Friday, January 11, 2008

The ultimate traveling camera case - Think Tank's Airport Security




I have a new love, and its the Think Thank Photo Airport Security rolling camera bag ($359.00):
http://thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_ArprtScrty.php

After years of carrying cameras and camera bags, my back is a MESS and going through airports all the time doesnt help! I decided I no longer needed a shoulder bag, I needed a nice big rolling bag that could fit loads of gear, that I could "carry-on," and had optional backpack straps. There are LOTS of options out there from most of the major camera bag makers, but this one takes the cake. It has great build quality, lots of pockets, optional space for a 15" laptop with their own "Artificial Intelligence" camera sleeve:


http://thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_AI15_17.php

Here are the bag specs and features according to the manufacturer:

Features:
Airline carry on size.
Security combination locks.
Security cable.
Holds 400 2.8 and larger lenses.
Replaceable wheels.
“Emergency” shoulder straps.
Dual main compartment access.
Monopod holder.
Tripod holder.
Seam-sealed raincover
Stretchable front pocket
Organizer side pocket
Business card holder

Product Includes:
Seam-sealed raincover

Internal Dimensions:
13” W x 8” D x 21” H
33 x 20 x 53 cm

External Dimensions:
14” W x 9” D x 22” H
35.5 x 23 x 56 cm

Base Weight:
11- 13 lbs (Depends on number of dividers used, raincover, straps, etc.)

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Motorcycle portrait

Quick shoot. The portable power source I had installed in my Land Rover really comes in handy! If you look look closely, you will see my trusty furry companion, Winston Churchill, sitting in the back seat watching.



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New portrait - model and horse

This was taken one COLD afternoon in the Virginia countryside. The horse was a little frightened by the flashes at first, so it took some time firing a flash low power and comforting the horse before we got to shooting. You may notice its ears are facing backwards in most of the shots, probably due to being a little freaked out. In the end it all worked out :)




Scathing Paul C. Buff Website

Now I must first say that I am a loyal user of white-lightning strobes. Sure, they have had little issues, but my equipment gets used hard and as far as I can tell, they have done their job and Paul C. Buff's customer service has been impeccable. I dropped a strobe into a river once, for example, and sent it in to repair with a note saying "i dropped this in a river, oops." Because it was still under warranty, they fixed it for free and had it back to me within 7 business days.

Recently someone turned me to a website supposedly written by a disgruntled Paul C. Buff Inc engineer talking about alleged engineering flaws on new Paul C Buff products. Now, I don't want to say any of this is true or not, but I found the information very compelling and figured I would share it with the photo world out there to judge for themselves.

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:WsDld7W2FNYJ:www.paulcbuff.net/+http://www.paulcbuff.net/&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=safari