Photo Accessory Reviews

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Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 31, 2015  | 

A few years back, while waiting for a beautiful but thoroughly flakey model in the parking lot of a restaurant near Liberty State Park, my boredom was interrupted by a black Lincoln Town Car that slipped suspiciously past me and parked a few spaces away. After several minutes, two men exited the sedan. They were wearing tuxedos and looked rather serious. The trunk lid popped open. Ignoring me completely, they rummaged through the trunk. One of the men removed his tux jacket and strapped on a large black holster. A moment later, the other did the same. I slid down in my seat, wondering if I was about to witness some weird reenactment of High Noon, right there in Jersey City.

Jason Schneider  |  Jul 20, 2015  | 

If you read our story on "7 Reasons You Still Need a Flash Bracket for Photography," perhaps you’ve decided it’s time to purchase one of these photography workhorses. Here are our recommendations for 8 Great Flash Brackets to help you achieve studio-quality lighting on the fly.

Jason Schneider  |  Jul 20, 2015  | 

The flash bracket has become the “forgotten accessory” in photography but it’s still an essential tool if you’re looking to achieve consistent studio-quality lighting on the fly.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 09, 2015  | 

The concept isn’t new. Gamers have been using dedicated yokes, rudder pedals and throttles with Flight Simulator and aerial combat games for at least three decades. Even Super Mario racing games can be purchased with steering wheel controllers. But the Palette Kit from Canadian firm Palette is the most comprehensive set of alternative input hardware interfaces for Lightroom and Photoshop ever. 

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jun 11, 2015  | 

Raise your hand if you’ve ever taken a flash photo and wished a) it wasn’t so washed out, b) it didn’t have those harsh, black shadows behind the subject, c) it wasn’t so bluish all over, or d) it were possible to do it all over again because the results just plain sucked. Does this picture sound familiar? You need a flash modifier. In fact, you may need a BounceLite.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jun 04, 2015  | 

Before you get any ideas about drafting a posse and coming after me with tar and feathers because of my computer platform preferences, let me explain—please. Because I write about digital photography I must use both PCs and Macs so that I can deliver balanced stories and explain computer functions to our entire audience, not just one group or the other.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jun 04, 2015  | 

Dads and tools go together like crooked public servants and greasy bags of banknotes. Photographers tend to tote tools, too. Put it all together (minus the politician) and we just might have the perfect Father’s Day gift suggestion. And it comes from SOG, a company with a rich and venerated heritage.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  May 29, 2015  | 

If you’ve ever taken something apart to make it better, or enjoyed building something from Lego bricks, you’re going to love the Platypod Pro. It’s the world’s most compact base for a tripod head, according to its label, but that’s selling it short—it’s really much cooler than that. 

Jim Zuckerman  |  Apr 24, 2015  | 

Low light photography requires technical discipline to get the kind of pictures you want. Obviously artistry is also part of the equation, but shooting when the light is reduced presents technical problems that can only be dealt with using technical solutions.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Apr 23, 2015  | 

Just as certain as the crocus and grape hyacinth that burst on the scene seemingly from nowhere, another sure sign of spring is my reliance on a few familiar gadgets to help me celebrate the season. Here are three of the accessories I’d be hard pressed to do without.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Apr 16, 2015  | 

An effective camera support that could be used as a pillow when you snooze in the back of your pickup truck in a pinch? Hard to believe? Take my word for it—this thing is as sensible as it is functional. 

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Mar 12, 2015  | 

Looking for a camera strap that was designed with as much insight and creativity as your camera? Here’s a second look at a company that first caught my eye two years ago. 

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Mar 05, 2015  | 

Let’s face it, air travelers. Takeoffs and landings in cataclysmic weather are a breeze compared to waiting for your bags to appear on the luggage carousal. Did your unlocked bag survive the flight without rupturing along the seams? Was it opened for inspection? And who would have thought that 14 other passengers checked black American Tourister Fieldbrook luggage sets identical to yours? Sound real? Then check out this Strapsafe Luggage Belt from Pacsafe.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Nov 06, 2014  | 

Some cameras, including my classy and not-so-cheap Sony RX100, charge through the USB cable. There’s no need for a separate charger; simply plug the adapter into the wall and the small connector into the camera. There are pros and cons to this system.

Joe Farace  |  Nov 04, 2014  | 

One way that photographers can add variety to a portrait session is to shoot a few images in black and white. The way I like to do it is to put the camera in monochrome mode then shoot with Raw+JPEG capture, creating two files at the same time—one in color, the other in monochrome—that you can show your subject right away. I did this recently and the subject loved the look of the black-and-white portrait so much that we continued the session shooting that way. That said, since this is the lighting issue I’d like to start with some new items to light up your photo life.

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