From the Pros,On Location,Tethered Photography

Photographer Mark Taylor Puts the Tether Table Premier to Work19 Jul

Commercial and advertising photographer Mark Taylor puts Tether Tools gear to the test in his photoshoot with Little Gym International. Can you spot the Tether Table Premier at the beginning?

Behind the Scenes – Little Gym International Campaign from Mark Taylor PhotoImages on Vimeo.

Mark was also nice enough to send us some behind-the-scenes shots of his recent work on a Hooters promo. Check out his tethered photography set-up:

And here’s a sample of the finished product:

Visit Mark Taylor Photo Images to see more of his work.

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On Location,Quick Tips on Tethering,Tethered Photography

Tethered Photography for Product Photo Shoots30 Apr

Article and images by: Sourabh Banerjee, WriteLights photography blog

Over the years I have seen a lot of fashion photographers shoot tethered and I always wondered if it was really worth the effort. At a recent jewelry product photo shoot, I found out it is.

Tethering allows you to operate your camera using your computer. You still need to frame and focus using the viewfinder. But once you are done, you can change camera settings from the computer very easily. The biggest advantage is that you can check for sharpness immediately by doing a 1:1 crop.

This becomes crucial while shooting product photography in a tight time frame because you get to see exactly how your shots will look on screen. If your camera is on a tripod and needs to be absolutely still (for macro shots, for instance), triggering the shutter release using software is an added advantage.

In this setup, I am controlling the camera via Lightroom while doing product shots for a catalog. I am using a light tent, off-camera flash and a gobo. I also am using an improvised softbox at the bottom as a reflector.

Tethered-Photography-Product-Photo-Shoots-Set-Up

I found a much greater percentage of usable shots and dramatic reduction in post-processing time because of tethered photography.

You can set the camera to dump the frames immediately to the computer’s hard drive so you are no longer limited by the capacity of your memory card. I found this to be a very convenient way to control the camera, and change settings and lenses to get exactly the kind of shot I wanted. You can even do the full range of post-processing steps while waiting for your assistant to prepare the next frame.

Here is what you need to get started:

  • Adobe Lightroom 3 (Mac or PC), or a nifty application called Sofortbild. It also supports Live View on some camera models
  • A USB cable of appropriate length

In case you are wondering how the shot taken above turned out, here it is:

Tethered-Photography-Product-Photo-Shoots

From the Pros,On Location,Tethered Photography

Musings and Worthwhile Takeaways from The Flashbus 2011 Tour06 Apr

Article and photo by: Josh Kenzer, web developer and photography enthusiast

Tether-Tools-Digital-Photography-apple-drops

If you get into the world of off-camera flash, you will come to realize that two names dominate the space, David Hobby and Joe McNally. The two experts joined forces this spring in a whirlwind event called the FLASHBUS 2011 TOUR where they shared both sides of the flash equation.

Hobby, who runs Strobist.com, focuses his FLASHBUS session on using manual camera settings along with manual flash, a popular method for shooters who have a mixed bag of flashes or don’t want to commit to a specific manufacturer’s system.

The second half of the day is saved for McNally’s presentation. He teaches the more automatic ways of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS), though most of his techniques also can be applied to Canon Wireless TTL.

I’m a member of the “Strobist camp” so I thought McNally’s presentation was fresh and incorporated a lot of techniques that were new to me. But, both photographers were hilarious and educational.

You can probably compare the two options to, say, driving stick shift or automatic. The best drivers know how to use both.

Since the day is only 6 hours long after all, both assume that you have a certain level of knowledge and move pretty fast but the question and answer session at the end is a good time to circle back on things that weren’t so clear.

Top takeaways:

  • There is definitely a time and a place for shooting manual versus CLS/TTL.
  • Adding one light at a time can make building a complex scene simpler.
  • Building a rapport with the subject is crucial. Try and set up the lights ahead of time, so the subject feels comfortable. Once you have the lights set-up and the rapport going, take a bunch of photos. Too many times I worry about the set-up so much that, once I get it right, I don’t spend enough time shooting.

Are you going to any of the remaining FLASHBUS 2011 TOUR stops? Don’t forget to check out our contest for your chance to win free tethered digital photography equipment from Tether Tools.

Ultimate Tethered Photography Workstation: Manfrotto Magic Arm & Super Clamp Kit

 

The Manfrotto Magic Arm & Super Clamp Kit is designed to hold fixtures and devices securely in place in a variety of situations. The rotating elbow arm, with a locking lever control at the pivot, means you can position a fixture at just the right height and angle.

In our tethering setups, we use it to attach the Tether Tools Wallee Connect Kit, which we included last Friday. You can attach the Connect to the MagicArm and SuperClamp, then adhere it to a tripod or lightstand so the iPad is always nearby when shooting.

Whether you’re viewing images you’ve just shot, or using the iPad for lighting set ups, shot list, model release forms, or so many other uses, having an iPad nearby comes in handy in so many situations.

Finding ways to incorporate new technology – like the iPad – into your work can be an exciting process. Can you remember the first “gadget” you added to your workflow when you first started out in photography? What was it? How did you learn about it? Do you still use it today? Why or why not?

Want the Manfrotto Magic Arm & Super Clamp Kit? You can win it, and all of the other gear we’ll be adding to the Ultimate Tethered Photography Workstation in our Tether Tools Top 20: Start the New Year off Right Facebook Campaign. Just like the Tether Tools Facebook page and enter the sweepstakes via the form. Then, share the photo we posted of the Manfrotto Magic Arm & Super Clamp Kit, and in the comments section, tell us about the first gadget you added to your photography workflow. Full terms & conditions.

Ultimate Tethered Photography Workstation: Animoto Pro Membership

Animoto

By now you’ve probably realized that Tether Tools really loves supporting photographers’ needs. We’re always looking for ways to make your life easier. So, when we find other companies with the same goal, we admittedly geek out a little! Animoto is definitely one of those tools that will make your life easier. It’ll help you secure new clients and sell more of your photos to existing ones.

There are lots of slideshow and video editing tools out there. The main challenge with most of them is making a video look really nice. It typically takes hours of editing, cutting, timing images with music, and building interesting transitions.  Animoto has brilliantly come up with a tool that does all of that challenging and time-consuming work for you!

You simply upload your images, put them in the right order, pick your music and, within seconds, Animoto creates your video for you. Yes, it is really that easy. And yes, it will help you sell more of your images. Whether working with brides, families, kids or event producers, seeing the special images from your shoot set to music, just hours or days after they are taken, makes clients feel great.

Music and imagery evoke such emotion. Your clients will treasure the video and be compelled to buy the images.  The ease with which Animoto allows you to create video means you can focus more of your time taking pictures and making your clients happy.

If you were to use Animoto to create a video, what’s the one song you’d put in it to really help close the sale? We want a song that you feel really gives clients insight into your personal shooting style. Get creative!

Want the Animoto membership? You can win it, and all of the other gear we’ll be adding to the Ultimate Tethered Photography Workstation in our Tether Tools Top 20: Start the New Year off Right Facebook Campaign. Just like the Tether Tools Facebook page and enter the sweepstakes via the form. Then, share the screenshot we posted of Animoto and, in the comments section, tell us what’s the one song you’d add to your video to help close the sale. Full terms & conditions.

animoto logo

 

Ultimate Tethered Photography Workstation: Wallee iPad Case & Connect Bracket

Connect Kit

There has been a lot of talk lately about integrating the iPad into the photography workflow. Photographers are using the iPad in so many creative ways to improve their work, set-up process and client interaction. But the challenge still remains – where do you mount the iPad while you’re working or while your clients are viewing their images? On the Tether Tools Wallee iPad Connect, of course!

The Connect bracket is the most versatile and durable iPad mounting solution available for photographers and cinematographers. So today, we’re adding the Wallee iPad Case in either black, white or clear for iPad or iPad 2. It’s your choice! Along with the case, the winner will get a Tether Tools Wallee iPad Connect Bracket.

This kit allows you to mount the iPad or iPad 2 to any tripod, light stand, SuperClamp, arm or other versatile support attachments utilized in photography or film. The Wallee Case secures to the back of your iPad and the Connect bracket locks into the case, allowing you to mount your iPad on various photography stands.

In today’s post, tell us if and how you are incorporating the iPad into your photography.

Watch this video for a demo on how to use the Tether Tools Wallee Connect.

Want the Connect kit? You can win it, and all of the other gear we’ll be adding to the Ultimate Tethered Photography Workstation in our Tether Tools Top 20: Start the New Year off Right Facebook Campaign. Just like the Tether Tools Facebook page and enter the sweepstakes via the form. Then, share the photo we posted of the Connect kit with your friends and, in the comments section, tell us how you are incorporating the iPad into your photography. Full terms & conditions.