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Photogenic Professional Lighting is one of the classic names in portrait lighting and has been making studio equipment for more than 100 years. A lot has changed in technology since 1903 but one thing that hasn’t is Photogenic’s manufacturing their lighting gear for studio or location portrait photography here in the USA. I chose the AKC55K 640 WS Soft Box Portrait kit for this review because it was a 2-light system that includes a soft box on a boom, something beginning portrait photographers sometimes overlook because they think this particular lighting tool is too expensive and too complex to use. My experience with this kit demonstrated otherwise.

Drew Hallowell and travel partner, Hunter Martin, are photographers for the
Philadelphia Eagles. Mentors of Ed Mahan, long time Eagles photographer, they
are the young shooters on their way up with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL
photographic arena.

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I photograph natural subjects without manipulation when possible, but there are many instances when it is necessary to control a situation to show a subject in an artistic and beautiful light. Indeed, many times it is necessary to manage a subject specifically to make it look natural in the photo. Technical and practical issues are often present that make it virtually impossible to take the kinds of pictures we really want to take and that we can see with our eyes.

Taking pictures of a family and doing it well is challenging. There are many things you have to think about to please both you and the people you are shooting. First, you should have soft and diffused lighting. An overcast sky works great and so does shade. Second, you should avoid on-camera flash if possible. If it is hopelessly dark and you don’t have any other lighting equipment, then on-camera flash will have to do. However, this kind of lighting is the least attractive type of artificial light we use. It is flat and dimensionless. Only if you use on-camera flash as a subtle fill light to open up shadows will it look good.

Photokina's New Look

by George Schaub

Professional and avid photographers looking to travel to Cologne, Germany will
notice some changes when they prepare for their trip to photokina 2006, Sept.
26 -- Oct. 1, 2006 in Cologne, Germany. Photokina veterans should quickly
forget about the previous hall numbersystem...

Photographers are always concerned that their pictures turn out as sharp as possible. Photography has a seemingly endless number of challenges, but sharpness is number one. No matter how incredible your photo opportunity is, if the images are not sharp, nothing else matters. The pictures will be worthless. Too often images are almost sharp, and this is particularly vexing because if only you had paid attention to one tiny detail or two, they would be perfect.

What began in 2004 as a social networking service for Harvard students has rapidly grown into an international phenomenon with social, political, business and cultural implications for users of all ages. With over 158 million users in the U.S. (and almost a million world-wide), Facebook now reaches nearly 75% of Internet users in our country.