Going Gear Shopping? Never Look Dumb or Get Ripped Off Again!

Do you get a feeling of dread in your stomach every time you go to the camera store? It’s intimidating to walk up to the counter and ask for help when you’re just starting out. You can’t afford to waste a bunch of money on equipment you don’t need, but you just know the guy [...]

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The Shaped Bokeh Effect – Experiments in DIY Photography

Ever heard of the Bokeh Master? It’s this contraption that fits over the front of your lens, sort of like an opaque filter with a hole cut out. It magically transforms out-of-focus highlights in your picture from round dots to cool shapes. Normally, out of focus lights look something like this: But with a Bokeh Master [...]

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Important! Read This Before Building Your Kit

I’ve just discovered that LensRentals.com has a blog. And get this… it’s good. Like this post on the expensive and impulsive way the owner of LensRentals.com built his first photography kit. It’s a funny  story. But here’s the best part- He shares what he would have done differently, knowing what he knows now. Remember this [...]

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3 Best Digital Camera Lenses for General Photography

When I think of a general purpose lens, I think of family photos, super close ups or macro shots of flowers and/or pealing paint, and vacation landscape photos. Your interpretation might be different. Tell me about it in the comments. But, you know, read this first please. Anyway, if you’re looking for a general purpose [...]

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Need a Light Meter for Shooting Film?

Maybe you’re into the 120 format, cross processed, Lomo  look. The whole Holga thing is huge right now.  Or maybe you’re starting to fall in love with 35mm black and white film. Either way you want your exposures to be correct and you don’t want to waste tons of film. If you’re shooting film you [...]

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Used Photo Gear- How to Get Great Advice Before you Buy

So, I just bought a sweet Nikon FA from  Goodwill. It’s a 20 something year old film camera with some pretty snazzy features. I almost didn’t buy it. But I took five minutes to talk to someone who knows cameras. This guy totally saved the day. Anyway, I almost passed this camera up when I [...]

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Update on Remote Shooting and Happy Valentine’s Day

If you read my last post, I found this really cool tutorial on how to use your TV’s universal remote to trigger your camera. It’s a really neat idea so I wanted to try it out immediately. I went to Radio Shack and got a universal remote and some batteries. Got home, started the tutorial [...]

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Free Wireless Remote Shutter Release

I’ve been doing product photography for my new Etsy.com shop. So I bought a wireless remote shutter release. You know, to do self portraits while I wear adorably edgy necklaces and such. But the remote crapped out on me after one use. Figures. I spend money on something and it fails immediately. Anyway, I’ve been [...]

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Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Tripod Review

I got a new tripod! I feel like DiCaprio in Titanic shouting “I’m the King of the World!” except I’m shouting “I got a New Tripod!” Or maybe it’s more like that Hoveround commercial at the Grand Canyon. If you’ve been here a while, you know I’ve been in the market for a new tripod. [...]

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How to Use an 18% Gray Card for Exposure

An 18% gray card is middle gray. Right smack in the middle of white and black. That’s the same brightness your camera thinks the world should be. When you use an automatic or semi-automatic mode you’re letting the camera choose the exposure settings. And your camera thinks every scene and subject you take pictures of [...]

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