We are a little more than halfway through the Flashbus 2011 Tour, which means you only have a limited amount of time left to enter our contest to win free tethered photography equipment. Here’s a look at some of the entries thus far:
Testimonial from Allan Henry, Golf Chronicles
The first time my laptop toppled out of the cart, I chalked it up to bad luck. After the second time, I realized that the spider web of cords connecting my laptop to the 5D Mark II, mounted more than 30 feet in the air, was a recipe for disaster.
I’m a digital golf photographer, and, while I spend a majority of my time covering the best players in the game on the PGA Tour, I also chase the light for some of the country’s premier golf courses.
When I first started shooting landscapes my setup was pretty simple: A tripod, camera, lenses and a few filters. Well, those days are long gone and as you can see, I have a full tethered setup including a 33-foot telemast and remote-controlled pan/tilt head.
Setting aside the fact that clients love the end result, I came to loath all of the additional digital photography gear, as I was worried about:
And thus after the second time my laptop toppled out of the cart, I started looking around and very happily discovered Tether Tools.
My setup, as you can see, is pretty simple. It includes the Jerkstopper Tethering kit for both my camera and laptop. This removes the strain caused by the weight of the dangling cords and keeps my work area clear. And for my 15-inch MacBook Pro, a Tether Table Aero attached to my golf cart with a SuperClamp.
It still amazes me how well the system works. It now takes me a fraction of the time to get set-up and best of all, the only thing I have to worry about is the light.
By Frank Doorhof of Studio FD
Many people who know me will know that I’m a big advocate for shooting tethered in the studio and if possible also on location.
Some people will say it’s a hassle to setup a notebook and shooting with a wire is so limiting, I have to agree with this at first, but still I strongly believe that the negatives are nothing compared to the benefits of shooting tethered.
When shooting on the card you have no real feedback on the quality of the files, you can of course check on the back of the camera but even taking into account that the modern cameras have a great quality screen, the back of the camera is still no way to make 100% sure you nailed the focus. When working with a team it becomes even worse, I’ve seen 10 people gathering around to look at the back of the camera to see how the images look, well that simply doesn’t work.
Saturday, May 19, 8:47 am
The Unzueta family. Photo courtesy of Amy Grimme Photography
Ginger Unzueta is a mother of three and part of a Marine family living in Central Florida. Ginger’s passion for life shines in her photographs, which capture some of life’s most precious moments. Her family and child portraits are stunning thanks to fantastic work with natural light, but it’s the photos Ginger snaps during military family reunions that simply leap from the screen.
My first camera was…
A point and shoot model I had as a child. I really don’t remember a time in my life that I didn’t have a camera. My first “real” camera was a Canon SLR. I was enamored with all of its capabilities in comparison to a point and shoot. After we had our first child, we bought a DSLR Canon Rebel. I currently shoot with a Nikon d700.
Photo by Ginger Unzueta
I got started in child and family photography because…
I wanted to share this God given talent with other parents. I realized not all families had the resources or time to capture the everyday moments of loved ones. I cherish these moments because time with our children goes by much too quickly. I feel like it is so important to record these events with your family and to “get in” the pictures, too. I need to be better about that myself.
I wanted to become a photographer because…
I don’t remember consciously ever deciding to become a photographer. I feel like it has always been a part of who I am. After we had our first daughter, I knew that I didn’t want to forget all of the milestones and amazing every day moments. I knew I had a lot more to learn to capture the type of images I was longing for. I began reading and studying and shooting as much as I could.
Photo by Ginger Unzueta
I would describe my style or shooting philosophy as…
Real, authentic, and a bit nostalgic. I am a lover of gorgeous light. I love sun and haze. I want my photographs to tell a story. I want them to evoke emotion and to inspire families to continue to make such loving memories together.
Some of my industry role models are…
This question is hard. There are so many amazing people in this industry. I can’t say that I have studied any one photographer and dream to be like them, rather, my hope has been to evolve into my own style. Over the last year, I’ve been involved with a forum called the Bloom Forum. I can’t say enough wonderful things about the moderators and members. It is an awesome place for growth and encouragement. In addition, I recently participated in a workshop called Finding the Light. This was an amazing two months for me. The techniques and knowledge I gained on natural lighting were phenomenal.
Photo by Ginger Unzueta
I think photography is important because…
We never get today back. It is a way to save all of those memories and, in an essence, re-live them over and over again.
One family I photographed that I’ll never forget was…
My friend’s reunion with her husband after his 10-month deployment to the Middle East. I knew firsthand the feelings she was experiencing. There is such a surge of emotions from nervousness, relief, and thanksgiving. There are not enough words to describe the surge of emotions both the deployed loved one and the family that’s been home are feeling. Capturing such a “real” and “intimate” reunion will allow for them to reflect years down the road on this life-changing experience in addition to sharing with generations of family to come. It is pretty amazing!
Photo by Ginger Unzueta
The one thing I want my child and family photographs to communicate to deployed mothers or fathers is…
I want each photo to be a vivid reminder that family members are back home waiting for them and that, most importantly, they love and support them. Throughout my husband’s several deployments to the Middle East, he always cherished receiving photos of our family. No matter how difficult or busy his days were, seeing photos of the children and me made “everything” just fine for a short few moments. Although thousands of miles away, he was with us again as he viewed each picture…priceless!
A dream gig would be…
My husband and I have always said we’d love to go on a mission trip together. What a privilege it would be to capture photos of families in other cultures. There are so many people around the globe that have never seen themselves through photographs. This would be an incredible gift to share.
Photo by Ginger Unzueta
In-studio workstation using the Tether Table Aero Master in non-reflective black with a Peel & Place Mousepad, TetherPro USB 2.0 Cable and Clip-On JerkStopper Computer Support. Photo by Sean Armenta
You searched for it. You found it. You put it to work. We want to see your Tether Tools gear in action! Send us behind-the-scenes shots of you using your Tether Tools equipment during a shoot and you could be featured in our upcoming Tether Tools Users video.
We’ll be collecting images (and videos if you’ve got ‘em) and creating a video using Animoto that shows all the creative ways fans put their Tether Tools gear to work. You’ll get a photo credit, of course, and you may be featured in a future edition of our newsletter.
And just for participating, we’ll enter you in a drawing to win a surprise gift from Tether Tools and a free membership to Animoto, one of the best ways for photographers to maximize sales and develop a creative word-of-mouth campaign. The online program turns photos and video clips into professional video slideshows that you can easily share with clients or across your social media networks.
To have your image included in the video and be in the running for the prize, send us your behind-the-scenes images
by Friday, May 18. Be sure to include basic information such as the location and concept of the shoot. We’ll post our video featuring your image and draw a winner at random on Monday, May 21.
Mount your iPad with the Tether Tools Wallee Connect for video calibration.
Tether Tools gear isn’t just ideal for shooting still photography – there are various ways to put our workstation solutions to use when shooting video as well:
Connect your iPad to the camera via the Connect Bracket and Zacuto Adapter for use as a teleprompter.
Use the StrapMoore to keep powerbricks, cords and cables from getting caught under-foot or under rolling camera stands.
Want to see all of these solutions in action? Tether Tools will be at the 2012 NAB SHOW April 16-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center showcasing workstation solutions for video and film. Be sure to stop by the B&H Photo-Video-ProAudio Booth #C11022.
Copyright © Tether Talk VibrantCMS Theme by 
