There’s a chance that you’ve heard of a company called Benro and their quality tripods that they’re renowned for. If you haven’t heard of them don’t feel too bad, up until now they’ve only released their product in China. However, their product is now coming to the US by way of MAC Group.

Jeff Karp, Benro Product Marketing Manager states the reasoning for adding Benro to their lineup, “The high quality, innovative designs and exceptional value make Benro the perfect choice for demanding photographers on a budget.”

Benro has been clamored over because of their capabilities to design tripods that are of high quality and affordability. They are able to do this using different materials than other tripod manufacturers. They combine the stability of carbon fiber, with the financial feasibility of aluminum to craft a solid product that won’t put a huge dent in your wallet.

Along with price and quality, functionality is a reason to give Benro a try. Their tripods are easy to carry, and allow for compact traveling. Check out Benro’s site to check out their products.

[via: Shutterbug]

Have you ever stopped and looked at a shadow? They’re so simple that it’s curious what makes photos so much more interesting when a shadow is involved. Is it the stark contract to the light that provides a more diverse shot? Or is it the way shadows play off objects that make them pleasing to the eye?

Whatever the reason, shadows are something to keep an eye out for when looking for your shot. There are a few key components to utilizing shadow for your photo.

First, try and find shadow used in unconventional ways. One of my favorite type of photos is when a shadow is reflected on a surface showing something much larger than the actual object. It could be a person, or an object. When light is shown through a material that only produces an outline of an image works. An example to look for is a person staring through frosted glass. You’ll only see their outline and it produces interesting results.

Something you’ll find with shadows is that they’re very concrete. You’ll never see a shadow react differently then what it’s supposed to do, unless you’re watching Peter Pan. Remember when having this mindset that patterns will emerge that provide a marvelous canvas for your camera. You’ll be surprised at what patterns you find in the world, and just how revealing shadows can be.

Get to work, shadow hunter.

I was shooting a Babe Ruth League baseball game a few of weeks ago and a parent friend of mine came up to me with her brand new DSLR camera. She had been using an entry level DSLR for a couple of years and she thought it was time to invest in a newer more up-to-date body. I asked her how she liked her new camera and she told me that most of her photos weren’t much better than what she was getting with her old camera and that she was a little disappointed.

Over the years she had purchased several photos from me and she thought because she bought this new camera that her photos would look more like mine. I noticed that the camera was sporting a kit lens (a lower cost lens sometimes sold with new cameras). I asked her about the lens and she said she bought it because it was cheaper and allowed her to also purchase another zoom lens with longer reach. The money she spent on these two inferior lenses would have been better applied to the cost of one good lens.

To greatly increase the quality of photos, invest in good glass and not camera bodies.

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A couple days ago I offered a Photoshop action to make the color in your photos pop, I received a few emails asking how to load these actions. Since I plan to release more actions in the future, I thought it would be a good idea to get up a quick tutorial. It’s really a simple process.

Just find the “Actions” palette and look for the little circle with the arrow in it. Click that button and you’ll get a drop down menu. From there find “Load Actions” It will prompt you asking where the action is located. Just find it and presto.

When I was in college, I always tried to get a lot of fun photos of all the activities and parties. In my attempts to have good photo documentation of my college years, I learned a few things to help others who like to be the social photographer in their group of friends or at their family gatherings

1. Always have your camera. Not only does this insure that you get the good photos, but it always lets your friends and family get used to the idea of you having your camera. If the camera is always present, it will be less of a surprise when you do pull it out and people will be able to relax.
2. Find a way to distribute the pictures. If you can establish a pattern of distributing the pictures, people will be eager for your photography because they know they will be getting a copy of their own. I use Flickr.com. I’m sure to upload the full size of the image and make it available to download. This is important because people can grab the full file and be able to print a clear picture.
3. You should take the pictures because you enjoy it. Trying to make a buck off your friends or family is not a good idea. Have the pictures online and free for anyone to grab. If you want to make money eventually, just perfect your skills with these social settings and as people see your expertise, you may be asked to do wedding photography, engagement photos, or family portraits. That is where you can earn some money for your hard work.
4. Learn how to use the different feature of your camera. It is important to know how to take photos at different levels of light and in different situations. Learn about ISO levels, white balance, and shutter speeds. If you ruin a nice social setting with a big bright flash, you may not get to have the natural feeling in the room.
5. Buy a large memory card and an extra battery. Sometimes parties and trips can go late and last long. You want to be able to continue snapping photos without any worry of running out of room or battery. These items aren’t that expensive and they allow you to try all kinds of things.
6. Do not post embarrassing or ugly photos of people. This one may be the most important of all. As a social photographer, you can build a really good track record by making people look great in your photos. One bad photo to embarrass some one can ruin it. It will make people more hesitant to pose for you in the future. Go thru your pictures and be sure that you won’t embarrass anyone by posting them online. (Note: If the person was making an ugly face for the camera on purpose, that is ok.)
7. Get to know as many people in the setting as you can. Do this without the camera in front of your face. A good relationship with everyone in the room can go a long way.
8. Take plenty photos of everyone, not just your favorite niece or your closest friends. You can build good friendships with people as you photograph them and make them look good. You never know who is important to whom in a social gathering. Let everyone enjoy the memories by seeing themselves and their friends.

I am really glad that I took a lot of photos in college. I have a ton of good photos of all the fun things that we did. I still get emails from people asking me to send them a photo from these times. This acts as a great way to keep in touch with old friends. When they want photos, they’ll come find you and this gives you a chance to catch up.

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