Author Archives: tpitera
Review: Lensbaby Composer and Optic Swap System
For those of you unfamiliar with it, the Lensbaby is a selective focus optic that has an area in focus (called the Sweet Spot) with the surrounding area being out of focus. The original Lensbaby and Lensbaby 2.0 (now the Muse) utilized a bellows system in which the user would push or pull the front [...]
Stroboscopic Flash with Speedlights
Stroboscopic flash is when a series of flashes are fired continuously in a single exposure. The multiple bursts of light allow you to freeze a moving subject multiple times as it moves through the frame. The results are very similar to that of combining multiple exposures. This tutorial is a brief overview of how stroboscopic [...]
Hands On: Olympus PEN E-P1
The Olympus PEN E-P1 is a camera that many photo enthusiasts have been dreaming about for a long time. It’s a relatively small camera with a decent sized sensor and interchangeable lenses. The question on everyone’s mind is how does it stack up? I had the chance to get some hands-on experience with the PEN [...]
Review: The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light From Small Flashes
Fresh off the success of his last book, “The Moment It Clicks,” Joe McNally has returned with “The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light From Small Flashes.” His last book mainly focused on the images and the stories and obstacles behind them, along with some technical details. “The Hot Shoe Diaries,” as the name implies, is [...]
Five Tips to Improve Your Point-and-Shoot Pictures
This article gives five simple yet very effective tips for improving the quality of pictures from your point-and-shoot camera.
Review: Rick Sammon’s Field Guide to Digital Photography: Quick Lessons on Making Great Pictures
Rick Sammon is a renowned wildlife photographer, instructor and author of many books. His latest, Rick Sammon’s Field Guide to Digital Photography, is designed to be a handbook that fits easily into your camera bag. Despite its small size, the book is jam packed with a lot of useful information and tips for taking great [...]
Initial Impressions: Nikon D5000
The D5000 is the latest camera in Nikon’s entry level line of DSLRs. The camera inherits some of the D90′s features but keeps things simplified for beginners. It’s also the first camera in the Nikon line to feature an articulating LCD screen. I had the opportunity to play with the D5000 for a few days. [...]
Review: Wonderland Presets 3.0
Wonderland 3.0 is arranged into eleven different categories: General Corrections, B&W Conversions, Color Punches, Color Isolate, Color Modification, Creative Catalyst, Cross Process, Lighten/Darken Vignettes, Portrait Specific, Sepia and Sharpening. Here’s how the categories break down.
Review: HP Photosmart B8550 Photo Printer
HP Photosmart B8550 Photo Printer The Photosmart B8550 is ideal for photo enthusiasts and hobbyists who want to make 13″ x 19″ prints with ease. The B8550 produces vibrant prints and offers a very straightforward, easy to operate interface.