2015 Holiday Gift Guide For People Who Love Photography

Whether you're buying for a pro or a smartphone shooter, we've got your gifts covered

Giving a gift to a photographer can be a tricky thing. We’re picky about our gear, and those T-shirts with cheesy photography jokes aren’t quite as clever as they might seem. But have no fear! We have carefully curated a list of thoughtful, photo-specific gifts that will put a smile on the face of anyone from the casual shooter to the diehard camera nerd.

$25-$75: Olloclip Macro Pro Lens for iPhone $69

Macro photography is incredibly fun. Things look completely different when you get insanely close and magnify them. The problem, however, is that a high-end macro lens costs hundreds of dollars and might not get enough use to warrant the price. This compact little package, however, fits easily into a pocket and adds very high-quality close-up optics to the iPhone’s built-in camera. There are three different arrangements, including a 7x, a 14x, and a rather insane 21x mode that can get you up-close and personal with such legitimately tiny objects as grains of salt. The translucent Instafocus hood makes it easy to figure out the focus distance without blocking out crucial light.

$25-$75: Lastolite 30-inch TriGrip Difflector $64

Like the Rodney Dangerfield of the photo gear world, reflectors just don’t get the respect they deserve. This 30-inch Difflector actually pulls double duty. Put it between your subject and the sun and it acts like a 1-stop diffuser that can seriously cut down on hot spots from bright light sources and even out the lighting ratio between your subject and the background. However, the shiny silver surface also makes it a very capable reflector, so you can put it below or to the side of your subject’s face to fill in tricky shadows. It’s built on a sturdy frame and has a beefy handle, so during a hot shoot, your assistants can fan you like you’re a member of ancient royalty.

$75-$150: Seagate 4TB Backup Plus Portable Drive $129

Photographers have a nasty habit of keeping files spread across a small army of portable hard drives, but this clever little storage devices aims to keep everything—including photos and videos from your phone—in a more central location. The drive itself has a built-in USB 3.0 connection, which funnels data into a 4TB drive inside. It’s compatible with PCs and Macs, and can share between the two, but it can also use the Seagate Mobile App to backup files directly from a smartphone. So, you never have to worry about losing all those pictures you took with your phone of pretty sunsets or weird signs you saw when you were traveling.

$150-$400: Lowepro Protactic SH 200 AW Camera Bag $169

Choosing a camera bag can be a very personal experience, but this messenger-style bag is customizable enough that it can fit into just about any photographer’s arsenal. The exterior of the bag is wrapped in tough nylon straps that reinforce the construction, but also allow for extra storage modules to be attached on the front and sides. The deep gear compartment his highly customizable so it can fit a full-sized DSLR with lenses and accessories, or a smaller system camera with even more extra stuff. It also holds a laptop and has smaller pockets for crucial things like memory cards, extra batteries, and delicious granola bars that can be a real lifesaver during a long shoot.

$150-$400: Ricoh Theta S $349

Virtual reality is a thing that we’re going to be seeing a lot of in the near future, and Ricoh has tried to get out in front of VR image capture with its updated 360-degree camera, the Theta S. The slim camera itself is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, sporting a lens and sensor on each side. These two imaging devices capture still images or video footage in sync that’s then stitched together to create a truly immersive representation of its surroundings. The Theta S is not meant to replace a traditional camera, but you don’t need a set of VR goggles to view it—the interactive 360-degree spherical footage is now supported by services like Facebook, Google, and YouTube, which is a big deal. So, you can have the most accurate possible document of your family arguing around the table at a holiday dinner.

$400 and Over: Phottix Indra500 TTL Battery Powered Studio Light $1,199

Off-camera lighting is a way for a photographer to seriously take their skills to a different level. This moonlight-style strobe is fully battery-powered, so it’s meant to venture out of the studio and into the field. It has the power of a whole gang of speedlights, so it can do things those little strobes can’t, like overpower the sun or throw light over long distances. Plus, it has built-in TTL capabilities, so you can set it in auto mode if you’re trying to capture shots in rapidly changing lighting situations. Even if you prefer to shoot in all-manual, you’ll appreciate the ability to change the flash power from the transmitter rather than walking over to the light every time you want to add or subtract a fraction of a stop.

#Hashtags In Google Search

For those of us using Google+ #Hashtags have now been introduced into Google Search. A hashtag - any word or phrase (no spaces) with a # preceding it - is a great tool for people to find and join conversations about a particular topic. Clicking on a hashtag shows related content. Hashtags are now even more powerful. When users search for certain hashtags, they’ll see a stream of related  Google+ posts on the right hand side of Search results. For example, if someone searches for #Photograph in Google Search, they’ll see this:

This means you can use hashtags in creative campaigns; tell your audience to “Search for #X on Google” to see the conversation happening on Google+. Users can join the conversation by clicking into the stream and posting on Google+.

Whenever there is enough detailed data, the Google+ post stream will serve up relevant public posts as well as those that have been shared with circles. Follow best practices to see a hashtag trend on Google+ in order to have it appear in Search. Many hashtag searches will not trigger Google+ posts in Search if there aren’t enough recent relevant posts. Google is rolling this feature out in the US right now with international markets to follow at later dates.

A Holiday Gift Guide For Photographers

I’ve compiled a holiday gift guide full of wonderful things that all the photographers in your lives will love. Some things that YOU might want to add to your own Christmas list! The best part is everything is under $100!

1. 50mm f 1.8 lens for Canon or the Nifty Fifty

If you own a Canon, get a 50 1.8 lens! This prime lens is a great investment for $100.

2. Eye-Fi Wireless Flash Memory Card.

This awesome card lets you upload JPEGS and RAW files right from your camera to your computer, smartphone, or tablet using wi-fi. You can even install watch folders in Photoshop and Lightroom to automatically import them into the programs and apply presets.

3. Wacom Intuos Tablet

Great for a first-time tablet user or as the to-go travel tablet, the Wacom Intuos small Creative Touch Tablet will help any photographer with their retouching game. 

4. Lexar Professional Workflow HR1 Hub

The Lexar Professional Workflow HR1 Hub is a modular four-bay reader hub designed to accept up to four optional dedicated card readers. This solution enables quick, USB 3.0-speed transferring of files from up to four memory cards simultaneously.

5. WD My Passport 1TB Portable External Hard Drive

Every photographer needs a place to back up their photos. This drive is sleek with a compact design, automatic backup software, password protection and hardware encryption.

6. Transit Backpack 350 AW

The slate grey Transit Backpack 350 AW from Lowepro is versatile travel bag made of weather-resistant 600D polyester. It can accommodate a DSLR with a 70-200mm f/2.8 or a 300mm f/2.8 lens attached, two additional lenses, a flash and accessories, including a compact tripod. There is also a dedicated compartment at the back of the backpack that will accommodate most 15" laptops.

DISCLAIMER: I was not compensated or gifted any products in exchange for including any of the above items on this list. All opinions are of course my own.

Adobe Photoshop CC for Creative Cloud Members Coming Soon!

At its Adobe MAX conference in Los Angeles today, Adobe announced Photoshop CC, will be available to Creative Cloud members this June! Photoshop CC is the next version of its flagship photo editing software. Unlike version that came before it, Photoshop CC will only be offered through Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription plan.

Photoshop CC will have a number of upgrades over Photoshop CS6. Major ones are a new image deblurring/sharpening feature, and new Camera Raw capabilities. The new program merges features that were previously found in Photoshop standard and Photoshop Extended.

All-new Smart Sharpen: "Photoshop CC analyzes image data to maximize clarity and minimize noise and halo. A range of new editable options lets you fine-tune images to get richer textures, crisper edges and more distinct details."-Adobe



Intelligent Upsampling: "Preserve detail and sharpness while enlarging images for different print sizes. The new upsampling tool retains edge detail and reduces the noise and artifacts normally associated with enlarging images."-Adobe

Camera Shake Reduction: "Save shots you thought were lost due to camera motion. Whether your blur was caused by slow shutter speed or a long focal length, Camera Shake Reduction analyzes the trajectory of the camera shake and helps restore sharpness."-Adobe


Adobe Camera Raw 8 and ACR as a filter: "Apply new effects to your images with ACR’s new Advanced Healing Brush, Radial Gradient and Upright tools. Adobe Camera Raw’s powerful tools can now be used as a filter, allowing you to use controls like Clarity, Noise reduction and Temperature on any layer at any time."-Adobe


Adobe Photoshop CC will be available to Creative Cloud customers starting in June 2013. You’ll need to subscribe to Creative Cloud for $50 per month to use all of the new CC programs, or subscribe to Photoshop CC itself for $20 per month.

What Form of Photography Is Right for You?

Photography in general is a beautiful art form but there are some many different forms of photography. This article discusses those different forms in enough detail to give the reader a clear picture of each form in the hopes that they will decide the right form of photography based on their personality and interests.

Photography is a true art form that encompasses many different avenues. Portrait photography and landscape photography are perhaps, the most popular types of photography, but there are far from being the only forms of photography. Whether you are an amateur photographer or a professional chances are that you are going to have a favorite type of photography. Keep in mind that some types of photography encompass two or more other types of photography, so it should be fairly easy to pick a photography specialty based on your personality. I am going to go over different types of photography in hopes of helping you decide which one is right for you.

Photojournalism

Photojournalism involves taking photos of facts as they happened. This style of photography requires the knowledge to capture human emotion in a single photograph and can take years of practice to perfect. In photojournalism, the photo will depict just one scene or event. These photographs are used to attract readers for news stories.

Documentary

This is very similar to photojournalism, but in documentary photography the photographs are meant for historical evidence of an era, not the present time. Documentary photographers also need experiences and training to capture raw human emotion.

Macrophotography

Macrophotography refers to photos that are taken at a very close range. In order to become a macro photographer, the proper professional film equipment (pfe) is essential. Lenses and other needed equipment are expensive and require advanced knowledge to learn.

Action

Although there are different types of action photography, sports photography is the most popular. The photographer must study the subject and anticipate the next move in order to get a good shot. This holds true for sports photographers as well as those photographing animals in nature, and even taking photos of children running around the house.

Glamor

So many consider glamour photography to be pornographic, but it is an art form that shows the beauty of the human body. They focus on light and shadows to show the human body at its best. While being sexy these photos are done tastefully and respectfully.

Wedding

Many photographs of this style are post processed for creative effects. A plethora of wedding photographs are given a vintage or timeless look in post processing. This is a unique blend of portrait photography and documentary photography.

Advertising

This a career form of photography for many people and is yet another type of photography that encompasses different forms. It can include macrophotography, glamor photography, and portraiture. The photographs need to be interesting and catch the eye of consumers in print.

Travel

Travel photography can include portraiture, documentary, advertising, and glamor photography. These photographs depict life or events of a particular place in the world. This can be achieved through portraits or by landscape photography.

Portrait

This might be the most popular type of photography and is certainly one of the oldest. Subjects can be people or animals. Portrait photography serves to capture the unique personality of the subject in a photograph.

Art

Art photography can include photographs on many different subjects. Some photographers use animals or nature as subjects, others may use objects posed, or even an interesting view of everyday objects. No matter what the subject is, art photography must be aesthetic.

7 Easy Photography Tips for Beginners

Like any other hobbies and crafts, to learn photography means having to understand the basic photography tips you need to know.

Like any other hobbies and crafts, to learn photography means having to understand the basic photography tips you need to know. If you are that persistent to mastering this craft, then it is important to read on the following photography tips for beginners.

1. Do not hesitate in taking lots and lots of photos. Remember that this is among the photography tips that will help you learn and figure what best works for you or which ones are bad. This will also help you develop and come up with your distinct style.

2.Always put creativity first and never copy someone else's style. If everyone else is taking the same angle from the subjects and in most pictures, find another.

3.Carrying your camera all the time is also a good thing to start in order to learn photography. You will never know when the perfect photo opp would come.

4. Of course, make sure you read and leaf through your camera manual. Although this can be quite boring, the basic ways to use a camera will help you improve and learn photography and its art.

5. Backing up your photos is also one of the most effective photography tips. You can create a blog for this or burn this into a CD, just in case the computer crashes.

6. Go with a group. Hanging out with beginners on a shoot will also help you learn photography best.

7. Most of all, relax and keep your cool. Exerting too much effort in something can compromise the enjoyment and fun you are supposed to have while learning photography. Learn to enjoy first the learning process and you will see that you can be good at it eventually. After all, photography should be a passion that you enjoy.

Types of Photography

There are a lot of different types of photography. Some you may have heard of before and others you may not have. In this article I will try to list all the types of photography and explain a bit about the more popular ones. So if you're just starting out or you've been a photographer for a long time read on to find out what other types of photography are available to you.

There are a lot of different types of photography. Some you may have heard of before and others you may not have. In this article I will try to list all the types of photography and explain a bit about the more popular ones. So if you're just starting out or you've been a photographer for a long time read on to find out what other types of photography are available to you.

The big list of types of photography
First of all let me address all the types of photography. This is a long list and because of the nature of photography new forms comeout all the time. Starting from A the types are: Advertising, Aerial, Architectural, Astronomical, Baby, Black and White, Cityscape, Commercial, Concert, Digital, Documentary, Equine, Family, Fine art, Food, Fashion, Infrared, Landscape, Macro, Nature, Night, Pet, Portrait, Seascape, Travel, Underwater, Wedding and Wildlife photography. As you can see there are many, many forms of photography. Most people simply choose one and specialize in that form, some forms more popular than others.

Popular Types of Photography

Black and White photography is an old and popular type of photography. Originally camera's only took black and white photo's but these days it is used to capture the natural essence and beauty of a person or object. It gives the photo a timeless, regal look that you just cannot get with color photo's. However if you're after exuberant picture filled with life and color you're going to need to pick another form of photography.

Baby or family / portrait photography is also a very popular form to get into. It has a lot of commercial appeal and everyone wants pictures of their babies and family to preserve their precious memories. Go into any household in the world and you will see one of these hanging on a wall or sitting on a shelf. When people think of photography this is usually what they think of. Pet photography can also fall under this category to some extent. Most families have pets and pictures of when they were puppies, 1 year old, 2, etc.

Wedding photography is also one of the timeless and most sought after photography. Such a magical occasion is the wedding that you will never see one go by without a photographer present. Even couples that go to Vegas to elope over the weekend have pictures of their wedding! Wedding photography can be a lot harder than many of the other forms because you cannot set the stage and control the lighting. A wedding is a fluid event and so you must be quick on your feet and have a good eye for when to take that perfect shot. Being able to adapt is a must for wedding photography.

Travel photography is becoming more and more common in the digital age. You'd be hard pressed to find a family or group of people travelling these days that does not have a digital camera with them. And with so many beautiful landscapes and architechtural wonders around the world you can see why. People these days rarely get the chance to go on a holiday and they want to remember that stress free fun time for as long as they can. Snapping some pics of the eiffel tower or the grand canyon and having them around the house is a great way to do this. This form of photography is great for the casual photo fanatic.

So grab your camera and get out there.