AR-Graphics

What's in the Bag The extra odds and ends I find useful 1: Bag Over the years I've used (and abused!) various camera bags. At the moment I am using a top loading Lowprow bag. It's modular design allows me to add and change various pouches and cases as required. There seems to be a current fashion with backpack style bags, but I'm not a fan. Despite their generally large capacity, and load distribution, I don't like the fact it's contents are not readily available and that you usually have to put it down to get inside. Not good on wet, dusty, or dirty ground. 2: Flash Bracket & sync lead As well as a flash and spare batteries, I also carry a flash bracket that allows me to get the flash off and away from the camera yet keep the whole thing relatively compact. There is also a TTL flash lead for the rare occasions I switch the flash from manual. I also attached a Velcro strip to the bracket so I can mount a remote shutter trigger (I really mis...

I Have The Power! Anyone who uses a speedlight knows their voracious appetite for batteries. No sooner do you put in a fresh set and start shooting than the recycle time seems to start climbing! It's one of the main reasons I tend to avoid using this lighting if I can. I like to maintain something of a rhythm during a shoot and having the ability to take a coffee break whilst the flash recharges, tends to break the flow. A lot of the time I'm using studio flash, however there are times when that is just not feasible and so I need something that has the portability, without the problems associated with AA batteries. An external battery pack seems an ideal solution and there are commercial versions available. The cheapest just add extra AA batteries, and better versions tend to start getting expensive. So I decided to look into a DIY solution. The Answer My research lead me to the Sealed Lead Acid battery (SLA). These batteries are used in a selection of ite...

From Camera to Computer In digital photography before you can do anything with those hard gained photographs you’ve taken, you have to transfer them onto a computer. Whilst this can be done using the camera, it quickly becomes apparent that this is far from ideal. Far easier is to remove the memory card from the camera and should it have a suitable slot, putting straight into the computer. However not all computers have card slots, which is where a card reader comes in. Usually plugging into a USB port, they will accept the common SD and CF cards, and many will also accept a raft of older and less common cards. SD vs CF Cards As mentioned SD, CF, or a combination of both are what are usually found in modern cameras. My cameras use CF cards which is my personal preference anyway. CF have higher practical and theoretical transfer speeds but this is generally negated by other factors. Unless you have a very high spec computer, hard drive, etc you are unlikely to get close to the...

  Your three legged friend   There comes a time when a photographer comes to realise that holding the camera by hand is often just not going to cut it! It's then that the search for a tripod starts. Over the years I have accrued several tripods. The one I use most often is probably over 20 years old and has definitely seen better days. It's currently patched up with jubilee clips and cable ties and should really be replaced. However it's as sturdy as it ever was and operates perfectly well. Choosing a tripod generally comes down to 3 things.   Weight, Stability Budget. It's often a case of pick any 2! In that, if you want something lightweight and stable, it's going to cost. Or cheap and lightweight, it's possibly not going to be so stable etc. The type of photography you are interested in will affect the specifications your going to be interested in. A landscape photographer who is hiking to locations, is going to be looking for som...