Whether you’re just starting to explore the world of off-camera lighting or are an experienced strobe user looking to try some new techniques, here are some of the best places to find online photography lighting courses.
BYO Light
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.
Latest Gear Reviews
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.
Compressing RAW files with Rawsie | Hands-on Review
There are only a few options for compressing RAW image files. Rawsie is a new app that uses sophisticated algorithms to drastically reduce the size of those thousands of RAW files taking up space on your hard drives.
Canon R5 Mirrorless Camera Sample Images
Here’s a collection of sample photos I’ve taken with the Canon R5 mirrorless camera to give a sense of how it performs in everyday shooting conditions.
Zhiyun SMOOTH-XS Smartphone Gimbal and Stand Review
Jerky video footage isn’t fun for anyone. The Zhiyun SMOOTH-XS is a smartphone gimbal that smooths out video footage, provides convenient external controls, and also works as a stand for selfie shots.
Nikon D3500 Sample Photos
Here are some sample photos I’ve taken with a Nikon D3500 to give a sense of how it performs in real-world shooting conditions.
Lightroom
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.
How to Change the Thumbnail Image for a Video in Lightroom
Changing the thumbnail image, or poster frame, used for videos in Lightroom can be a handy way to provide a more useful visual reference point when you’re trying to find the video you’re after. Here’s how to do it.
GoPro
Remote for the GoPro HERO9 Black – The Remote Review
There’s a new remote for the GoPro HERO9 Black. It’s called The Remote. Here’s what it does and how it works.
GoPro HERO9 Black Battery Recommendations
A rundown of the GoPro HERO9 Black batteries, chargers, and compatibility options.
GoPro HERO9 Black vs HERO8 Black
Here’s a detailed breakdown of how the GoPro HERO9 Black compares to the HERO8 Black.
How to Switch Between NTSC and PAL on the GoPro HERO9 Black
If you need to switch between NTSC and PAL video shooting modes on the HERO9 Black, it’s not quite as obvious how to do that as it could be. Here’s how to do it.
How to Change the Video Compression Codec on the GoPro HERO9 Black
The GoPro HERO9 Black has two video codecs available for recording video. Both of these produce files with an .mp4 extension. The difference is in how the video is compressed and encoded.
