For Christmas I got some pretty sweet stuff to add to my photography collection. I highly recommend these things to anyone looking to explore photography more seriously. They are AMAZING!
First-if you haven't checked out and taken advice from Ken Rockwell-DO IT! He has a website full of simple to understand things about every camera, lens and accessory on the market. The man is a genius where photography is concerned. www.kenrockwell.com
Second-if you are curious as to what kind of camera or lens you'd like best, but don't want to splurge on it when you aren't POSITIVE (seeing as this hobby is a costly one)-I totally recommend using Borrowlenses.com. They make it totally affordable to rent different cameras and lens, insure them and SHIP IT ALL TO YOU! Does it get any easier? A great way to use the equipment and make a sound decision. LOVE it!
Third-the Gary Fong Lightsphere II!!! A recent trip into Kits Cameras turned me on to this next accessory-it is a MUST HAVE. I don't take pictures without it anymore. It is nothing short of AMAZING! (You can also rent this accessory from Borrowlenses!) Trust me-this is a no-brainer!
Personally, I find it annoying to have an external flash that STILL doesn't let out enough light. Ugh-nothing is more irritating than to miss a shot because your stupid flash was too weak for the bad indoor/flourecent lighting. The most expensive piece of "Tupperware" you'll ever own, but....try it and you'll be hooked. It can't get any easier-just attach it to your flash, turn the flahs up towards the ceiling and depending on the inverted dome you clip on the top of the lightsphere (amber color, frosted or chrome) it can create different effects-however the chrome dome is magical-it creates light in a room where there is really crappy lighting-thus eliminating that irritation I spoke of earlier! Gary Fong-what a GENIUS!
Fourth-if you understandably don't want to spend the money on the Gary Fong diffuser-this is a 2nd option that I also love. The Westcottt Mini Apollo Softbox. It is like setting up an indoor studio without having all the strobes, umbrellas and wires all over the place. Try it-you'll LOVE it! Goodbye to over-exposure and shadows! Woo-Hoo!
Last-This set of 3 Digital Photography books (I got mine at Costco). These should be called "photography-recipes for success in EVERY shot". They are SWEET! Super simple to understand, vibrant photo examples on every page-down to the point. I have sat for weeks now with the books on my lap & camera in hand trying out all the fun stuff it has to offer! LOVE LOVE LOVE! HIGHLY recommended. It's like having Ken Rockwell sitting beside you giving you his best tips. Literally-the books were written with that as the intention (just some dude named Scott wrote it-not my pal Ken :)
Anywhoo-I'll get off my soapbox, but I just wanted to share some sweet tricks for those who might be interested. I realize it's probably a "Kristi" thing, to be so enammored by crud like this-after all, most nights I bet you don't go to bed thinking about ISO settings, exposure, white balance, aperature priorities and bokeh-do you???! lol-It's better than counting sheep!
No comments:
Post a Comment