The premise for the Cutting Edge Tour headed up by Adam Epstein, five year veteran video editor and post production guru for Saturday Night Live, was a tricky one. I know because I spent a few days bouncing ideas around with him and looking at how to structure the thing. This review will set out specifically what you will (and won’t) find in the workshop.
Recently, a few photographers I know have been raving about Neewer’s gear. So, when given the opportunity to review their new Q4 Strobe Flash and its QPro wireless trigger, I jumped at the chance. Here’s why it far exceeded my expectations.
Smoke and haze have been a long-time tool of the trade. But smoke-in-a-can and giant fog machines beware. This pocket-sized fog machine lives up to the name of Smoke Genie.
It’s been a while since Sony released a new crop sensor camera designed for serious photographers and videographers. But that day is finally here with the launch of the new Sony a6700.
I recently stumbled across the iOS app Cascable 3 while perusing the App Store. I was in search of that next great app to make my life a little easier. I fully admit my iPhone seems to find a new app each week, but for my own sanity I attempt to keep everything neatly organized with folders. Keyword: attempt. Just don't ask to see how many folders I have.
Fujifilm's XF 8-16mm f/2.8 lens is the widest available rectilinear lens on the system and has completed the "Holy Trinity" of professional-grade zoom lenses. Squarely aimed at the uncompromising photographer, this lens shows that Fujifilm is ready to offer working photographers of all styles great lenses to execute the images they conceive. Let's take a look at how it performs in the field.
Elixxier software is an innovative company that has produced very useful and helpful tools for photographers and filmmakers, especially when it comes to creating 3D light simulations.
There are few things I see photographers skimp on more frequently than a good camera strap. While the default manufacturer straps can certainly get the job done under most circumstances they're pretty limiting in terms of style and functionality and can serve as a un-needed advertisement for the gear you're packing. The guys over at Cecilia Gallery want to give you an alternative to the stock strap that provides a similar minimalistic design with high-quality materials and some cool little nuanced touches.
Skylum is continuing to add more AI-based features to its popular editing tool, Luminar Neo. The new version will be out on April 25, but I was able to get an advance look at it.
While 360 cameras haven’t quite entered the mainstream for most photographers, Kandao’s QooCam 3 makes a solid case why they should: Kandao’s third entry into its QooCam lineup is a solid 360 action camera at a bargain price.
Tripods are tools that should always give us the assurance that the job can be done and that our cameras are safe. Now let’s see how this differently built tripod can affect how we travel and photograph nature.
Constant lighting has dropped dramatically in price, with companies like SmallRig making excellent products — along with accessories — that are refreshingly accessible. How good is the SmallRig RC120B, a bicolor packing a decent amount of power and coming in at just $259?
Editing Milky Way, star trail, and deep-sky astrophotography images can be a daunting task. With dozens of layers and adjustments, we can feel overcome with getting the most out of our nightscape photography. With the new and improved version of OrionH, those days may well lie behind us because this plugin panel for Adobe Photoshop aims to lower the amount you sit at the computer. OrionH comes with three different panels that each have their nightly specialty and in this review, we will discuss version 2.0’s new and improved algorithms and features for each of those panels.
Profoto for under $1,000? Sure, it sounds too good and perhaps the result of one too many drinks. But I assure you, it's true. If you're looking to set up your off-camera flash game, this is the unit for you. Here are my thoughts.
We always emphasize the benefits of shooting raw, we spend a lot of money on high-end monitors, and we calibrate those monitors, all so we can create the best foundation for editing our photos and video. But do we do the same for our audio? That's where reference monitors and headphones come into the picture.
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the team at Interfit just took the crown for "Best Affordable Strobe With A Nature-Inspired Name" from the longtime champ Alienbees.
“How to Market your Photography” is a wonderful resource which was written by the marketing specialists at Photoshelter.com and MadMimi.com. I found this guide to be very user-friendly, with just the right amount of information you’ll need to get going, weather you are just starting out in the industry, or a more established photographer, who is looking to update the approach you’ve been utilizing to generate business. I will quote some excerpts from Part 1 of this guide, which contains the most fundamental advice to those of us who find words like “strategy” and “marketing” as intimidating and stressful.
Just recently, I was able to test out the Venus Optics 105mm f/2 STF lens. After having it and using it here and there for a few months, I came to the conclusion that it would not be a bad addition to my photo bag. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this lens considering I've never really had a prime telephoto lens before.
My colleague Ryan Mense just gave us the announcement from Topaz about their new AI based filters called Topaz Adjust AI, and I wanted to give them a try.
Do you calibrate your screen? If you don’t then there are good reasons why you should. If it’s something you decide to do, then Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra may be the perfect solution.
A couple of years ago, I got a chance to review the Profoto B2 flash with the AirTTL trigger. Although I loved the flash, I had some doubts about the trigger. Now, there is the new Profoto Connect Pro trigger. Is it worth the upgrade?
AI has surely become a catch phrase, and we are seeing it all the time in photography applications. Luminar touts AI and Topaz, and even Adobe is jumping on the AI Bandwagon. Topaz Mask AI is one of the latest apps using AI, and I put it to the test.
Being a great photographer doesn't guarantee success in the photography industry. On one hand, some of the best photographers struggle to keep up a sustainable business, and on the other, some average (and even below average) photographers do well for themselves.
Prepare to learn new skills! Make the most of color grading using the Blend If sliders to take your color grading further.
It can cost a few hundred bucks to send hard drives between the US and the EU. Services to send your data online are available, but what about a pay-as-you-go solution?
When DJI's digital FPV system was first announced, it was big news for a lot of people in the drone industry. How does this new system stack up against what already exists in FPV and how will DJI's Digital HD FPV system play a role in its new ecosystem?
So, it's kind of a running joke in the office whenever we see an email about a bag that someone wants us to review: "Wow! Do you think it will hold all the things!?" Because let's be real, a camera bag is just that: a bag to hold your camera and other gear. I've used the same cheap camera backpack for about five years now, and it was starting to look a little raggedy. So, much to my surprise (and chagrin), I found a camera bag that I, dare I say it, loved, the Medium Long Bag from Porteen Gear.
This is a really good idea, and as far as I know it's an original one. The folks at Skylum, who have given us the Luminar and Aurora image editors, are today offering AirMagic, a Mac or PC app designed to apply AI (artificial intelligence) to any drone or aerial-based image you drop into the app, either a single image or a bunch of images. The app will be released March 21, but I got an early review copy and I'll share my impressions below.
Our regular readers may remember a recent traumatic video for Fstoppers’ founders Lee and Patrick, where Lee’s D850 spent some intimate time with a wave and didn’t come out the same. Today, we’re going to look at the filter system he was testing on the day, the Haida M10.
After about five years of using an Intel MacBook Pro, I made the jump to the M-Series. I bought the M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14” edition. While a downgrade in screen size, it was a huge upgrade pretty much everywhere else. In this article, we will review the new M3 MacBook Pro.
Shimoda Designs made a big entrance into the adventure outdoor camera bag market with its original Explore series. Since then there has been a lot of competition from both new designers and industry leaders. Not to be outdone Shimoda is back with a new evolution of their previous bag with the Action X series.
I hang out with a lot of wedding photographers and have heard them raving about RadLab, the Photoshop-based editing platform from the guys at Totally Rad!, for the last three-or-so years. The thing they love most about RadLab is the ability to visualize the change a setting will make before applying it — no more Command Z. Over the last couple months I've been using RadLab in tandem with my normal Lr and Ps workflow and have, overall, been very pleased with the results.
Maybe you're familiar with Chris Hondros, and maybe you're not. I can, however, all but guarantee that you are familiar with his work.
Note: this article contains images depicting scenes of violence and war. Reader discretion is advised.
What happens when you combine just about every feature and size into a line of camera bags? You end up with a pretty great bag (and a long review)! In this review, I’ll be taking a look at PGYTECH’s 40L Flex bag from their new OnePro line.
I've taken a look at some earlier iterations of Astro Panel over the years, a plug-in designed for automating and enhancing both astrophotography and landscape photos. I found it a powerful addition to my editing arsenal, and it was easy to use but could do some very sophisticated editing. This new version from photographer Angelo Perrone adds more than 80 new astrophotography and landscape functions, as well as some features to support portrait editing.
It's a case of comfort and user experience. In this review, I analyze what it feels like in hand and see what the added benefits are when putting a phone into it instead of shooting with a regular cover.
The smart controller merges a CrystalSky monitor with a regular controller to offer an all-in-one package. This solution is effective and comes with interesting features.
Creating long exposure is fun, but having the right tools to paint magic shapes with light makes it even better. The Magilight by Fotorgear is meant to help you bring to life the most insane long exposure you’ve ever dreamed of. Here is its review.
As a professional photographer, I’m obsessed with my bags. I am pretty satisfied with the stroller bags I am using, but when it came to the shoulder bags, something seemed to be missing. As someone who constantly travels to shoot, a good shoulder bag is an asset. So when Think Tank launched the new Spectral 15 bag, I decided to try it out. I’ve had the chance to carry it with me through my wedding shoots over the past month. This quick review takes a dig at the features and my first impressions.
As I write this article, I am sitting on the Hinomi X1 ergonomic chair, and I've never been more comfortable working in my office. I got this chair three weeks ago and have spent many hours testing it. In this review, I'll share my experience.
YouTuber, Casey Neistat is known for his over-the-top viral videos, his sometimes eccentric working and organizational methods, and countless little DIY studio and life hacks. Rather than working with dedicated cine gear or even DSLR kits, Neistat typically uses $100 point-and-shoot cameras for their compactness, accessibility, cost, and their innocuous appearance. For these reasons, it's pretty easy to see why he'd be interested in taking Google Glass for a spin.
RODE downsized their popular Videomic with the new Videomic GO, half the size and can run without a dedicated battery through the use of in-line power. This looks like a perfect run-and-gun mic, but would the smaller size affect audio quality? You decide, as I compare the two against on-camera audio and a lav mic.
A well-devised digital storage system should be one of the most crucial considerations for every digital creative. With larger and larger camera sensors constantly emerging on the market, we find ourselves needing to accommodate and functionally access enormous raw and video files. Like many photographers, I face a near-constant search for the perfect storage solution. This month, a new Thunderbolt 3 SSD by Plugable is emerging on the scene, and I have a feeling it is going to change photographers’ and videographers’ workflows in a drastic way.
In late November 2017, Pixelmator Pro was released to those eagerly awaiting a new photo editing solution on the Mac. Whether it was to finally escape the never-ending Adobe Creative Cloud subscription fee, or for those just getting started in photography and looking to get their toes wet, there was a good amount of hype and excitement leading up to its release. One month later, here’s my early impressions of Pixelmator Pro.
Just before I travelled to the Isle of Mull, Scotland for a week, Exascend offered me the opportunity to review their CFexpress Type A card, and I was very excited to give this a shot! Having only ever used SD cards before on my Sony cameras, would I notice a difference?
In part two of my five-part, in-depth month-long review of the Fuji GFX 50S, I looked to compare the GFX S to the camera that originally inspired my interest in its potential, the smaller X-T3.
ACDSee's brand new edition of Photo Studio Ultimate has arrived on the scene and offers a powerful new tool to revolutionize color editing in your photography workflow. With plenty of fantastic new features, upgrades to old favorites, and a few time-saving innovations, this software is a strong contender in the world of photo editing.
Lemkesoft's Mac-only GraphicConverter has been around since 1992. Version 10.2 has just been released, and now integrates into Apple's Photos app. This makes it a great small tool for light editing of images in the Apple ecosystem. Time to quickly review an indispensable little piece of software that doesn't get much love or recognition.
The LensPen has been around a long time, and you've seen it under a variety of brand names that act as OEMs for the original product. I had never used one, but often read about it. I was sent the original model (the NLP-1) for testing.
