Strapping Your DSLR Camera

In the beginning of learning how to take a photograph, I personally never thought about how I strapped my camera to my body would make a difference for me. I was so focused on operating my gear properly that no accessories really came to mind. That all changed once I saw what was available and how it could apply to me. One really important feature that's available to customize is your camera's strap.

The stock strap that you get when you buy a new DSLR camera is useful. It allows you to wear your camera around your neck and not worry too much about pulling it in and out of your bag, or even just holding it in your hand the whole time you plan on shooting with it. However, there are a couple cons to the stock strap. 

PetaPixel by Michael Zhang

First and foremost, it carries an extraordinarily visible label on it. It tells everyone around you exactly what it strapped to your neck. For any tourist, or casual to hobbyist photographer, this can pose a threat to your gear as it is basically a giant red x with a price mark. This should concern anyone who goes out to spend the most money on their gear without considering what they are using it for. The second con to these straps is how they are not the most comfortable accessory for longer periods of time. It pulls down on your neck, bounces awkwardly against your body, and over the course of time it can tend to make you a bit sore. Thankfully, a few companies out there have figured out solutions to these problems.

While at PhotoPlus Expo there were two companies that really stood out to me in the straps department. One was Black Rapid, and the other was Spider. Both companies offer multiple ways to strap your equipment to part of your body that are much more comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, as well as very practical.

The Black Rapid line focuses on putting the camera's weight distributed across one shoulder, allowing it to rest comfortably on your side. There are multiple designs for the straps, including one's that are more comfortable for a woman's figure, dual cameras, and one that is all purpose. They all come with the connection gear necessary, and it is very reliable. These straps look cool, feel amazing, and allow for very quick reactions to lifting the camera up to your eye and taking a shot. 

The Spider gear focused on putting the weight of the camera and other gear around your waist. They sell different belts that you attached holsters for. What you end up getting is a direct from the hip shooting experience, kind of like a photographer gone western, which is awesome. These straps are also very reliable as well as versatile. There are options to strap your camera's flash, telephoto lens, or even a second camera.

So when going out and getting new accessories for your camera, or maybe buying a gift for someone else, remember the strap is a very important part to consider. There are other companies out there to look at for sure, but both Black Rapid and Spider have amazing products that I personally stand behind after seeing them and using them. Look out for more detailed looks at these companies straps, coming soon!

Digital Photograph Editing and New Software

With cameras being as advanced as they are, there are many times a photographer may not want to put a photo into editing because of how high quality it already is. Yes, you can take a beautiful picture and not touch it at all, but sometimes even the simplest-tiniest touch up is necessary to give the photo that something extra. On the flip side, understanding how editing software works, and being able to use it is essential for anyone looking to continuously expand with this ever growing technology. By understanding not only the technical side of using a DSLR, but also everything around it, you will truly be embedding photography into yourself.

Digital photo editing is a broad statement. By saying you are editing something, that means you are manipulating and changing it from it's original standpoint. To keep this is light of more touching up and manipulated light and color, I will ironically not talk about using a program like Adobe Photoshop. Ironic, truly. For the purposes of this article, Photoshop will be classified as a pixel editor. Instead we will talk about the other side meant specifically for photo editing exclusively. Of course there is Adobe Lightroom. Now up to it's fifth release, it has been making it much easier for photographers to edit their photos the way they want to. But, Lightroom is not the only software out there making waves. Another software company called onOne Software has been making some really great moves to really enables any user interested in photo editing capable of professional looking end products.

The Art Of Retouching

onOne makes a whole bunch of different software, the most comprehensive one being Perfect Photo Suite. The newest release is called Perfect Photo Suite 8. I had a chance to play with this software at PhotoPlus Expo a couple weeks back, and it made me feel as if I work way too slowly. Perfect Photo Suite 8 creates an easy to understand interface that any user could sit down and mess with, very unlike Photoshop which gives you a TON of options and real knowledge on the software to work it out. There are only eight tabs you can click on to edit your photo; There's effects, enhance, portrait, resize, B&W, browse, layers, and mask. 

Each of these tabs will bring you to exactly what they say they are. For example, if you want to make you photo into a B&W, just click the tab and mess with the options until you get your desired product. Want to take that B&W photo and further enhance it's light features? You guessed it, the next tab you'd click is enhance. It even includes a layers option for you. In just a few short clicks, you can create beautiful HDR photos, and do other things that you could using layers, just like in Photoshop. 

Now going back to the beginning, I spoke about knowing your software. Perfect Photo Suite is a user friendly platform, making it accessible for beginners. As a tool for professionals it creates a work flow that no one can match. The ease of getting to settings and creating a finished product that matches the expected quality of work or exceeds it is uncanny. With this program is hand, albums can be completed faster, delivering it to clients faster, and leave the busy run-around pros a little more down time. Couple that up with the speeds offered by SanDisk (currently up to 160 MB/s!!), the new LaCie Little Big Disk with Thunderbolt Technology and that beast of whatever machine you're using, and boom! Dealing with the post production is a whole new game. Check out this video from the Kelby Media Group at Photoshop World in Las Vegas this year, for the announcement of the Perfect Photo suite 8.

If you do have Photoshop or  and you want to see the ease that onOne Software offers, check out the free software they do offer as extensions to your programs. They have different plugins available for Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, Elements, Perfect Effects, Perfect Photo Suite, Perfect B&W, and as a standalone! Yup, just click the link and check out all the different options. 

Having the free software is one example of how helpful a company onOne Software is. At PhotoPlus Expo they were offering free seminars on how to use the software, and give examples of what is was capable of. The floor was open to questions, and the company reps were there every step of the way explaining not only how the software works, but about the processes they were doing. That is true education and inspiration for any aspiring and professional photographer. The website is no different with tutorials and lessons along with tons of information on their products. They also offer training in how to use their free plugins as well.

To get your hands on Perfect Photo Suite 8, you'll have to wait until November 26th, but you can always pre-order it as well. With all the software out there, I truly believe that the business model alone is enough for anyone to support a company like onOne. I say, "Keep up the good work!"

Hogan Enterprises: Flex Lens Shade Product Overview

A lot of photography takes place outdoors, and most of the time the sun is out. It's always a challenge to maneuver around the sun's glare and also against flare. Being that the PhotoPlus Expo brings out the innovative creators and users, there is now a product that will help you win these natural battles, it's called the Flex Lens Shade, by Hogan Enterprises. Here we have Thomas Hogan, the CEO himself, telling us about how this shade works, and why it makes a great addition to your camera accessory bag.

KEY FEATURES:

• Protects photographs from light glare and flare, as well provides a shelter from dust and rain.
• Easy to take on and off with one Velcro strap.
• Very durable; Made with Ballistic Nylon for the shell, with double stitch sewing and finished edges.
• At 1.2 ounces, it is virtually weightless.
• Flat design makes it easy to store in your camera bag.

PERSONAL REMARKS:

A majority of my photographs are taken outside, and most certainly in the day time. Sometimes the sun glaring into my glass makes it impossible to get the shot I'm aiming for. Having a flexible shade on the end of my lens sounds like a great idea, and it is. Personally, I never thought to Jerry-rig any type of shade before, but this solves all the issues one would have doing so. This product would come most in handy for me personally when shooting video outside in the sun. It has it's uses to combat glare and flare from all lights, but I'm hardly in the studio. 

ABOUT FLEX LENS SHADE:

The Flex Lens Shade was developed by Tom Hogan, a professional sports and portrait photographer. As a sports photographer he found that light flare from indoor truss lighting was prevalent while shooting events. With nothing on the market, Tom developed the Flex Lens Shade to block sunlight, indoor lighting and studio lighting to solve the problem of unwanted sun and light flare.

In developing the Flex Lens Shade, we wanted to develop a product that was durable, professional looking and lightweight. With its Ballistic Nylon shell, double stitch sewing and finished edging, the Flex Lens Shade is durable enough for every day use. At only 1.2 ounces, the near weightless Flex Lens Shade can be carried in your camera bag every day with its lay flat design.

We are confident that you will be fully satisfied with your purchase of the Flex Lens Shade and we are sure that you will wonder how you ever survived without it.