Quick Tips on Tethering,Tethered Photography

Solutions for Tethering to Your iPad28 Sep

Tether_Tools_Tethered_Photography_iPad_Wallee_Connect_6

iPad Case & Tether Tools Wallee Connect Bracket

A recent post from the guys at FStoppers.com has a great video on tethering your camera to your Apple iPad. You’ll notice the video uses the Eye-Fi Pro Card, which we know some photographers have been hesitant to buy because it only comes in SD format.

If you want to shoot tethered wirelessly via the Eye-Fi Pro Card, but have a camera that’s only CF compatible, you can purchase the Extreme ESDCFII CF Type II Card Adapter. It’s a Type II memory card adapter and is an unsupported, but compatible, adapter for any Eye-Fi card. With it, you can set-up a wireless tethered workflow via your iPad and still work with RAW files.

The Wallee System & iPad Accessories is a good line of products to consider if you’re shooting tethered through the iPad, too. A good place to start is the Connect Kit, which comes with the iPad Case and Tether Tools Wallee Connect Bracket. This solution lets you mount your iPad or iPad 2 to any tripod, light stand, or SuperClamp. The entire system, including the mounts and arms, is designed to be versatile and interchangeable.

Stands like the Wallee Kick and Pivot are great for post-production and editing, and the Carry and Glove are good for storing or transporting your iPad. The dimensions are right on, so putting away the iPad and taking it out is really smooth, and both products are especially durable. This keeps your iPad safe when taking it on the road.

Be sure to check out our post on Best iPad Apps for Photographers, too.

As always, if you have any questions on any of the products sold on TetherTools.com, we’re around to help. Just leave us a blog comment, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or send us an e-mail at customerservice@TetherTools.com.

#
Quick Tips on Tethering,Tethered Photography

Issues with tethered capture using Lightroom 3 and Nikon15 Sep

Recently, we received an e-mail from a newsletter subscriber asking for help troubleshooting connectivity issues with Lightroom 3 and Nikon. We came across this solution process and thought we’d share with blog readers, too, in case you’ve been experiencing the same issues.

  1. Make sure that you are using the most recent update of Lightroom.
  2. Make sure that your camera is supported.
  3. Turn the camera off and back on.
  4. Turn off the camera and computer.
  5. Try a different USB cable and USB port.
  6. Check the hard disk.
  7. Reset Lightroom’s preferences file.

This is just the general overview. You can find specific step-by-step instructions for each one of these 7 solutions on Adobe’s webpage: Troubleshoot tethered capture and Lightroom 3.

09/22/11 Follow Up:  Adobe labs is currently testing a candidate release update for Lightroom (release 3.5).  Tethered capture fixes are addressed in this update.  If you are interested in downloading and testing the release you can find more information here.

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

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.