Flash & Speedlight Reviews, Tips & Tricks

Review: Sigma Electronic Flash Macro EM-140 DG NA-iTTL Ring Flash

Sigma’s EM-140 DG ring flash builds in some of the features we’ve become used to with modern speedlights, like TTL and high-speed sync. Here’s my take on it.

Using the Yongnuo YN685 TTL Flash as an Off-Camera Flash

The Yongnuo YN685 TTL flash works much the same as many other flashes, but there are some quirks to using it, especially wirelessly. Here are some tips.

Gavin Hoey’s Fearless Flash Photography with Speedlights Video Series Review

There are a lot of videos on places like Youtube and Vimeo showing how to use off-camera flash, but some are definitely better than others. Gavin Hoey’s Fearless Flash Photography with Speedlights series is one of the best I’ve come across.

Review of the Bolt VM-210 Flexible Macro Flash

The Bolt VM-210 is a macro light with two light sources on flexible arms. It might look like some kind of bug with two antennas hanging out over the lens, but it’s a very versatile approach to macro lighting.

Bolt VX-760 TTL Flash | Hands-on Review

Bolt’s VX-760 flash is a portable strobe that aims to be a cost-effective alternative to the Nikon and Canon speedlights. Here’s my review.

The Flash Book, by Scott Kelby | Review

Scott Kelby is out with a new book that serves as a concise introduction to getting comfortable with using a flash.

Zoom Range of the Sony 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 Lens | Practical Examples

Here are some practical examples of the zoom range of the Sony FE 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 GM OSS zoom lens on a Sony Alpha full-frame mirrorless camera.

Batch Scanning Slides with the PowerSlideX Slide Scanner

The Pacific Image PowerSlideX is designed to automatically scan batches of up to 50 slides at once. After using it, here’s my take.

Scanning Old Slides & Film with the Wolverine F2D Titan Film to Digital Scanner

The Wolverine F2D Titan Film to Digital Converter is a dedicated slide and film scanner. It’s small, simple to use, and relatively inexpensive. Here’s how it works in practice.

Scanning Old Slides and Films with the Kodak Mini Digital Film & Slide Scanner

Have some old family photos you’d like to scan? If they’re slides or negatives, a basic film scanner can be a great option, whether you want to share the old photos on social media or preserve the photos in a printed photobook. I’ve been trying out one of the simplest, cheapest, and smallest options, the Kodak Mini Digital Film Scanner. Here’s how it works.

Macro Photos taken with a Sony HX99 Compact Camera

Here’s a collection of photos I’ve taken with the Sony HX99 compact camera using the macro feature.

Best Lightroom Tutorials & Lightroom Classes for Online Learning

Whether you’re new to Lightroom or looking to dive deeper, here are some of the best places to find Lightroom tutorials, classes, and courses.

How to Filter by Image Orientation of Landscape, Portrait, or Square

If you need to filter out just the portrait (vertical), landscape (horizontal), or square images, you can use the Aspect Ratio filter criteria.

How to Change the Background Color of Single Images in Lightroom Classic

You can change the color of the space behind single images in Lightroom. That can be simply a matter of preference or used as a visualization tool

Can Aurora HDR 2019 Salvage Otherwise Unusable Photos?

HDR is traditionally all about the drama. But it doesn’t have to be all about overly saturated and uber dramatic images. The tone-mapping tools built into apps like Photomatix and Aurora HDR 2019 can be useful for making otherwise blah photos more interesting and perhaps salvaging them as keepers.