Jack Neubart

I 'll admit to it--ever since I was first introduced to the Interfit flat panel strobes a few short years back, I've become enamored of this company's products. And I still use those lights. Every year since, Interfit would introduce new lighting gear, but these newer monolights were either too big or too basic for my needs. Then along came the EXD200.

The word boudoir comes from late 18th century French, meaning “sulking place.” To the eye, and in the mind, of boudoir photographer Jen Rozenbaum, it is anything but.

There are a number of new lenses, including those for “full-frame,” Micro Four Thirds, and “mirrorless” compact system cameras debuting this year, listed in alphabetical order. Here’s a sampler, with a sprinkling of filters thrown in for good measure. We’ve shown prices when available at press time—if not, check the websites of the companies for updates.

You have lots of stuff ready for sale or that needs to be catalogued, such as jewelry, watches, pottery, tableware, glassware, figurines, coins, or maybe even an old camera. So how do you photograph these items quickly and affordably, while making them look their best?

For starters, we often need soft, largely even, and, for the most part, shadowless illumination to bring out all the salient features in the item. While a light tent or other diffusion enclosure can be used, getting lighting ratios just right can prove time-consuming. Using household lighting is often unsatisfactory if you want to make the item sparkle so that it beats out any competitive offerings online, and especially if you want the pictures to reflect an air of professionalism. Besides, color balance is often an issue, made even more difficult when available fluorescent lighting is used. And if you use flash, you’ll need more than one strobe, which becomes a costly and often time-consuming proposition.