Articles from Trey Amick

Fujifilm continues to wow us with each new lens, and their latest release, the $1,199 XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro lens, is no exception. I’ve been shooting with the XF 80mm now since its release, and I have to admit it’s only come off my Fujifilm X-T2 once. I don't claim to be a fabulous macro photographer, but I believe this lens has a home in most photographers bag. My beloved XF 50-140mm has, for now at least, taken a back seat to the smaller, amazingly versatile XF 80mm.

With the holidays upon us, many photographers (including myself) will want to break out all their gear. In years past I have always planned on what cameras and lens combos to bring, lights, possible modifiers, batteries, and everything in between to photograph Christmas. This year I took on a new approach. An iPhone and a cheap stand set in the corner in time-lapse mode would be the only media I walked away with this year. 

Like any other genre of photography, there are everyday frustrations that one must overcome. For wedding photographers, this is no different. Between Uncle Bobs with their constant ability to somehow always be in the frame or bride or mom-zillas who get amped up over the most minuscule of details, it can make for a long stressful day. Toronto-based Wedding Photographer Barb Simkova, working for Tara McMullen Photography, recently gave herself an additional wedding day challenge: photograph the wedding with nothing more than an iPhone 8 Plus, and the pictures speak for themselves.

There have been debates circling the internet lately on users abandoning Adobe’s eco-system of photo applications for a new player in town. Macphun, soon to be Skylum Software, has been making waves lately with their latest release of Luminar 2018. The once strictly Mac-based software company has branched out (part of the reason for the renaming) to include Windows users as well, and people are stoked. With a seemingly endless list of features and upgrades to the latest version, many have considered that it may be about time to try something that’s just different than the industry giant, Lightroom. However, users are still perplexed on how exactly they would make the change, what would they miss from Lightroom, and is it really necessary. 

I know it’s early December, but sometimes Christmas does, in fact, come early. I for one am always on the lookout for two things, the first is the perfect tripod and the second is a perfect camera bag. I officially can resign myself to only continuing my quest for the perfect bag, as I have finally found what I think is the ideal series of tripods. Welcome, Novo Photo’s Explora series tripods. Full disclaimer, I am an ambassador for Novo Photo, however, before becoming an ambassador I was an overly enthusiastic customer. I receive no compensation for my thoughts on their products, but I love talking about products I use and stand behind.  Being as Novo Photo is a relatively new U.K.-based company, first, let me explain how I found them.

Every year, we flock toward specials, hoping to get a rock-bottom deal on the latest must-have gifts or gear for ourselves. The bad guys know this. They take advantage of the hectic time of year, knowing that we will do whatever we can to save a few bucks and get gifts before they are gone. 

Let’s face it, some people are just more creative than others. There’s no denying that we all think in radically different ways. Some of us are more "in the box" creatives, leaning towards more straightforward images - images that are technically perfect when viewed by a histogram or composition. Those artists create on the go, and in the end are able to make what others can only strive for, unique pieces of art.

Lets face it: there’s nothing sexy about light stands, nor do we get G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) when the latest light stand is revealed. Caleb Pike with DSLR Video Shooter shows off an easy to build boom arm for the perfect light stand setup. 

First shipped on September 8, 2017, the successor to the popular Nikon D810 is still potentially months away from hitting some customers' hands. For those who waited until the official launch of the camera, finding a D850 body before the holidays could prove to be challenging from some of the larger retailers.

In a new book, “The Essential Marilyn Monroe,” Milton H. Greene’s son, Joshua Greene features 284 of his father's images with 176 images never before being seeing by the public.

The FAA is slowly changing its position on drones in a recent special wavier that was granted to CNN for use of drones over large crowds.

Usually for me it starts after the peak of fall foliage. After a busy year of spring portraits, wedding season, fall shoots, and some photographic trips sprinkled in, by the end of fall I find that it's easy to get a little bored with photography. Typically the inspiration needle on my gauge is in the red. While taking a break is never a bad idea, sometimes all you really need to do is challenge yourself. Presenting yourself with new opportunities to create photos and videos that may not normally be in your wheelhouse. Giving yourself some time to experiment can help you get back to why you started shooting in the first place.

A little over two years ago, Emily and Jeremiah divided their lives into three piles: sell, donate, and keep. Having called Charlotte, NC home for five years, they aimed to get away from the monotony of 50+ hour work weeks. Weekend getaways just weren’t cutting it anymore so they sold their townhouse and hopped in their Expedition, with a camper in tow, and started a new nomadic lifestyle. Jeremiah would be working remotely, while Emily documented their travels.  An opportunity that many dream of, but few follow.

This past week, Minnesota-based Photographer Rich Hoeg had the opportunity to photograph the aurora over Stewart Lake in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Hoeg describes himself as an enthusiast photographer with a love of photographing birds.

While perusing YouTube I stumbled across Matteo Berttoli Visual’s cinematic video clip that was shot with only the iPhone 8 Plus. The video does a great job showing how far Apple has come in their development of the software and camera behind the media.

George Wheelhouse is a fine art nature and landscape photographer from Bedfordshire, U.K. I recently spoke with him about his contemporary portraits of animals, as well as his more traditional woodland and mountain landscapes. Though many of Wheelhouse's favorite subjects are local, he told me that he loves to travel to remote locations, particularly to Nordic areas. He also shared that he is quite fond of boreal forests like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Canada.

Let’s face it, in today’s world it is always better to be safe than sorry, especially for artists with demanding clients. I’m a huge believer in utilizing contracts to keep everyone on the same page, but contracts can be difficult when they are severely limiting.

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.

I’m sure everyone at this point has explored the vast array of articles discussing all the technical aspects of the newly announced D850. If you haven’t here is one from your very own Fstoppers writer, Adam Ottke. You can read the announcement here. While I agree with most of the assessments that I’ve read or watched so far in that the camera will be a powerhouse with really innovative features, my thoughts come back to what was in the news just a few months ago. What is the financial health of Nikon? Do they still need help from other companies like Fujifilm? Most importantly, should I invest in new equipment from a company whose financial standing is in question? With all this in mind, I did some research.

If you touch my hair I will hurt you. In life, we take many chances. Like, riding our bike with no hands, getting minimum coverage on our car insurance and petting stingrays. However, for the chosen few who have the superpower of catching our eye with their beautiful hair, there is no chance to be taken. The following is meant only for a lighthearted fable for this Friday.

“A picture is worth a thousand words”, so goes the idiom.They can recall memories so profound; the song on the radio, the light in the room, or the laughter that surrounded you.They can make you feel the joy that was in your heart all over again in an instant. If I close my eyes, I can transport to the very spot where I felt truly alive. I can recall the smile spread across my face when I took a moment to look at the image I had just captured. I’m enthralled with my memories and photos as much as I was the day I was there. As I gazed down Tunnel View at Yosemite National Park, I truly found my paradise.