So if you like the sound of your own voice – or, more accurately, the sight of your own words, feel free to ping us a short piece (around 500 words give or take) telling us your experience with your gear, whether it’s brand new or you’ve been using it for ages. We can’t promise to publish everything, but we’ll do our best. If you want to send a short email in with your idea first, that’s great.  And of course you’ll need to send links to your photos / timelapse sequences etc so that we can feature the results too.

Here UK-based photographer Dan Lane tells us his first thoughts on ioShutter™ – thanks Dan! …

ioShutter -  words & pictures of photographer Dan Lane

When the post arrived I couldn’t wait to unpack my ioShutter™ cable and put it straight to use. Opening the box, not only was there the ioShutter™ cable but I also found a little blue ‘draw string’ bag; a great idea for storage and visibility. I was beaming enough to have my own photograph taken!

The free ioShutter lite App is well laid out and intuitive – so didn’t slow my impatience to put my new gear to use….  and to think I almost bought an ‘ordinary’ cable.

Not only does your ioShutter™ utilise the two things we photographers love and spend hours with – our camera and our iPhone – but it also incorporates loads of other features not found on any ordinary shutter release cable.

So what did I do?………

Time Lapse

Well first off, using the ‘Time Lapse’ feature, I took some pictures of one of the kids’ small toys (fancying myself as an animation producer!) and posed it in various positions, took my pictures, then played them back as a movie for my own ridiculous entertainment.  This feature isn’t something I’ve seen on any of the cables I’ve come into contact with, and being fascinated by time lapse photography and using the movie feature on my camera, this has opened up a whole new world. Pixar look out!

Timer

Of course you can use your ioShutter™ as a ‘normal’ shutter release, which is great if you’re taking macro shots etc, but you can also set the ‘timer’ – amazing for grabbing shots of the family. The timer feature offers 2 options on the free App – either 20 seconds or 60 seconds, so plenty of time to get organised in front of the lens. The 60 seconds allows enough time for you to look at what you’re about to snap, make adjustments and still walk casually into position.

Smoketrail photo taken using ioShutter™ for a pin-sharp image. Inverted using Photoshop – by Dan Lane

Bulb

The ‘Bulb’ function is a really excellent feature allowing you to control how long the shutter stays open; with times of 60, 90 and 120 seconds. Since having the ioShutter™ I have captured some amazing traffic trails at night, and all with no camera shake. I can’t wait to get some moonlight and beach scenes shot with this function as I know it will capture the smoothness of the waves, and judging by the traffic trail pictures, I will get some amazing stuff.

Sound Trigger (Clap to Snap™)

The ‘Sound’ feature is a fab feature for photographers, as it gives you total freedom to take pictures via ‘clapping your hands’ – incredible! I love this feature and apart from being of great use, I’ve found it puts a smile on the faces of the people being photographed. Watching me clap and my camera ‘obeying’ is funny and helps get that smile on camera without it being false. The kids can even join in this and become the person who actually ‘takes’ the picture (without putting their hands on your precious camera). So it’s a win-win situation – the kids are happy to be photographed and feel more involved too. I’ll be putting this to the test with some of my customers’ children, as I believe it will create the natural smiles that we photographers try so hard to capture.

Movement Trigger (Shake to Take™)

There is also a ‘Shake’ feature, which is a great addition, you don’t even need to locate buttons or even look at your iPhone screen, and just a gentle shake of your phone and the camera jumps into action and gets the picture.

ioShutter™ is an amazing addition to your photography kit, whether amateur or professional, because it packs so many different functions. You’ll be pleased you have got this gear in your bag. With so many features packed into ioShutter™ it really makes you smile – in every sense.

Back to the ‘blue draw string’ bag – this is great as it can be hung from your backdrop stand or tripod, so no difficulty in finding it. And the blue colour makes it so easy to see in your camera bag (simple but effective).

ioShutter™ is a funky piece of gear and gives you a whole range of options that you probably didn’t have before. Why ioShutter™? Well quite simply, it solves a whole range of photographic options all in one package – If you have it now, you already love it, if you don’t – get it now and allow your camera and iphone to get together!

I can honestly say that ioShutter™ will be used for pretty much all types of my photography; and whilst I have banged on about the wonders of the little ‘blue bag’, it probably won’t be in there much anyway!

Dan

Find out more about shooting with ioShutter™ on this blog post “Gear in the Desert”

And on this YouTube video on the enlight photo channel.

To keep in touch, sign up for our email alerts in the box top right on this page.

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The post Your Words, Your Pictures – ioShutter™ appeared first on enlight photo.

Dave is all about personality and truth. He works to convey this through his photographs.

Dave’s ‘day job’ involves imaging through scanning, photography and video at a histortical institution. He’s completed a book project to capture, beautifully, some of New Zealand’s treasures. Managing to somehow covey a sense of the life and worth of an inanimate object is something of a challenge, and one Dave rose to with aplomb.

“My college lecturer, a man I have come to greatly respect, taught me that being a photographer is not about the technique, that’s just a support role, it’s about what you see and have to say with your photos.”

We talk to him about his career, and grill him for some advice for other photographers. Read on!

Portrait taken with Dave’s orbis ring flash

Q: How long have you been a photographer?

A: I started taking pictures around 1998 and began taking it a little more seriously about 2000 following that by doing jobs not long after.

Q: Are you a pro or amateur? What was your breakthrough, either when you knew you were in love with photography or when you became pro?

A: You could call me a pro, but perhaps not in the traditional sense; while I don’t ‘earn my living’ from doing photography work, I do work regularly as a photographer as well as teaching photography, but my day job is taking care of a digitisation team at one of New Zealand’s largest historical institutions where almost all of my every day work involves imaging either through scanning, video or photography and all the technical stuff that goes with it. In contrast to that though, most of my better known images are generated from self-driven work where little to no money has changed hands – but that’s the work I prefer to be known for, you could call it the arty side of me I guess versus the technical side which makes up most of my everyday work.

Q: Tell us a bit about the setup for your photoshoot(s) – lighting, equipment, post processing?

A: The everyday work being so technical in nature really demands gear and lighting specific to each job. There’s no art there, just whatever is needed to get the result – almost anything goes but it’s based around Nikon D800s and a variety of studio lighting. For my personal work, I shoot with Canon gear, having used all three versions of the Canon 5D now and a wide variety of lenses, my current fave being the 35L. I do tend to try and shoot prime lenses, just to get the separation the depth of field affords, but sometimes the zooms are just more useful. Lighting wise I often shoot using available light so I have a stash of reflectors for that, but also often add in flashes. Though I’ve been doing some portraits in a studio recently using full sized studio lighting, many of my portraits use Speedlights in the ‘strobist’ style, so a few 580EXIIs all controlled via Alien Bees Cyber Syncs, with some frios and my orbis in there of course!

All images are always shot in RAW and depending where I’m working from the post production is handled through Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, Adobe Bridge or Lightroom and finished off with either Photoshop CS5 or CS6. I am, however, a big fan of keeping retouching work fairly basic. For me too many images out there are all Photoshop and no actual photographic skill and I think that’s a sad place to be; the computer might be another creative outlet, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of being a good photographer.

Q: How does your orbis® ringflash help?

A: I knew I wanted the lighting an orbis brings even before I knew what I was looking for. At the time I was working in the photography industry on the retail end of things and was ‘sampling’ as many bits of kit as I could get my hands on to create the directional, profiled but even shadows the orbis ring flash gives. The nearest I got was the Canon macro flash, the one they do which fits a few lenses and not much else, and although it worked it was pricey and way too restrictive. Then I got wind the orbis was being launched and I knew I was going to give it a go. I’ve never looked back, it’s never let me down. I do use mine almost always around the lens as opposed to an off camera lighting source, so I find the orbis arm very useful too. Since I got kitted up I’ve tried many of the other ringlight adapters and they’re simply not as good. What has surprised me recently is that even though I know it inside out now, I had to use it for a fairly special shoot in my day job (all very hush hush) and the light it gave was simply perfect and it really, really got me out of a tight corner. Basically the motto ‘if all else fails try the orbis’ really works, you can really depend on it.

Half-Submerged: taken using the orbis ring flash

Q: The orbis® is designed to give photographers an edge. It’s very challenging to make a living as a professional photographer, what are your tips for staying competitive in the industry?

A: It’s taken me years to realise this but I think despite the fact photography looks like the perfect job, especially for creatives whose ideas never sleep, the real key to keeping on top of the game is having a business head or analytical mind. Skill only gets you so far. So here are my top five:

1) Don’t be afraid to shoot what someone asks you when they’re waving the paycheck, just shoot what they want and put your stamp on it and try your best not to compromise yourself.

2) Following on from that, know who you are, what you shoot and why you shoot it – it’s what fuels your personal style and without having a grasp on that you’ll just be shooting generic stuff with nothing of yourself in there.

3) Know when enough is enough. I see way too many creatives who are good at what they do but keep working away on projects, polishing and refining and yet the client or best point of delivery is long gone. Perfect is fine in the right place, but know when what you’ve done is enough to make your client happy and move onto the next job. Your time is your money, always remember that – I think it’s the difference between a hobbyist and a professional photographer, that business hat.

4) Never send out rubbish. If people associate your work in any way, shape or form with you, it has to be good. Your images are your credibility and sending out none-retouched samples to people that then float off uncontrollably is setting yourself up for a fall.

5) Take time away from the camera or you’ll run flat. My personal work benefits from my daily routine. I have to put zero artistic effort into the day job and that allows my creative side to stay fresh. Yet despite that, and I think this is particularly true for those who have to be creative to earn their living, I still take regular time away to do other things, and perhaps most importantly to fuel my visual senses with non-photographic content. I see movies, bands, art, scenery. Photography is just our chosen outlet for a visual way of seeing and expressing, so let yourself take them all in even if you don’t practice them.

Q: Your photos have a particular quality to them, how would you describe your personal style?

A: Honest is the first word I think. I try to see the real unadulterated truth and beauty in whatever I point the camera at, or at least in my personal work. If I shoot people I want to get access to the person underneath the skin, to make images that show people something about that person – real portraits not just pretty images. If I shoot landscapes or documentary I want to show something honest and simple, I hate complexity. I just want the real raw truth in a photo and to allow you to sink into the images a little and feel absorbed by trying to see what I saw when I took the shot. I know I’ve nailed it when someone tells me they spent time looking at one of my photos, or even when I sit back and look at one and it takes me back to that place when it was taken and I get absorbed on another journey in my mind. I’m someone who gets a kick out of thinking (perhaps even over-thinking) about things or feeling utterly absorbed in something, being caught in the moment – that’s what I want to share with my photos, having that time to breathe and explore yourself through images.

Beautiful light, stunning catchlights thanks to the orbis®

Q: Are you a self taught photographer,  did you go to college or university or did you have a mentor?

A: I did around six years of various photographic training on night school courses and towards the end of that added to it with an Honours degree in Digital Media. I actually shunned photography as a degree as I felt the digital media would give me a broader skillset moving forward in my career and although it took some time to prove true, that turned out to be a wise move. The original photographic training was the real base building blocks though, not in skills so much, even though I have found the years in a darkroom very useful over the years, but in grounding myself in why I take photos in the first place, the more arty bit. My then lecturer, a guy called David White, is someone I hold in the highest regard as he instilled the idea early on that anyone can be taught technical things, but thinking and seeing and creating genuinely unique images as an artist is much harder and a life-long practice.

Q: Is there something you always ask to yourself/think just before you press the shutter button?

A: I don’t think about pressing the shutter button, my concentration at that point is never on the camera, if it is, the shot’s compromised. The concentration is always 100% on the subject I’m photographing; how can you expect anyone to ever be truly engaged with your photos if you didn’t engage with them when you shot them? I often think the finest portraits for instance look like the person wasn’t looking at a camera, they had forgotten it existed and were truly focussed on the photographer as a person – total engagement.

Q: What is one last impression you want to leave in your photos?

A: The world is in image overload these days, and just like everyone else, I’m guilty of looking at something for a moment then moving on. I often hear people say they actually stopped and looked at my images for a while and they saw something extra that grabbed them and invited them in to look a little longer. I find that flattering and very humbling and it’s what I work for. The fact a number of my portrait sitters have said the shoot and the process of taking the photos has changed them as people for the better is an indication to how much personality I crave and share and the effort I go to; we go to – the team at the shoot, trying to achieve that honesty and connection. Every time one of the stories comes back from a sitter I feel like I’ve found why I do this all over again. It’s hugely rewarding and humbling.

Q: Do you have any tips for those looking for advice from recognised photographers?

A: Most photographers have seen those comedy memes by now about the journey of a photographer from gear nerd to artists or similar, and they’re funny because they’re true. Everyone who’s into photography has had their gear geek hat on at some point, but to me if someone approaches me and asks for advice about ‘what lens should I buy to do this?’ or ‘your camera takes nice pictures, do you think I should upgrade?’ I tune out; you’ll get a nice smile and a polite answer and that’s it. If someone approaches me and asks what drives you, why do you shoot, what made you do that etc then you’re in… So as for tips when seeking advice, be aware that in general a working pro is usually flat out most of the time and respect the fact that in them giving some time to help you out it’s sometimes a big effort, make your questions count and so on, but if you see them eye to eye as creatives or artists I think you’ll get a stronger buy-in from them. And if you are looking to get established as a photographer yourself, technique and gear are one thing, but if you can get alongside someone who can show you how it really is as a working photographer you’ll learn heaps. Make yourself useful and invaluable to them and you’ll probably learn more than you’d ever imagine. Experience counts for an awful lot…

Q: Where can we hear more from you or see more of your work?

A: You can find me at manipula.co.nz and many of the other places are linked from there. Do keep an eye out for my most recent published work in the book ‘Secrets & Treasures’ by author Ray Waru published by Random House too!

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The orbis^® Ring Flash

The orbis transforms the harsh light from your SLR speedlight flash to create beautiful, shadowless photos quickly and easily. You don’t need any specialised knowledge or technique. The orbis fits to your flash in seconds – no bulbs, no batteries, no training course!

More about orbis…

The post enlight photo Interview – Dave Sanderson appeared first on enlight photo.

The official Focus On Imaging blog featured me too… have a read here. Definitely the first time I’ve been mentioned in the same paragraph as Apple’s Jonny Ive.

There are some more photos on the enlight photo Facebook page too. Hop on over and take a look or enjoy them here! Most of these were shot by our friend Dave Kai Piper… thanks to Dave for letting us re-post them.

Lighting the way on our main stage! Check out the frio on the lightstand. Rock solid flash security.

Showing off the super-cool frio™

A quick impromptu lighting demo… check out my sweet Billingham dropbag

Always fun working and hanging out the ravishing Sophia Blakey

And here are a couple of the photos that I shot on the stage during my live demos;

Simple, fast orbis Ringflash around the lens. Stunning.

Here’s the orbis used as an off-camera light for beautiful directional mood lighting

Buy Online!

Try Risk Free!

Click to choose your store...

North America

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Continental Europe

Go

UK & Ireland

Go

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• Unique 14 day TryAtHome Guarantee

• Totally secure Visa/ Mastercard/ Amex processing

• Ships from the enlight photo warehouse closest to you!

• Award-winning customer service

Currently shipping to the US, Europe, UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Store Finder

Find a store near you

Use our easy Store Finder to locate an orbis^® dealer near you!

The orbis Ring

The orbis^® transforms the harsh light from your SLR speedlight flash to create beautiful, shadowless photos quickly and easily. You don’t need any specialised knowledge or technique. The orbis^® fits to your flash in seconds – no bulbs, no batteries, no training course!

More about orbis…

The post enlight photo at Focus On Imaging 2013 – Video and Photos appeared first on enlight photo.

“You just leave your flash on TTL,” I explained.

“I don’t know what that is,” she said. Quietly, as if that was something to be ashamed of.

It isn’t. Photography is more filled with acronyms, abbreviations and codes than ever before. You may know what they mean…. but you may be wondering. So read on for a quick guide to some of photography’s most common abbreviations.

TTL – Through The Lens. As in in “Through The Lens” metering. In the old days cameras used to assess the light level with a built-in lightmeter that sat behind a little window somewhere on the camera body. Nowadays, cameras measure the light level that you see when you look ‘through the lens’, thanks to a prism inside your camera. TTL metering can take a light reading from the whole viewable area, a little spot in the area or a combination of the two.

ETTL – Evaluative Through The Lens. When you’re a big camera manufacturer and you need to update your range, after a few years of offering TTL, you add an extra letter to the front to make it sound…. NEW ! IMPROVED ! It evaluates!

AF – Autofocus… which can work in a few different ways, but is the system in your camera and lens that means you don’t need to focus the lens yourself. In some compact cameras, the lens and aperture iris is set in a way so that you don’t need to focus at all.

M – Can stand for a Manual camera mode or may also stand for Manual focus, depending on where you see it on your camera. The Manual camera mode means that you have to set shutter speed, aperture and every other setting yourself. You have to know what you’re doing, but this is the cutting edge of the photography craft where your hard work can reap huge rewards.

P – P stands for Program, not Professional. It’s the mode on your camera where almost every function is settable by you, apart from the shutter speed and aperture.

Sports Mode – Some cameras have ‘scene’ modes that supposedly help you take better photos. It sometimes backfires, most often when using “Sports Mode”. Sports Mode assumes you want to freeze fast action, so always sets your camera to fire at a very fast shutter speed. Which of course takes almost all of the drama out of the sport you’re shooting as anything moving quickly looks stationary in the photo. Use with caution.

Night Shot – One of my favourite scene modes. “Night Shot” slows your shutter speed down, activates the flash and sets it to ‘second curtain synch’ mode. Read my article about ‘shutter drag’ and flash tips to find out more. It’s great when shooting friends, family and fun at night to add some life to your shots. Just remember to hold your camera steady. Then try waving it around ! You can get some AMAZING effects.

Here’s an example of “Night Shot” when I waved my camera around to add some bizarre
light-trails to a photo of some young socialites for a newspaper’s ‘Social Pages’.

WB – White Balance. Although you may have never noticed, light comes in many different colours. Sounds weird, but trust me… the light from the sun is a totally different colour from the light indoors from a bulb. The only reason it’s so hard to understand is that our brains are amazing imaging computers and even-out the differences in the colour of light without us being aware of it. Thanks to physics boffins, the colour of light is actually known as the “Colour Temperature.” Or if you’re in the USA, “Color Temperature.” Your camera will do a pretty good job of getting it right using the “Auto” WB mode, but to make sure it gets it right and to move into advanced effects, you can start setting it yourself.
ISO – Stands for the “International Organization for Standardization.” This ancient-sounding global standards group originally set the standards that dictated how light sensitive film used to be. Well… how light sensitive film -is-, since there are still some people who use it. Apparently. Your digital camera features a changeable ISO, which changes how sensitive your camera is to light. With a film camera, the only way to change the ISO was to take the film out and swap it for another. Now it’s easy. There are other standards bodies who also set film-sensitivity standards, but ISO is the most well-known, which is why film speed, or light sensitivity, is often just called “ISO”.

Nikon: S – This only appears on Nikon SLRs and denotes Single Shot mode… where each press of the shutter takes a single photo even if you hold the button down.

Nikon: C_L – This only appears on Nikon SLRs and denotes Continuous Mode Low, where each press of the shutter takes photos repeatedly for as long as you hold the shutter button down.

Nikon: C_H – This only appears on Nikon SLRs and denotes Continuous Mode Low, where each press of the shutter takes photos repeatedly for as long as you hold the shutter button down, as quickly as your camera can !

Bulb – This mode means that your shutter opens for as long as you hold the shutter button down. This is really useful for very long exposures at night…. but beware camera-shake from pressing the button! Use ioShutter™SLR to keep your long ‘Bulb’ exposures pin sharp. Find out more about shooting long exposures at night in this ioShutterSLR blogpost.

A long exposure photo shot with the camera on the “Bulb” controlled by ioShutterSLR

Qual – Refers to “Quality”, or more specifically the resolution of your photos. Your camera’s imaging sensor has millions of tiny pixels that register the information hitting the sensor through the lens. The camera’s imaging chip, a microprocessor, then translates this data into an image. The “Qual” setting enables you to set how much resolution your images will have, from the maximum  that your sensor will allow down to smaller images where a lot of the individual imaging pixels aren’t used to make the final photo (or in some cases, video).

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Need more advanced photo jargon?  Try this digital dictionary.

To stay in touch with more tips, coupons and savings, remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Join thousands of other photographers worldwide on the enlight photo award-winning email newsletter by subscribing with this link.

Did you find your way here from elsewhere online? Check out enlight photo’s awesome range of cool photo accessories right here at the online home of enlight photo or jump directly to the orbis® ring flash, ioShutterSLR, the frio™ coldshoe, ioShutterCam and more!

Join thousands of other photographers already shooting with enlight photo gear by choosing to buy yours risk free direct from enlight photo or through your favourite local store!

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The post Photography Abbreviations Simplified and Explained! appeared first on enlight photo.

It’s a one hour twenty minute show full of really interesting insights into how the orbis® was developed, using ioShutter SLR to shoot long exposures outdoors, a closeup look at the ioShutter SLR functions drawer and an entire segment on the genius frio™ coldshoe !

Below I’ve written a timeline so you can pick and choose your favourite parts, or sit back and enjoy the whole episode.

Watch the whole episode by clicking here!

Or click on the sections below to jump straight to the part that interests you most.

Part 1 James Madelin Intro
Part 2 Sequence 09 film featuring beautiful landscapes, models and more with timelapses shot with ioShutter SLR

Sequence09, a film full of ioShutterSLR timelapse by Dave Kai Piper and Paul McKelvie

Part 3 ioShutter SLR – the background
Part 4 ioShutter SLR – why you want one
Part 5 ioShutter SLR – diving into the extra functions in Lite and Pro
Part 6 ioShutter SLR – down at the beach on holiday; working at night with long exposure while the kids are safely tucked up in bed!

To find out how to easily take a long exposure photo like this, check out Part 6!

Part 7 enlight photo UK promotion from Wilkinson Camera… BUY AND SAVE!
Part 8 the orbis® Ring Flash Intro
Part 9 the orbis – Handholding, using it on-camera and off
Part 10 the orbis – Lens fitting
Part 11 the orbis – Holding SLRs and shooting with the orbis
Part 12 the orbis – Behind the Scenes shooting the gorgeous Carena West and an art forger in his hideaway

Find out how this published photo was taken for a newspaper using the orbis Ringflash in part 12!

Part 13 the orbis – Does it work for macro?
Part 14 the orbis – Inside the orbis… its design, details and Light Tunnel Technology featuring some early orbis prototypes… see inside !
Part 15 the FABULOUS frio™ Coldshoe. The unsung hero of your gear bag!
Part 16 I introduce the Dot by Kogeto, a fun iPhone video gadget

To stay in touch with more tips, coupons and savings, remember to follow us on Twitter,  Facebook and Google+. Join thousands of other photographers worldwide on the enlight photo award-winning email newsletter by subscribing with this link.

Did you find your way here from elsewhere online? Check out enlight photo’s awesome range of cool photo accessories right here at the online home of enlight photo or jump directly to the orbis® ring flash, ioShutterSLR, the frio™ coldshoe, ioShutterCam and more!

The post James Madelin on Cameradiner discussing in depth shooting tips, tech and more! appeared first on enlight photo.

The day we enjoyed was unusual because it was sunny… something pretty unusual here in the the UK. I noticed as we tore up the highway (at responsible legal speeds of course) that my usually short-sighted vision was nearly crystal-clear.

If you’re shortsighted, have you ever noticed this? Ever wondered why it happens?

Your vision improves on sunny days for the same reason your SLR gets more in focus on a bright day.

On a bright day, you often stop your lens down. The ‘f’ number goes up and the iris in your lens gets smaller.

Ringing any bells? On a sunny day, the iris in your eye gets smaller too, automatically. Your eyeballs ‘stop down’ for the sunshine. And voilà ! Your depth of field improves. That’s why everything looks clearer to you on a sunny day if, like me, you’re a little shortsighted or if you’re long sighted too.

Remember, light is light whichever lens it’s passing through! Your eyes are fabulous lenses.

If you want to take photos of your eyes like the one in this post, check out our great macro tutorial blog feature here.

We just launched our brand spankin’ new webshop for photographers in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, so if you use the coupon code USFREESHIP (or for patriotic Canadians CAFREESHIP) there’s FREE SHIPPING all weekend!

To stay in touch with more tips, coupons and savings, remember to follow us on Twitter,  Facebook and Google+. Join thousands of other photographers worldwide on the enlight photo award-winning email newsletter by subscribing with this link.

Have you found your way here from elsewhere online? Be sure to check out enlight photo’s awesome range of cool photo accessories right here at the online home of enlight photo or jump directly to the orbis® ring flash, ioShutterSLR, the frio™ coldshoe, ioShutterCam and more!

The post Shortsighted? Find out why you see clearer on a sunny days! appeared first on enlight photo.

We’ll soon be announcing all sorts of good stuff to take advantage of our cool new location in the UK, including meetups and sales of gear direct from our doorstep.

Snow at enlight photo’s new HQ (well, a bit left anyway)!

James moves yet another box along the very LONG corridor

We ‘moved in’ over the weekend, with the help of some small elves who soon got very hot screaming along the corridors – in spite of the snow falling outside. Now the long wait for our office broadband and furniture begins… I’m writing this sitting on a box surrounded by, you guessed it, more boxes.
James moved a lot of boxes, Naomi helped too – managing our team of elves diligently. With most of the enlight crew working around the world, liaised and coordinated from HQ, it was down to us to heft a ton of crates, cupboards and computers. Some of the elves seemed more interested in playing than moving stuff…

This is where it’s all going to be happening for the forseeable future! (flashy logo sign to come!)

The enlight elves run amok at enlight photo’s new HQ, Bristol, UK

Watch out for exciting announcements as soon as the big G (that’s Google) has confirmed our new location and we’ve unpacked all our boxes by following us on Twitter,  Facebook and Google+.

Join thousands of other photographers worldwide on the enlight photo award-winning email newsletter by subscribing with this link.

Did you find your way here from elsewhere online? Check out enlight photo’s awesome range of cool photo accessories right here at the online home of enlight photo or jump directly to the orbis® ring flash, ioShutterSLR, the frio™ coldshoe, ioShutterCam and more!

Oooh – retro fixtures and an intercom… Just like Thunderbirds!

We’re in an old building near the railway – a new fit-out  with an industrial flavour… Steampunk dressups anyone ?

The post enlight photo’s NEW HQ !!! appeared first on enlight photo.

Australia-based photographer Glynn Lavender is well known both in Australia and the USA for his 30-year involvement in the photo industry and brings his passion to every event he attends. He’s shot everything from Weddings to Landscapes and loves the challenge of being able to produce fantastic images in any location.

He’s also is the owner of Creative Photo Workshops, one of Australia’s most dynamic photographer training companies which runs events in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  We caught up with him over Christmas and talked to him about his photo career – and his orbis® Ringflash.

Q: How long have you been a photographer?

I have been in the photography industry since 1980. I got my first camera in 1969 when I was 5.

Q: Are you a professional or amateur photographer? What was your breakthrough, either when you knew you were in love with photography or when you became pro?

I am a full time professional, but my role these days is as a teacher of photography rather than as a pro shooter, running my training company Creative Photo Workshops.

My breakthrough didn’t come, it more realistically grew over a long period of time. From the early 80’s, when I worked behind the counter in Australia’s (then) largest camera store, I had dreams of shooting. I had a rather a stop/start beginning to my professional photography career where I stumbled along! It took a few years running other photo businesses to build up my skills as a businessperson rather than as a photographer.

I took the plunge into shooting once I felt I had what it takes to run a business, not just to be a photographer. Some of the best professional photographers go bankrupt because of lack of business skills, whereas a competent shooter with good business understanding can often make it successfully.

Q: Tell us a bit about the setup for your photoshoot(s) – lighting, speedlights, equipment, post-processing.

The images included here show the use of the orbis Ringflash in both its traditional position (lens pointing through it) and hand-held off-axis. I like to mix it up.

The settings are whatever the settings need to be to get the shot in the particular circumstances and environmental conditions. No two scenarios are the same. There are no magic numbers in photography.

I used my Canon 5D Mk II with the new Tamron 90mm f2.8 VC USD Macro Lens. My Canon 580EXII speedlight (with my orbis Ringflash of course!) was triggered with Pocket Wizard Plus III’s. All shots were post processed using Nik Software’s Silver FX Pro2 and Color FX4.

Q: How did your orbis^® Ringflash help?

The orbis Ringflash has many strong points. Firstly it’s lightweight, so it’s always in the bag ‘just in case’. Secondly the look achieved by shooting through the ring flash adapter it gives not only gorgeous light but also an ethereal quality that is not easy to create on location and requires far too much time in post to produce. Getting it straight out of the camera is always my preference.

Using the orbis hand-held, off-axis, allows you to make minute adjustments quickly to get the light ‘just right’, something that is much more cumbersome to do using traditional soft boxes anchored to a stand.

The orbis Ringflash can be used around the lens for a shadowless effect, or off-axis as a soft box to provide more dynamic lighting effects quickly and easily.

Q: The orbis^® Ringflash is designed to give photographers an edge. It’s very challenging to make a living as a professional photographer, what are your tips for staying competitive in the photography industry?

1: Assume you’ve got the job when interviewing.

2: Never show your images until they ask (they must like your work or they wouldn’t have called you in).

3: Most people book the photographer not the photos – be upbeat and positive and make them want to work with you.

4: Charge like you mean it! Every photography job you undersell is one less meal for your kids, one more bill you can’t pay and one nice holiday you won’t have.

5: You are not competing with anyone else. There is only one you. How can they buy that cheaper down the street?

Q: Your photos have a particular quality to them, how would you describe your personal style?

‘In your face’ would have to be the best description of my style. I like impact in my pics, I want that which is most important to be strong in the picture.

Q: Are you a self-taught photographer, did you go to college or university to study photography, or did you have a mentor?

I am a self-taught photographer, however I HIGHLY recommend (as does my bank manager) that people attend photography workshops to learn

Q: Is there something you always ask to yourself/think just before you press the shutter button?

Am I telling the story as simply as possible? What is in the picture that would be better left out? If it doesn’t add to the story, get rid of it.

Taken with the orbis Ringflash in traditional ring flash position (with the lens through the middle), this striking portrait shows off the great shadowless light and attractive catchlights you can get with the orbis.

Q: What is one last impression you want to leave in your photos?

My watermark….. I want people to connect. To be drawn to the face. To look into the eyes and think about the subject, not the photography. The photography is merely a means to an end. The end should be ‘look at me, I exist’

Q: Do you have any tips for those looking for advice from recognized, successful professional photographers?

The only way to succeed is to do it. Get out there and practice. Think about your shots. Spend 5 minutes setting up a photo and 1 minute shooting it, not the other way around. Remember your camera only has ‘x’ amount of shots in it before the shutter gives up the ghost so why fire off frames hoping to get good pics?

If you want to work as a professional photographer then take a good hard look at yourself. What is it about YOU, not your photos, that would make someone book you? Build on that!

Q: Where can we hear more from you or see more of your work?

My website is www.creativephotoworkshops.com.au

I run photography workshops in the USA and Australia  and hope to make it to England soon.

I post regularly on my Facebook page (Creative Photo Workshops) all things interesting in photography I find on the net as well as my own images from photo workshops.

To learn more about lighting with the orbis, start with the first video in our orbis series on our YouTube Channel.

Curious about using your flash off-axis? Check out this great “Strobe on a Rope” post from the Strobist blog site for some great explanations and tips.

And here’s another great tutorial from our friends at Digital Photography School; 7 Creative Ways to Use a Ring Flash – including off-axis!

I want to read MORE PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEWS…

To stay in touch with more tips, coupons and savings, remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Join thousands of other photographers worldwide on the enlight photo award-winning email newsletter by subscribing with this link.

Did you find your way here from elsewhere online? Check out enlight photo’s awesome range of cool photo accessories right here at the online home of enlight photo or jump directly to the orbis® ring flash, ioShutterSLR, the frio™ coldshoe, ioShutterCam and more!

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It’s easy, fast and free and we never spam you… only sending out news when we’ve got something we know you’re going to enjoy!

In This Issue ioShutter SLR in the Desert Pro KILLER Kit ioShutter in the Valley Christmas Cutoffs! ioShutterCam Thank You! Quick Features Join the Conversation! enlight photo channels orbis® Photos on flickr!   Greetings! It’s been great keeping in touch with you throughout 2012… thanks so much for joining us. Below you’ll find some fantastic tales from photographers like you shooting with enlight photo gear all around the world. Christmas is the time for giving….. If you’re short on time and want to get a gift that your photographer friends and family will love, we’ve included some links to places where you can still get your gear before Christmas ! And we’re big fans of giving…. to yourself! So don’t be ashamed to get yourself what you really want…. after all, sharing is caring. Talking of sharing, the official enlight photo Facebook page is going strong with regular highlights. It’s also a great place to get your questions answered and post your favourite photos. Pop by and keep in touch.  Happy holidays… read on for some great stories. James, Naomi, Catherine and the team at enlight photo ltd. ioShutter™  beneath the desert stars  This amazing tale from photographer Michael Bonocore hit the enlight photo Facebook page a week ago. Michael took his ioShutter SLR gear to Wadi Rum in Jordan.   Here are some of the things he said about his experiences: “A couple months ago, I got an  enlight photo ioShutter cable. This cable is SWEET.” “My biggest worry was ‘How can I possibly do a 4 hour time lapse on the terribly short battery life of an iPhone?’ Well this great device passed the test.”    “I am hooked, and happy to know my days of spending hundreds of dollars on intervalometers are over.”   Read his full mini review HERE. the orbis®…. part of the pro’s killer kit!  The latest edition of the UK’s N-Photo magazine for Nikon shooters ran a fantastic 12-page feature featuring one of our favourite photographers, Dave Kai Piper, teaching a masterclass for a lucky reader. Dave’s a big fan of using his orbis off the camera as a small beauty dish or softbox, rather than in classic ring flash style! “Great for close-up portraits and a beautiful shadow-y halo. The orbis is great for creating mixed lighting setups too.” “With a quick click and the flick of a button, you’ve got an instant softbox.” Check out the brilliant N-Photo magazine if you’re in the UK. Otherwise, you can find a lot of their great Nikon-oriented content online here ioShutter SLR in the valley of death It’s not as morbid as it sounds! Photographer John Batdorff recently spent the night shooting in Death Valley… yes… the Death Valley in California, which has the highest recorded air temperature in the world. Thankfully, John was there at night and had his ioShutter gear with him. Check out his fantastic article by clicking on the photo. It’s full of a wealth of tips on shooting at night with ioShutter SLR. grab your christmas gear ! Depending on where you are, there is still plenty of time to get enlight photo gear including the orbis ring flash, ioShutter SLR, the frio and more.Jump on over to the enlight photo blog by clicking here to get the best photo gear in time for your Christmas fun!You’ll find a list of our favourite stores worldwide and details of the cutoff times for ordering directly from the enlight photo Pro online store. ioShutterCam on the app store You can get ioShutter™Cam, for great timelapse on your iPhone, downloaded directly to your iPhone from the App Store! Want to buy it for someone else? You can easily gift the fun-est, timelapsy-est app for a bargain US$2.99 by following the iTunes Gift instructions from Apple right here. thank you! That’s it for 2012… have a fantastic time over the next few weeks enjoying friends and family, kicking back and getting set for 2013. We move into some new offices in January so if you’re in the UK you can look forward to some fun parties and events we’re planning. We’re also re-launching all our range across the UK in 2013 too, so you’ll be able to get it in all your favourite camera shops. If you’re in the USA and beyond, we’ll be on the road worldwide, and of course we can’t wait to share your stories, shots, films and tall tales on Facebook, Twitter and beyond! © enlight photo 2012 all rights reserved.  ‘orbis’ is a trademark registered in the USA and claimed in other countries. The orbis logo and ‘halo’ motif, “connect, combine, create”, ‘frio’ and ‘ioShutter’ are trademarks claimed worldwide by enlight photo. iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the USA and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

To stay in touch with more tips, coupons and savings, remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Join thousands of other photographers worldwide on the enlight photo award-winning email newsletter by subscribing with this link.

Did you find your way here from elsewhere online? Check out enlight photo’s awesome range of cool photo accessories right here at the online home of enlight photo or jump directly to the orbis® ring flash, ioShutterSLR, the frio™ coldshoe, ioShutterCam and more!

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To keep your sanity, we’re big fans of making sure you treat yourself to something too.

There is precious little time left, so here are some of our favourite places to get your enlight photo gear in time for Christmas.

At time of going to press (or in this case, screen) all these stores have a few more days of shopping if you want your gear in time for the big day, but if in doubt, check on their websites.

Happy Christmas!

ioShutter™

Apple Stores in the USA, Canada, UK and continental EU

ioShutter SLR for Nikon: Apple Online UK, Apple Online France, Apple Online Germany, Apple Online Italy, Apple Online Spain, Apple Online Sweden

ioShutter SLR for Canon: Apple Online UK, Apple Online France, Apple Online Germany, Apple Online Italy, Apple Online Spain, Apple Online Sweden

ioShutter SLR for Nikon and ioShutter SLR for Canon from Bongobytes in the USA

ioShutter SLR for Nikon and Canon from Adorama in the USA

ioShutter SLR for Canon Pro SLR cameras or ioShutter SLR for Canon SLRs from Digital Camera Warehouse in Australia

ioShutter SLR from Conns Cameras in Ireland

Remember you can buy direct from us here at enlight photo; ioShutter for Canon direct from the enlight photo Pro online store… for orders received by Friday 0900 GMT. We ship worldwide except the UK and Japan!

The orbis® and frio™

The full enlight photo range from Midwest Photo Exchange in the USA

The orbis® ring flash at Conns Cameras in Ireland

The orbis® ring flash and the frio™ hotshoe adapter at Adorama in the USA

The orbis® ring flash and the frio™ hotshoe adapter at B&H in the USA

Remember you can buy direct from us here at enlight photo from the enlight photo Pro online store… for orders received by Friday 0900 GMT. We ship worldwide except the UK and Japan!

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