 years ago
GVM offers two bi-color lighting solutions built around the 12.7 × 13.4" 520S-B panel that have color, light intensity, and power options. The fixture has color temperature that’s variable from tungsten-balanced 3200K to daylight-balanced 5600K, to meet any ambient light challenge,…
3 years ago
FotodioX has introduced two LED lighting systems with advanced features and a form factor that with one look will tell you they’re going to be fun to use. The DaoLite Prizmo Edition LED Tube Wand is made in two lengths, 30" (DL-2) and…
3 years ago
Lupo has created two compact 8 x 8" LED panels: one with wide color control and the other with extensive RGBWW color selection. Both have high CRI/TLCI ratings of 94 or greater, indicating advanced accuracy in rendering colors, 0 to 100% dimming, onboard remote function control via DMX, multi-voltage AC power supply for worldwide use, and the option of running them on V-mount batteries when AC…
3 years ago
A softbox is an enclosure designed to fit around an artificial light source, such as a flash tube or halogen lamp. Its reflective interior intensifies the light output and projects it through its only means of escape—the front diffusion screen. This creates a quality of light long appreciated by photographers and videographers, which resembles the softer light one might find streaming through a…
4 years ago
A whimsical name for purveyors of a serious selection of fabrics and light modifiers for the visual arts for over 25 years, what started as a small factory is now an international business. It seems like The Rag Place makes everything. Blue and Green screens up to 20 x 30' are available for chromakey work, as well as numerous diffusion materials such as frosts, muslins, silks, grid cloths and…
4 years ago
After posing for a few gigabytes of formals in a hall, you can sense the wedding party’s palpable relief when, weather permitting, it’s time to take it outside. If you’re lucky enough to have nicely landscaped grounds, it’s a great opportunity to stop fighting with the tungsten light sources inside and take advantage of that flash-friendly sunlight. Whether you’re just starting out as a wedding…
4 years ago
While the rest of the lighting world rushed to produce a tube-shaped LED light, Genaray quietly worked on a sophisticated fixture with intelligently designed features and wide color and mounting options that’s just fun to use—the SpectroLED Baton Stick Light. Genaray…
5 years ago
Savage has introduced two light stands which, besides supporting your gear, literally give you a leg up on uneven terrain. With the MultiFlex Light Stand, available in 10 and 6' versions,…
5 years ago
Ideal for space-conscious image-makers who want performance and light weight, Angler has produced two softboxes with a clever design, made expressly for small LED lights. The softboxes take the edge off raw LEDs, creating a soft, flattering light with open shadows and reduced contrast. Their reflective silver interior maximizes the light source’s output, increasing its range, and making longer…
5 years ago
The cameras in phones keep getting better and better, while the image quality in reduced-format cameras has shown superior quality in natural light. And they all have flashes, right? Then one day it hits you—usually after buying a DSLR and a flash—“I want more light,” and “I want it when I need it, not just on nice days, but maybe in the dark and rain.” Basically, you want to create light to more…
6 years ago
Since 2013, when Profoto pioneered the TTL battery-powered monolight, the company has been regularly rolling out a new product or product enhancement, to the gratification of professionals and serious enthusiasts alike. While the creation of the B2's reduced form factor and OCF system might have given us a clue to what might be coming, the introduction of the A1 AirTTL Studio Light for…