Welcome to my technology blog!
Jefferson Graham over at USA Today reviewed the Westcott Spiderlite TD6 Daylight Balanced Continuous Lights and gave me a call to see what I thought about them? His review just went up on USA Today (see it here) and he mentioned me in his article. He also showed a brief clip from my "It's All About The Light" video. Sweet! This made my day.
Updated: June 6, 2022
I remember when I first started out in photography and wanted to get serious about it, I had lots of questions about what to buy? No one wants to make a large investment in the “wrong gear”. I often get questions from New Photographers or Photographers looking to set up their 1st studio, asking what equipment should they get? That’s a hard question to answer without knowing what you plan on shooting the most, your space, and your budget. My primary focus is Portrait – (Beauty, Fashion & Glamour). Rather than trying to address every single situation individually, I thought it would be easier to share with you the equipment I use, and then you can take it from there. I had a 4,800 sq foot studio space and yes I LOVED IT! If you see something you think you’d like to have in your studio then you can just go ahead and get it.
Your DSLR/Mirrorless most likely came with a camera strap and in big bold print, it advertises the brand and model of your camera. It’s like saying to the world, “Hey, I’ve got an expensive camera right here. Come steal it!” I prefer something a little less flashy and more versatile.
Black Rapid R-Strap – I like this one for photo walks and when I’m using longer lenses, or heavier bodies.
Up Strap – I like this one for travel and photo walks as it will NOT slip off your shoulder.
OP Tech Super Classic 3/8 – I also like this one for travel.
I simply don’t use Point & Shoot cameras anymore. If I don’t bring my Mirrorless, then I’m shooting with my iPhone.
iPhone 13 Pro – Yep, I use this one almost as much as my Mirrorless because it’s always with me. I even created an “iPhone Photography Portfolio” here.
Mirrorless Z Mount Lenses
DSLR F Mount Lenses
Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Lens – Great for when I need more reach.
I used to use Elinchrom strobes for the first 10+ years of my photography journey. However, in February 2021 I made the switch to Westcott’s new lighting system.
3 Westcott FJ400 Strobes – these are awesome because I can use them in the studio AND on-location because of the built-in battery packs.
1 Westcott FJ-X2m Universal Wireless Trigger System – this trigger works with both the strobes and speed lights. It’s a game-changer.
1 Westcott Rapid Box Switch Octa-M Softbox
2 Westcott Rapid Box Switch 1×3 Stripbank Softboxes
Lastolite Kickerlite Floor Level Softbox – 3×4′ (91x122cm)
2 Westcott Spiderlite TD6 2 Light Perfect Portrait Kit Deluxe (110V) – For Portrait and Product shots – Continuous Lighting
I still have some Westcott Spiderlite TD5’s continuous lighting that I primarily use for video or backup.
2 Westcott Solix continuous lighting
1 Westcott Flex light – 10″x10″ panel
1 Westcott Flex light – 1’x3′ panel
2 Westcott Ice Light – used for portraits and creative lighting.
1 Westcott Eyelighter – My favorite reflector for portrait work!
1 Westcott Shallow Softbox 54 x 72″ (137 x 183 cm)
1 Westcott Shallow Softbox 36 x 48″ (91 x 122 cm)
1 Westcott FJ80 Speedlight – This is my new speed light that works with the same system as my new strobes.
1 Westcott Terry White Travel Portrait Lighting Kit <- Yes it’s named after me! Woot!
1 Westcott Rapid Box 26″ Octa for Travel
2 sets of ExpoImaging Rogue FlashBender Kit for Travel
Westcott 7′ Parabolic Umbrella (White Diffusion)
1 Westcott Reflector – 48×72″ – Gold, White (white on one side, gold on the other)
1 Lastolite HiLite Illuminated White Background (6 x 7′) – for high-key fashion work. I put the cheapest strobe that I could find in it and set it to slave.
2 Lastolite TriGrip Diffuser, Two Stops – 48″ (1.2m)
A variety of different light stands, but I did invest in a couple of good ones on wheels: Avenger A5033 Folding Base Wheeled Studio Stand
and a great 40″ Boom Arm
Manfrotto Tripod (mine is discontinued, this one is the closest to what I have – Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Black)) – This one stays in the studio, but I rarely shoot portraits with a tripod.
Gitzo GT1542T Series 1 Traveler 6x Carbon Fiber 4-Section Tripod w/ G-Lock – This is the one that I travel with for landscape shoots/long exposures. It also doubles as my light stand in a pinch.
Manfrotto 131DDB Tripod Accessory Arm for Four Heads (Black) and Gitzo G065 Laptop Platform – Laptop stand/support on the road when shooting tethered.
Arkon Clamp Stand for DSLR Camera, Tablet, or Phone this arm is simply amazing because it’s strong enough to hold my DSLRs/Mirrorless cameras so that I can get those shots straight down on top of my subject.
Kirk BH-1 Ballhead with Quick Release – Supports 50 lbs (22.6kg) – the one I use in studio (Although the Kirk Ballheads are top notch, today I’d probably go with The Really Right Stuff ballheads because most of my friends use these and therefore it would be easier to use a buddy’s tripod that’s standing next to me.)
Kirk BH-3 Ballhead with Quick Release – Supports 15 lbs (6.8kg) – the one I use for travel
Really Right Stuff BH40 Ball Head with Full Size Lever Release Clamp, I really like this one and will probably buy from this maker going forward.
Platypod Max tripod alternative
Platypod Ultra Essentials Kit with Oben BA-111 Ball Head and Square Jellyfish Jelly Grip Tripod Mount for Smartphones
Arkon 11″ Tripod Phone Mount – iPhone photography and video work
Pocket Tripod Pro – This thing is amazing and folds down to the size of a credit card. Therefore I always have it with me in my wallet.
Westcott 5501 Modern Vintage Background (9 x 12′, Onyx) I have all 6 designs, but I use Onyx the most.
1 Westcott Masterpiece Collapsible Reversible Background – 6×7′ – Black / White
4 Westcott X-Drop Backdrops and Stand
My custom scenic backdrops like this one below come from Vision Bedding
6 Rolls of Savage Seamless Paper (Fashion Gray, Canary Yellow, Blue, Coral-Pink, Black & Cocoa) Savage Seamless Background Paper (107″ x 12yds, #56 Fashion Gray), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107″ x 12yds, #38 Canary), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107″ x 12yds, #31 Blue Jay), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107″ x 12yds, #3 Coral), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107″ x 12yds, #20 Super Black), Savage Seamless Background Paper (107″ x 12yds, #80 Cocoa)) – these are permanently mounted on the walls of my studio
ThinkTank International Airporter – my main on-location travel bag
ThinkTank Streetwalker Hard Drive Backpack – my larger backpack for air travel to hold my camera gear and computer gear as a carry-on
Kata R-103 – My smaller backpack when I don’t need to travel with as much gear.
I have a variety of smaller bags, but the 3 above are the ones I use the most.
Music is a very important part of my shoots, therefore, the sound has to be good (sometimes loud) and able to be heard throughout the building. Therefore I stream the same music via my Bose Soundtouch 20.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic – I couldn’t imagine doing photography without it!
Adobe Photoshop for all my retouching and compositing needs.
Long USB Cables for Tethering – A good stable connection from the camera to the computer makes all the difference in the world.
Vello Wireless ShutterBoss III Remote Switch with Digital Timer for Select Nikon Cameras – this wireless remote is great for shooting products or in situations where touching the camera would cause unwanted vibration.
DJI Mavic Air – for aerial photography/4K Video and behind the scenes shots
WD 1TB My Passport Wireless SSD for in-field backups and mobile editing workflows.
Apple TV 2 Set-top boxes – My photography is on display throughout the studio both in print and electronically via HDTVs and Apple TVs driving them.
Apple The New iPad Pro – I use it for portfolio display, image review, model releases and variety of other tasks. See how it fits into my workflow here.
Apple 2019 16″ MacBook Pro Retina Display Notebook Computer
Dell U2412M 24″ FLAT WIDESCREEN LCD MONITOR – used when I tether and it rotates to either portrait or landscape orientation.
Wacom Cintiq 27QHD My main display/tablet for retouching.
Wacom Intuos Pro Small Wireless Digital Tablet
AV Cart on Wheels – My studio tethering setup is on this cart with a long enough extension cord to reach any of my shooting areas.
2 BlowIt Fans – great because they mount on light stands
Fog Machine – Do I need to explain this? 🙂
Mac Mini Mac OS X Server with a Drobo 5D attached. There’s also a Drobo FS on the network for additional backups of the main Drobo – Network backups for every shoot I do before I leave the building
ExpoImaging 72mm ExpoDisc Digital Warm Balance Filter (Portrait)
Trampoline for those high jump shots
Zacuto Z-Finder 3 – Great for shooting DSLR video and keeping things in focus by giving you a great view finder.
Iron, Ironing board, & a steamer.
A variety of props and furniture.
The list above represents equipment that I’ve acquired over the past 4 years. By no means do you “need” all of it, especially if you’re just starting out. Take from it what you will and keep in mind that I didn’t start with it all on day one! That’s the thing about photography, “there’s always something to buy!” No one ever told you to get into photography because it would be a “cheap” hobby! 😉
See more of my photography here.
photo compliments of iStockphoto.com
It's that time of year again. My annual "So what'd you get?" I've been reviewing my favorite gadgets, services and photo gear all year long. Now it's your turn! Tell us what you got this holiday season (tech wise) that you're excited about? Use the comments section below. Tell us what it is, why you like it and provide links if you can? Did you get or give anything from my holiday gadget gift guide?
Hey! If you got an iDevice as a gift, check out 20 Must Have Apps here.
I just wanted to take a moment to not only wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season, but also to thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout the year! Looking forward to a great 2012!
May all your tech holiday wishes come true!
Terry
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qcmCUsw4EQ
You forgot _______________. It happens. That relative or friend walks through the door that you totally forgot to get a gift for and you feel bad. Yep, it happens. Personally, I wouldn't sweat it. However, for those of you who do (you know who you are) here are a couple of things you can do to save the day.
First off it may not be too late to get overnight shipping! Be sure to check out my Holiday Gadget Gift Guide here.
When you go to hang up their coat, head to your computer and fire up iTunes. Then go to the iTunes Store and buy a "Printable" gift certificate. You can print it (quietly) on your printer, fold it and stick it in one of those emergency cards that you keep around. Oh yeah, you forgot those too. OK, a handwritten envelope will do. You can then explain to them that with this they can download music, books, movies, apps and more. Whew!
OK, so the person that just walked in is not into digital entertainment. I get it! No problem. Head over to Amazon.com (here's the link to get you directly to the gift certificates
Lastly pride yourself on avoiding the mall 🙂
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmast and get back to your guests 🙂
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhmjJCBQ-cA
Anthony Houser just shared with me his links to his Adobe InDesign and Illustrator Cheat Sheets in HTML/image format.
I'm using the skinny medium version here due to the design of my blog, but you can see the full size versions here:
InDesign Cheat Sheet and the Illustrator Cheat Sheet
Courtesy of Business Stationery
Brought to you by Wells & Drew, makers of fine engraved stationery.
While I've already published my massive 2011 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide, I realize that I have quite a few photographers following me here. Therefore, I thought I'd share my Top 20 Picks for Photography Gift Ideas. These are among my favorite and most used products.
So here they are in no particular order:
Westcott 7' Parabolic Umbrella (White Diffusion)
Nikon D7000 DSLR Camera (Body Only)
Westcott 5501 Modern Vintage Background (9 x 12', Onyx)
ExpoImaging Rogue 3-in-1 Honeycomb Grid
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Zoom Lens
Wacom Intuos4 Digital Tablet (Medium)
Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Shoe Mount Flash
Nikon SB-910 AF Speedlight i-TTL Shoe Mount Flash
Westcott Spiderlite TD6 2 Light Perfect Portrait Kit Deluxe (110V)
Elinchrom BX-Ri 500/500 To Go Set – 2 Monolight Kit (90-260VAC)
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Software for Mac & Windows
Canon EOS 7D SLR Digital Camera (Body Only)
Nikon Nikon 1 V1 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 10mm and 10-30mm Lenses (Black)
Canon PowerShot S100 Digital Camera (Black)
Lastolite EZYBox Softbox – 24 x 24"
Lastolite TriFlip 8 in 1 Grip Reflector Kit – 30" (76 cm)
Lastolite Kickerlite Floor Level Softbox – 3×4' (91x122cm)
Lastolite Triflector MkII Kit – White/Silver
ExpoImaging Rogue FlashBender Kit
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTVfFmENgPU
This past Saturday I got to participate in the world-wide Help-Portrait event! Although I knew that Help-Portrait would be worthwhile event to participate in and donate my time, I didn't realize just how special it would be. While it's easy to say we should help the needy, the help usually comes in the form of the basics, food, shelter, etc. Of course food and shelter are MOST IMPORTANT, but there is very little done to replace the other/smaller things that people lose or in some cases would otherwise never have. I saw families that lost EVERYTHING due to the tragedies in their lives. I saw mothers that never had any pictures of their children.
photo by TV News Reporter/Host/Anchor – Iris Pérez
I was thinking about hosting my own Help-Portrait event at my studio, but then I got an email from Miriam Olsen asking if I wanted to participate in their event taking place in Lansing Michigan. I figured since this was my 1st official Help-Portrait event that it would be best to go to one that was already established.
Miriam did an EXCELLENT job coordinating all the volunteers and the event went off perfectly. We photographed 196 guests! There were 20 photographers, 62 volunteers, 63 families and over 50 CDs provided in addition to the prints there were done on the spot.
It was very rewarding photographing families that were in many cases having their photos professionally captured for the 1st time. Seeing their faces light up when they saw their images and knowing that these photos would be cherished for years to come.
I definitely plan to host my own event next year and I encourage you to host one, participate in one or simply photograph someone in need! I want to also thank Jeremy Cowart for not only coming up with this great idea but also growing it into a world-wide event.
photo by TV News Reporter/Host/Anchor – Iris Pérez
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNIlatBHD2A
If you're a photographer and you want to give back to your community. You should definitely check out the Help-Portrait opportunities in your area this Saturday. I'll be volunteering/shooting in Lansing Michigan on Saturday. If you're local I hope to see you there shooting with me. If not, I hope you take the time to participate where you are. Last year I wasn't able to participate due to work travel, this year I plan to make up for it!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz2kbI3Ow-s
In this episode of the Adobe Creative Suite Podcast I'll show you How To Use the Photoshop CS5 Patch Tool to Enhance Your Portrait Retouching.
Also don't forget that Lightroom 3 is currently ON SALE for HALF OFF here.
See more of my Adobe Creative Suite Videos on my Adobe Creative Suite Podcast and get the App here. It features EXCLUSIVE CONTENT that no one else gets to see. This episode has a BONUS CLIP that is available only in the App:
PS. My iOS App just got an update that fixes the iOS 5 video playback problem and adds the following features:
