Introducing the Lensbaby Creative Portrait Kit!

Express your visual voice with the new Lensbaby Creative Portrait Kit!


This kit contains Composer Pro II with the Edge 80 to set your subject apart in a slice of focus surrounded by a soft blur, the Optic Sweet 50 for a sweet spot of sharp focus set off by lots of bokeh and blur and the Optic Twist 60 for lots of twisty, swirly blur with a bright center of focus. For those shots where a more traditional look is desired, use the Edge 80 Optic like an 80mm Prime lens by putting it in the straight Twist 60 body. 

The Lensbaby Composer II with the Edge 80 installed.

Taken by April Milani with the Lensbaby Edge 80, part of the new Creative Portrait Kit

The Twist 60

Taken with the Lensbaby Twist 60 by Chris Zielecki

The Lensbaby Sweet 50

Taken by April Milani with the Lensbaby Sweet 50

The Creative Portrait Kit ships in January and it’s ready to pre-order now! 

SDC Photo is now an authorized Atomos partner!

SDC Photo is proud to announce that we are now an authorized Atomos partner! Check out the full line of Atomos now, including the new Shogun Inferno. 

The Shogun Inferno has a full range of easy to use scopes, plus comprehensive audio options so you don't need a separate audio recorder! Other features include trigger start/stop recording, built in 3:2 and 2:2 pulldown plus creative features like continuous cache recording and time lapse!






Record, play, monitor and edit with the Shogun Inferno! And don't forget to check out the full line of Atomos accessories now available on our site. 

Introducing the latest from MeFOTO!

The MeFOTO Air line has 3 new tripods and one monopod that are the definition of lightweight and portable with unmatched stability. Let's take a closer look!

 

The MeFOTO Air BackPacker is lightweight but can support up to 17.6 lb, making it a perfect choice for all your cameras, from cell phone right up to DSLR! 

An anodized aluminum Arca-Swiss style camera plate with a 3-in-1 screw is included.  But it fits industry standard plates, so if you already have a MeFOTO or Arca Swiss plate, you’re in business! 

The new MeFOTO Air GlobeTrotter in Green. All the new MeFOTO tripods and monopods have the HyperLock leg system, which makes them faster and easier to set up more compact for travel. 

The MeFOTO Air RoadTrip in Red. Compare ONE lock per leg vs 9 to a whopping 15 leg locks for some other brands. But don’t worry about the stability, as the HyperLock design is actually better and sturdier than some other tripod leg locks.

 The MeFOTO Air WalkAbout monopod in Red has just ONE HyperLock Leg Lock, making it MeFOTO's lightest and most compact monopod!

Like what you see? Head over to the MeFOTO page on our site and start shopping for your new MeFOTO tripod or monopod!

Introducing the newest lenses from SIGMA!

Sigma unveiled two exciting new additions to their Art series and a new flagship lens for their Sports line. Let's take a look at the goods! 

First up is the Sigma 12-24mm f4 Art lens! Ultra wide angle with crisp, zero distortion from center to edge in a completely new optical design with premium components.  The f4 is one stop brighter, allowing for the higher shutter speed needed to capture fast moving subjects. Dust and splash proof construction for when shooting near the water or in inclement weather. A 9 blade rounded diaphragm creates beautiful background bokeh to isolate and emphasize the subject. 

Sigma 12-24mm Art Lens

The new Sigma 12-24mm f4 is a must-have lens for any portrait photographer, whether you specialize in studio or on-location work.

Introducing the Sigma 85mm 1.4 Art lens! The 85mm 1.4 delivers beautiful bokeh that is so exact you can focus on the pupil of the eye while blurring the lashes! Sigma has also leveraged its latest innovations in design and materials to make this The ultimate lens for portraits.  Special features deliver a clear image across the plane as well as exceptional resolution making this a perfect lens for full-frame DSLRs offering 50-megapixel or higher resolution.

The new Sigma 85mm 1.4 Art Lens

All Sigma’s art lenses are made for the inner artist in every photographer and deliver the highest standard of rendering performance anywhere. 

Introducing the  Sigma 500mm F4 DG HSM OS Sports lens! This is the new flagship lens of the Sports line and a masterpiece of a hyper telephoto lens! Great features for challenging shoots include enhanced dust- and splash-proof construction, Optical Stabilizer (OS) system, SIGMA Tele Converter compatibility, AF function switch, SIGMA’s latest-generation Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM), and more. A magnesium alloy barrel and carbon fiber hood keep the 500mm lightweight for easy portability as well as sturdy enough for the toughest shooting conditions. 

Our favorite feature of the new Sigma 500mm f4 Sports Lens? The manual override incorporated to make two full-time manual modes switchable. Genius!

Introducing the Lensbaby Trio 28mm!

Introducing the Lensbaby Trio 28mm, a 3 in 1 selective focus, compact design lens for mirrorless cameras. It has a wide 28mm focal length for street scenes and landscapes, and it's also great for portraits! And you can easily and quickly switch from Twist, Velvet and Sweet with a simple flick of the dial.

Twist, a true Petzval optic design, gives you a large sharp central area of focus surrounded by twisty, swirling bokeh.

Sweet creates a sharp central sweet spot of focus surrounded by gradually increasing blur.

The Lensbaby Trio28 for Sony E

The Lensbaby Trio28 for Fuji X

The Lensbaby Trio 28 is now available for pre-order at a great price, and whether you're exploring your own backyard or traveling far away from home, Trio 28 helps you shape your vision in the moment – in unexpected and surprising ways.

Shooting Halloween!

Getting great shots at Halloween doesn’t have to be scary (see what we did there?). The season that was made for low light photography has lots of other photographic possibilities. Here are some ideas for making great photographs (along with some mischief!).

Gear
Low light usually means a tripod and that’s no exception here if you’re taking shots of lit up jack o lanterns, or another low light scene. You can also have loads of fun light painting with a flashlight or glow sticks (more on this later). We love the Benro tripod because it’s lightweight but still sturdy and we have this Benro Digital T800EX Aluminum Entry Level Tripod Kit for just $50! 

Neighborhood houses decorated their spookiest make great backgrounds and if you use a slow shutter speed you may even get some “ghosts” (in the form of costumed kids) passing through. 
We recommend carrying two lenses, a prime is amazing for details and lovely boo-keh portraits and you’ll also want a wide or zoom lens to get large scenes, if that’s what you’re after. Have you seen this beauty from Sigma? Their 19mm 2.8 Art lens shoots wide and gives sharp, high contrast images all at under $200!

Light
Avoid using on-camera flash like a vampire avoids garlic! No really, unless you are looking for fill light while there is still some natural light, don’t do flash. Instead, get creative with your light sources. A grouping of candles can yield a spooky effect for a portrait. Safety first here, people, please be super careful with open flames especially when shooting costumes with long hair or other flowy elements. Also if there is a breeze and it’s kids? Probably a good idea to scratch it entirely.  A better bet for little ones is a colored filter or even just a piece of party cellophane in orange, purple or green over the flashlight and then pointing the beam up to the face from the chest area, you can even tie it up with some ribbon or twine and hang it around the neck.

When
Whether you’re shooting your family and kids or your whole crew headed to multiple parties, start before the witching hour. If you can, have a dry run with everyone a few days before the big night, as you’ll have more time to pose and rearrange and see what works and what doesn’t before Halloween arrives. If that’s not possible, try to get everyone to begin preparations a few hours early, while there’s still good natural light. 

Family and friends all ready to go! 

This is your chance to get all the neighborhood kids in one shot so their costumes can clearly be seen (this is also the easiest shot for you, so take advantage!)

Taken BEFORE it was completely dark, this friendly ghost is lit both from within and a few ambient sources. 

Almost dark now and this large lit up lawn decoration shines while we still get details of the house behind it. 

What

• Don’t forget the details! Fingernails (claws and paws!), eyelashes, and fangs are among the great little things you don’t want to miss.

• Inviting all your friends to one person’s house to all get dressed together can yield some great BTS shots, as candid shots putting on makeup, trying different poses and generally mugging for the camera while the lights are still on are so fun to see later.
• Experiment with angle, get down low so the subject is looming above you looking like a menacing giant, or get up high on a step ladder and shoot down at a group.
• Once it gets dark and the fun begins doesn’t mean you have to stop shooting! Now’s the time to grab a handful of glowsticks or a flashlight and make a light painting! Have friends spell out the word “spooky” against a dark background. You’ll need a tripod for this as a long exposure is called for to create the light trails and you’ll probably want a remote shutter release as well to reduce camera movement. Alternatively, you can have the light source stand still and move the camera (more work for you but try it)!

We hope you find these tips and tricks helpful as you prepare to record your Halloween festivities or just your neighborhood decorations. As always, we would love to see what treats YOU come home with!

What to Consider When Buying a Camera Part II - by Jerry Schneir

Jerry is an instructor at Emeritus College in Santa Monica, California where he teaches courses in digital photography dedicated to seniors. He also has taught introductory courses in Photoshop Elements.

Today we’re continuing our 2 part series on the 7 major factors to to consider when buying a camera.

CAMERA WEIGHT (AND SIZE) Think about a day of walking around in the sun with a camera hanging from your neck or shoulder should give you a far greater appreciation for considering that point in selecting a camera. Not all pocket cameras are created equal. Some will really fit into a shirt pocket while the others require something more like a jacket pocket. I don’t know if I would be happy carrying around a camera weighing 12 oz or more even in a shirt’s pocket. Smaller camera often mean having that camera with you when you are out and about rather than leaving it at home, in the car, or in the hotel room. Smaller cameras are also less intrusive, less threatening and thus more readily accepted in places where a larger camera may make photo subjects wary and uncomfortable. I have seen this and been the subject to that reaction. It is one of my reasons for having a small camera always with me whenever I travel.

LCD  Most LCDs are fixed, they do not tilt or rotate. Some cameras do have tilting LCDs. This feature can be very useful in shooting above a crowd or down low to the ground. Some LCDs can rotate as well as tilt, “fully articulated”. It is a big feature but something that also adds to size and weight. Some of the LCDs may have a touch screen. For some people this is a great benefit but for others it is a real pain. Some LCDs are far easier to use in bright light, others much less so. Almost all current model cameras have LCD with at least 460,000 pixels. By today’s standard, 460,000 pixels should be the minimum you should accept on any camera. LCDs with high pixel (or dot) counts generally means greater ability to use in bright light or at an angle.

MEGAPIXELS-(MP) The number of pixels on the sensor CAN affect how large a picture you can print or crop and print. The more pixels in the picture the more you can crop and still get a printable image as large as 12x18. More pixels also tend to yield a greater dynamic range and should, also in theory, mean sharper pictures. However, packing too many pixels onto a sensor can, and often does, degrade the final image. On some cameras changing the resolution, i.e., the number of pixels being used, can increase the zoom range. Also note: the internal image processors in the cameras also play a large part in image quality and lack of noise at higher ISO levels.

CONTROLS OR SHOOTING PROGRAMS The ability to easily change shooting parameters, such as Program, Shutter speed, or Aperture are critical to some, not so for others. The scene mode options on many of today’s cameras can, to a certain extent, offset that lack of specific aperture or shutter speed controls. As you become more proficient in using a camera you may find the lack of some camera controls frustrating. Most lower priced cameras lack any direct method for controlling shutter speed or aperture.

OTHER THOUGHTS 

• Is the camera being considered a back-up or the primary camera? Two cameras from the same manufacturer often have SIMILAR menu systems and shooting modes which makes mastering the new camera faster and life easier especially when traveling .
• Placement of buttons or dials can make using a camera easier or harder. Harder because a misplaced button can accidentally activate a feature and cause confusion.
• Camera construction or weather sealing can be critical for people who may be traveling to moist, humid places.
• Is the camera being considered an older or newer model? Camera prices can drop dramatically a few months before a new model appears.
• If this is going to be your primary camera, and if so, what does it offer that your smart phone does not?
• Do you want to get an interchangeable lens camera to grow with as your ability grows or get a very sophisticated fixed lens camera that will meet current and future needs?