Jon Sienkiewicz Blog

It’s not very often that a photo bag or backpack can be fully understood from images alone. The new collection of high quality, military-style camera bags, pouches and backpacks from Able Archer needs very little explanation. One look tells you that they’re durable, functional and great looking.

Just in time to add some nostalgic film effects to our holiday photos, Alien Skin has released Exposure X, a greatly enhanced refinement of its popular imaging software package. In its latest incarnation, Exposure X is designed to deliver image organization and editing—and it does an elegant job of both. But its greatest strength, as I see it, still lies in accurately emulating the look of film of all types, vintage and modern. Here is a close up view of how that works.

As a lover of all things unsharp, I was eager to get my mitts on a Petzval 85mm portrait lens. When I saw it at Photo Plus Expo here in New York, it was under glass, gleaming like a gilded idol. The fine folks at Lomography were kind enough to loan me a sample. What follows is my report. 

Many, many years ago a coworker at Altman Camera in Chicago showed me that it was possible to screw a Vivitar +10 Macro Adapter into a partially disassembled set of Nikon K-series extension rings and thereby build a soft focus lens that practically exploded with delightfully horrendous aberrations. It was fixed-focus, you had to bob to-and-fro like a drunken sailor to use it, but it was sensationally unsharp and I’ve been hooked on this genre ever since.

They are an American success story. TEKNIQ Photo launched its first camera bag in April of this year on Kickstarter. By June 27th, they had raised $73,874 and had 478 backers. Their product is unique—a modular camera bag that gives you three bags in one.

I can’t understand the current love affair between photographers and drones. Like all kids I made paper airplanes which I anonymously launched toward unsuspecting substitute homeroom teachers, sure. Sometimes with uncanny accuracy. Is the current drone rage the ultimate technological evolution of the balsawood P-51 Mustang? Or are we channeling our inner Wright brothers? 

Last year Lowepro launched the ProTactic Series of gadget bags. They immediately earned high marks in my book because they are durable, highly functional and provide superb protection for the gear inside. Initially just two bags, the lineup has grown to six in total, three backpacks and three shoulder bags. Here’s a quick rundown on what they’re all about.