Photo Accessory News

“I think all art is about control—the encounter between control and the uncontrollable.”—Richard Avedon

Some trends just won’t go away: Billboard magazine notes that U.S. vinyl album sales are up 53 percent, generating $416 million in sales. Stereophile, our sister publication, reviews new analog audio equipment and you can purchase new Nikon F6 or Leica M-A film cameras from Shutterbug advertisers. Ferrania is back making film and the Japan Camera Hunter website is making their own film, a discontinued Agfa emulsion they’re calling JCH StreetPan 400. Amazon’s top-selling photo item is Fuji’s Instax Mini Instant Film. There’s even a new twin-lens instant camera, Mint’s InstantFlex TL70, and yes, I gotta get me one of those.

Over the years I’ve photographed hundreds if not thousands of models and subjects on muslin, canvas, and other background materials, and in many unique settings. I’ve had the privilege to shoot many magazine covers, dozens of catalogs, and ads for magazines.

Most photographers prefer to get a great shot in the camera, rather than spend a lot of time making post-processing adjustments. In this two-minute tutorial, you’ll learn how the simple polarizing filter can help you do just that.

There's something truly magical about shooting a spectacular Golden Hour photo but capturing this epic moment in time can be more difficult than it sounds. Getting the light exactly right is one of the biggest challenges we face when shooting a sunrise and it's easy to fall short for a number of reasons.

I think my urge to customize cameras comes from a love of cars. I can’t seem to leave my cars alone and each one has touches that make it unique. I think that’s why everybody gets really personal when it comes to finding, using, and often treasuring photographic accessories, gadgets, and gizmos. It helps if the source is obscure, foreign, and off the beaten track, which only adds to the exclusivity. And why not? The whole idea is to seek out photo accessories that accomplish something camera and lens manufacturers didn’t think to make but perfectly fills a niche in your own photographic pursuits.

WaterWeight is a nifty solution for when you need to stabilize your lightstand or tripod while on location (or even in the studio). This lightweight, compact, sack-based system doesn’t add much weight or take up too much space in your camera gear bag.