Review: Photography Magazines

Review: Photography Magazines

Knowledge - Self-Portrait - 17-55mm

As I said I would, I am writing a blog about photography magazines. Personally I have asked many people's opinions on what photography magazine is best.  I usually got varying response since a lot of it is what type of photography you do and what your own interests are.  So with that said this is all my opinion about what magazines I like most or ones I don't like so much.  I have had three different subscriptions to different magazines and I have bought a lot whenever I see a magazine that looks like it has good information at stores.  Also one thing I highly recommend is going to your local library to see if they have any photography magazines.  Mine has Photo Life and Popular Photography.  It is kind of nice going to the library with my dad and reading their photography magazines while my dad reads his book.  It's free and I have only one complaint here, which is just that I can't refer back to any article in the future. But personally I have a pretty good memory for things if I enjoy the subject matter.

I currently have a little over twenty magazines now.  I have mostly Outdoor Photographer but I have five or so Digital Photos as well as five or so Photo Lifes.  I have one Shutterbug and just this year have gotten Digital SLR Photography magazines which are made in the UK.   I first got the Digital SLR photography with was their Essential Guide to Landscape Photography.  This was an amazing magazine which got me looking for others like it and found they wrote a monthly magazine as well.  This magazine made me want to write this blog because prior to these UK magazines, I never really had a magazine that was that much better than the others I bought.

So I will go through my thoughts on the different magazines I have read and let you know why I like or dislike them.  And lastly I will go over my favourite.

First I will go over Photo Life magazine.  It is a very clean and crisp magazine.  Professional setup and layout and sometimes does have some good gems of articles.  However they are a little on the smallish side.  My brother got me a subscription to the magazine and it was great however sometimes you could get it and the main article was on photoshop shortcuts.  This would be great for people with this program however not so much for people like me who have a different editing software.  So that issue itself, of the magazine, was almost a write off.  So in my experience it is a little hit and miss for this magazine.  Sometimes I love reading it and sometimes the issue I get doesn't have much for me.  So for me I still will pick one up at a store and scan it to see if I should buy it but I don't think I would get another subscription to it.  Also they have it at my library so I usually read it there.

Another magazine I had a subscription for was Digital Photo.  It was also another gift but this time from my girlfriend at the time.  I bought a copy of this magazine and loved it.  Covered some great content so I asked for that as a Xmas present.  The issues after that were not near the one I bought sadly.  They are mediocre most of the time.  So again this magazine, like Photo Life, is one I'll scan through before buying but I wont buy a subscription. It wasn't as professional looking as Photo Life and seemed to be tailored to maybe a more younger amateur level of photographer.  Not that that is bad by any means, I just think for the large majority of the articles, I knew enough of what they were saying already and I did not benefit enough from the articles.

Outdoor Photographer is a good solid magazine.  I don't mean you could hammer nails with it but it usually has good helpful articles.  Most of my magazine collection consists of these and I am usually not disappointed with them.  I would say they usually have articles that match with my type of photography and if not, they are still usually good reads.  I would recommend this magazine if you like photographing the outdoors and wildlife. These magazines are usually long so you have more articles and therefore a better chance one fits with the areas of photography that you like.

I have one Shutterbug magazine and I think from the fact I just have one speaks on my opinion of it.  It had tons of ads in it.  So many it makes it hard to read which is too bad.  I actually wrote most of this blog on my iPhone between classes however edited it when I got home and I just looked through my Shutterbug magazine.  For about 80% of the magazine or more, there was an ad on every other page.  The two main articles were last in the magazine pretty much and, didn't have any ads in them.  However right after the two main articles... the two page spreads for camera companies.  If this magazine isn't making boat loads of money from ads, I don't think anyone can.  From my photo above with me and my magazines I remembered all of the articles on the pages I opened the magazines to for the most part. The Shutterbug one, not so much.

Popular Photography is a magazine I only read when I go to my local library.  It isn't great but it's not bad.  It's about the exact same as Digital Photo.  Geared towards younger amateurs and set up in a way to try to grab your attention with ads and I guess the word for it is cluttered.  It sometimes has good articles but I can't really remember what I've read in them.  So it is a magazine that I would read but definitely not buy.  I am sure it might suit some readers out there but I am just a little too advanced for it maybe and the articles don't help me a lot.  I still read them to get as much knowledge as I can but this magazine would not be my number one pick.

Lastly the Digital SLR photography.  First I'll review their Essential Guides then I'll cover the monthly issues.  I have the Essential Guide to Landscape Photography and their Essential Guide to Outdoor Photography.  Both were some of the best sources of helpful information I have seen.  I loved to read these magazines.  The landscapes from the UK which definitely helped for I do have a soft spot for landscapes in Scotland.  The magazines almost had no ads as well as they were huge in terms of length, width and height.  The tips are extremely helpful, the guides are very good and the types of articles are very well thought out.  The advice and ideas they go over are accurate and useful.  I have read many articles discussing what it was like to go take photos in Alaska or other neat places but they never really give you a ton of information on how to do it.  These magazines go over everything with enough detail that the only information missing is what you will learn if you go out there and try the techniques or ideas yourself.  The Essential Guide to Outdoor Photography is 162 pages long and is jam packed with information front to back.  These are well worth their weight in gold.  I am going to try to get my hands on the portrait one (The Essential Guide to Portrait Photography).

As for the Digital SLR photography monthly issues, they are just as good (if not better because they are monthly).  The last issue I got (Nov, 2011 Issue 60) has 145 pages before the camera store ads come up.  So again, full of tons of very helpful topics and advice.  This issue has 101 portrait "gems" which I did like a lot.  I knew most of the advice however it is nice to have it all in the same spot if I ever need some motivation or different ideas for portraits.  I could go on and on about these magazines but they are basically the same as the Essential Guides, but just more of a spectrum of topics covered.  But these magazines and the Essential Guides (which I am 95% sure they are from the same company) are by far the best photography magazines I have read.

So in conclusion, if you want a sophisticated magazine that is of professional level, go for the Photo Life magazine however be prepared that the articles might not always be what you are looking for.  Popular Photography/Digital Photography are similar to each other and are geared below Photo Life at younger amateurs I think.  They are good and general however I found I was a little advanced for a lot of their articles, or I was doing different types of photography than what they were covering.  Shutterbug is great if you want to read more ads than articles.  Outdoor Photographer is a decent magazine and is the magazine I have bought most consistently.  They were good but I wouldn't say they were amazing and stood out a lot against the other magazines.  Since the articles are more geared to outdoor photography like the name implies, the articles have a better chance to fit with what I want to read about.  But then along came Digital SLR photography.  The Essential Guide to Landscape Photography and The Essential Guide to Outdoor Photography were amazing and definitely trumped the Outdoor Photographer magazines.  And that might be an understatement.  I do love nature photography especially landscape and macro but I do also do portraiture so I in need for a magazine that had more than just insects, flowers and mountains.  Then I found the Digital SLR photography monthly magazines and I was sold.    If you know of any other good magazines please let me know but right now I don't see anything topping these Digital SLR photography magazines.  So 10 points to you, Digital SLR photography, for making a very good magazine and essential guides.

Again just to add somewhat of a disclaimer here, these are just my opinions and a lot of what makes or breaks a magazine is the content.  And some content could put me to sleep while others could be put on the edge of their chairs.  So to each their own.

Hope that helps,

Tom

Just re-reviewed my magazine selection for my youtube channel which you can check out here: http://youtu.be/WOIO1uPnud0

Photos: Studio Self Portrait

Hey,


So personally when I get something exciting I usually try to use it as fast as I can.  This case I wanted to use my studio after I had it setup so... I did.  I had this idea after thinking I wanted to review magazines I read since I find some are better than others and thought I would share said info.


As I was thinking about reviewing magazines I thought about doing a photo like this and so here it is.  I will write a review of the magazines I have read probably tomorrow if not for sure this week sometime.

But before I do the magazine reviews I thought I would toss up this photo since I liked it:

Self-Portrait - 17-55mm

Hope you like the first photo up that is taken in my studio.


Just a warning I will probably toss this photo at the top of my magazine review since it is me and all my magazines to date.

Update: Studio IV

Hey,


Amazing news!  The studio is up and functional.


So I wanted to make a studio with the least amount of money spent and pretty much all DIY.  So I tried duct taping (inexpensive I know) the paper to the ceiling.  I had a feeling it wouldn't work but I wanted it away from the far wall because I wanted to keep the heater on.  The paper didn't stay up so I went to plan B.  Turn the heater off and then tap it to the wall itself and not the ceiling.  This will then give better odds of the paper staying up since the force being exerted is perpendicular to the tape instead of how it was set up being taped to the ceiling.  So far so good haha.  It could fall but I don't think it will.


I put some tacks into the tape just as a precautionary thing so that they might hold it enough if it is falling to give me time to notice.


Since I have a studio now (unless it falls down on me again) I will start doing more photography as well as I will change my Model Mayhem profile.  I decided that since I have a studio I could help models with their portfolios as well as building mine own doing shoots.  I have been contacted by a couple of models to do shoot however they have not had ideas of what to do.  So I think I will set it up that if they want Time For Print (TFP) then I will decide on the ideas unless the ones they have are going to build my portfolio. If their ideas wont build my portfolio I will charge for building their portfolio.


Additionally I might do graduation photos to make back some money form building the studio (which wasn't that much) however making money back form photography is never a bad idea.


I thought the construction of the studio would be a little more complex however it wasn't haha.  So my Updates did not have as much detail about the construction as I wanted but oh well.  C'est la vie.  If you have specific questions for me about the studio please do not hesitate and send me an e-mail at tomhoustonphotography@gmail.com.  Or you can comment on a post and I will respond via a comment.


So here are two photos from of the studio however it is hard to capture all of it with my 17-55mm.  Just to give some dimensions, the paper is on a 8'x8' plywood floor.  So it is roughly 9 feet tall and about 9 feet long by almost 9 feet wide.  So a fair size if I want group shots or even someone laying on the floor.

My studio.

My studio from a lower angle.

I hope you are as excited as I am about this.  So yes, one can build a studio in their spare room quite easily.  I spent less than $500 for sure on the materials to build it (excluding flashes/stands/umbrellas).  Now I shall get some flower series shots done hopefully!

Tom

Update: Studio III

Hey,

Exciting news!  Got the plywood with the help of a friend who graciously donated her time, vehicle and strength to help me get the plywood in my studio.  I decided that making a frame out of 2x4's to attach the plywood to is a little overkill in my case.  So I am just going to try to find a simple solution to stop the plywood from sagging a little when you stand in the middle of it.  It isn't a deal really but I will do that this week.  Then all I need to do is duct tape the paper to the ceiling and away I go.

So here is the updated plywood studio shot:

Studio with the plywood floor!

I am very exciting right now however I am super busy so I am not sure when I will get around to setting all this up.  But I don't exactly have time to be shooting in it anyways so I am not too concerned.

Hope you guys are all excited as I am!

Update: Studio II

Hey,


So I got the seamless paper as I believe I have said.  The roll is now sitting on the floor until I have the floor build.  But I can do another step until then, which is bring in some lights:

Studio, Check.  Seamless Paper Check.

Lights... Check

So I decided to take some photos to play around with the room even though I don't have the flooring or the paper up but... you don't need that to get good shots anyways.

When no one is around to model for you sometimes you must grab a tripod and your remote and do it all yourself...

Self Portrait - 17-55mm

And then if you really want to get all fancy and bust out two flashes with two homemade snoots...  Which can get some cool lighting:

Self Portrait - 17-55mm

So, here is the beginning... I am definitely looking forward to not being the model/lighting assistant/photographer all at once but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Hope you are as excited as I am about the potential of this room/studio.

Photos: Fall Makeup Shoot

Hey

Just posted the Fall Makeup Shoot photos on Facebook and Flickr.  I really love the final products of this shoot.  The Makeup Artist, Leslie Emmerson did a great job with the makeup as well as our planning we did into the clothing and the other finer details of the shoot.

Really impressed with the models, they did a great job especially since it was fairly cold that day.

So here are some of the photos and be sure to check them out on Flickr and Facebook:

Portrait - 50mm

Portrait - 105mm

Portrait - 105mm

Hope you love them as much as I do.

Update: Studio

Update: Studio
Hey,


So my housemate in my apartment is moving out and I will have an empty room.  I wont be here too much longer so I decided to build a studio in the room instead of finding someone else to live here.  This means I will be able to do more shoots.  Less travel time (almost none) involved, ability to do quick shoots like for my flower series and all and all a good idea I think.  I can also start doing grad photos in a studio which will pay back the cost of building it hopefully.


The room is basically empty now so what my game plan (it changes a little sometimes) is to build a basic plywood floor on 2''x4''s and have that be 8'x8'.  This is because there is carpet on the floor in the room which wont be so good for seamless paper so I will need the hard surface.  So that will make the floor smooth and solid (hopefully).  Then I have ordered a 9' roll of seamless super white paper.  The only catch is I will have to trim a little of the paper roll somehow to have it fit across the width of the room.  This isn't a huge deal cause I will only lose 3-4''s.  I would rather do that than order the 4 1/2' roll and lose half the roll.  It will fit across the length of the room however I think it would be best to go across the width. 


I will have the seamless roll on the floor and then attach the paper edge to the ceiling.  This is because I do not want to do any major damage to the walls or ceilings to hold the roll up and I don't want to invest in a background stand or autopoles right now.  So this means when I cut the paper when it gets dirty or ripped I lose more of the paper in one go but that is okay with me cause I just want simple and easy right now.  I still have yet to figure out how I am going to attach the paper to the ceiling.  I really don't care how as long as it isn't to destructive to the apartment.  I don't care if it is sticky tack or duck tape.  But I will figure that out and share how I managed to keep it up.  


As I build this with my "construction manager," I will take photos as we go so that I can keep everyone posted on the progress of the studio.  Also here I can share what is working and what isn't.  Additionally if you are wondering any of the finer details like, "how are you building the floor?" or "how are you going to trim the paper roll?" I will go into specifics as we build it.  The "construction manager" is a good friend (and one of my models) of mine who works at a lumber mill/wood shop that her family owns so she knows her lumber and more importantly construction.  So I have asked for her assistance because she has a hell of a lot more building experience than I do.   So with her, there is a better chance of making less mistakes (which would cost money) as well as she knows how to build things properly and effectively.  I could build the floor and such but I wouldn't have a clue if it was a cost effective way or if it was the smart way of doing it.  


So I am not sure how long all this will take but it should be fun so it wont matter too much on how much time it takes.  Also I can build it at my own pace since I am way to busy with University.  But I want to get it done before christmas at the latest.  Right now all I know is that I have to figure out the best way to attach the edge of the paper to the ceiling.  I might have to put up a thin piece of wood to attach it too since the ceiling is that stucco dry wall stuff.   


It is a fairly big dream/idea to do but it should be good and I will keep everyone posted on it's progress.


Wish me luck!


Tom

Review: SB-900

Review: Nikon SB-900

Thoughts and Opinions:

The SB-900 is a tank of a flash.  It is very robust and very well designed.  So far after having it for a while now, I am very impressed with it.  Since my initial review, I have used it at around 4 shoots now.  It has worked flawlessly all but once.  However I will go into that in the Usage section.  

I think Nikon accomplished a lot with this flash.  And my opinion of this flash is very high which may be from my only comparison is the SB-600 which is not even in the same league.  So the SB-600 is really not comparable to the SB-900.  Sure they are both speedlights however the SB-900 towers over it in both size and functionality.  

I still love the diffuser and gel holder that comes with the flash, as well as the ease of use in terms of the settings and such.  The button locations are good and the flash is easy to use and navigating through the menus and settings is easier that the SB-600.  I am still getting used to it but it is just getting it to be second nature.   

This flash is good enough that I will probably sell my SB-600 and get another SB-900.  The only thing holding me back is the SB-600 is small and compact.  It fits in my Nanuk case and the SB-900 due to how much I already have in the case wouldn't fit right now.  So the SB-600 still gets a lot of points for being lightweight and compact.  The SB-600 is very good for starting out with since its does the minimum of what you need with a flash which is all you need if you are just starting out.  I upgraded and got a SB-900 as another flash because I wanted another flash. I was thinking about the SB-700 or a used SB-800 however I knew that a year after that I would want to upgrade and get a SB-900 so I just decided not to have to upgrade twice.  And I am very glad I did.

Usage:

I have, as I said, used this flash in I think four shoots now and it has performed almost perfectly.  In my last post I focused on nighttime portraits and I almost exclusively used my SB-900 during that shoot.  This was because the SB-600 started making a weird beeping sound which I assume was due to the cold temperatures.  The SB-900 was fine and held its own.  It worked just fine and produced some great photos. 

The size of it does slightly effects usage just because I do have to take extra care not to smoke it off a counter or anything while it is on my camera.  But that is what you trade for with you get the biggest flash Nikon makes.  

I did have a weird experience with it while I was shooting outside.  It was fairly cold so personally I was not worried about overheating the SB-900.  I was not taking a lot of pictures quickly or at a huge power level I thought but the temperature gauge said it was too hot and shut off on me.  Thankfully I had my SB-600 on me and switched to that for awhile which was fine.  After a couple of minutes I switched back to the SB-900 after it had a chance to chill.  It was weird because I felt the outside of the SB-900 when it claimed it was overheating and it was actually pretty cold.  I think it was shooting in TTL that caused it to shoot at a high power and I guess that did it.  Again I wasn't shooting that quickly because it was group shots so they took a while to decide how they were going to pose and such.  Oh well, I guess that is why you have backups.  I have not had this happen again since then and I have used it outside three other times since then and it has been fine.  So I guess if you don't want to risk the chance of overheating just shoot in Manual.  I believe I have also read or heard that somewhere else as well.

So it has not been perfect but perfect enough that I wouldn't want any other flash.  Everything can behave strangely here and there so I am not to worried about it heating up too much in the cold that one time.  There has been nothing to say is a major issue with this flash or any issue really.  It is hard for me to describe how great it is since a lot of it is just how well and easy it works.  So I hope I conveyed that here that it is an outstanding flash and just works amazingly for what it is and how much it costs.  

Pros:

- Ease of Use (especially when you are used to it)

- Power

- Functionality

- Build Quality

- Zoom ability

- Accessories (Diffuser, gels and gel holder) 

- Portability (Still better than a studio light setup)

- Versatility 

Cons:

- Large (But that comes with the flash and compared to a studio light it's nothing)

- Heavier than a SB-600 (However again, very light compared to any studio light)

Sample Images:

Portrait - 50mm - SB-900

Portrait - 50mm - SB-900

Portrait - 50mm - SB-900

Conclusions: 

This is a great flash hands down.  I have it overheat once for what I thought wasn't a great reason but it has not done that since so I am not too concerned.  The functionality and ease of use is great and the build quality inspires confidence.  The usage thus far has been great however to be honest, it is only as good as my skill level.  I am sure a better photographer than myself could get even more better lit photos.  So the usage does come down to who is using it.   But in terms of the flash itself, I wouldn't go to another flash.  Almost so much I will eventually get 2-3 of these depending on my wallet and how much portraiture I get into.

All and all this is a awesome flash.  If you have a SB-600 and want another flash and have the cash, get a SB-900.  Or if you are looking for a first flash and have money to burn, then why not.  But it is very obvious why this flash is #1 from Nikon.

Lastly I just thought I would touch on the fact I brought up studio lights a little in this review.  When you compare it to an SB-600 it is a little unfair since as I said it is in a different league.  Something that is more comparable is a studio light.  The SB-900 is much more versatile than a studio light and way more lightweight and compact.  So yes, against my SB-600, the SB-900 is larger and less compact however to something that is a better substitute (Since SB-600 are not often the go to lighting option for a studio), a studio light, it is still much better in my opinion.  

If you are debating a flash, and a SB-900 is on the list... get it even if you have to save up for it longer.  

Focus: Nighttime Portraits

Focus: Nighttime Portraits

I decided to write this after my experience with doing a portrait shoot at night.  I wasn't planning on the shoot being at night however by the time the makeup was done and we got to the location, the sun had already punched-out for the day.  I just want to go over some of the things I learned and maybe you have already learned these things but if not here you go.  So, my setup.

So I had one light stand and umbrella with me since there was a lot of walking involved.  Because of this I had my SB-600 on the stand and the SB-900 on my camera as a master/flash.  I used my 50mm, 105mm and the 17-55mm during the shoot.  

First off I was using my SB-900 for a AF assist light with the IR light or however that sensor works.  You can use your external Nikon (maybe other brands but I only have Nikon flashes) flashes to shoot a beam or red light at the subject to have your camera focus in darkness.  It is a great function and tool to have however it still is very hard to pin-point someone's eye through your viewfinder in the darkness.  The red light helps but it is still difficult however I got much better with it from practicing.  

After a couple of shots my SB-600 started making some funking beeping sound that didn't sound so good.  So I assumed because it was the very cold that night getting to it, so I turned it off and just used my SB-900 on camera.  This worked and I didn't need the SB-600 for what I was doing anyways.  Nevertheless I was still disappointed in the SB-600.  Moral of story, I'm glad I bought the SB-900.

Something that I didn't have that could have been nice was a flashlight.  Since I wasn't planning on it being dark I didn't bring one however I am sure it would have been nice.  I didn't need it per say however if you do not know your kit well and need help finding things then a flashlight of some kind would be good.  I am lucky enough that I know where everything goes and have a good routine of where I place lens caps and batteries and other small easily lost pieces.  

As for things I learned shooting was one to use the lights in background.  I am sure if you have seen other nighttime portraits you have probably seen the out of focus lights in the background.  It creates a very cool effect that I have always liked however this was the first time I had done it in a portrait.  When I first saw the effect of my 50mm at f/1.4 and the bokeh, I loved it.  Here is an example of what I mean from one of the photos I took that night:

Nighttime Portrait - 50mm - SB-900 on D90

Personally I have seen this effect a lot in many photos from christmas trees to street lights but I have never done it in a portrait and I loved it as I mentioned.  So because I knew my model was a creative person I decided to try something fun that I thought would look cool.  So I got her to blow "bubbles" with the out of focus lights being the bubbles.  

Blowing "Bubbles" - 50mm - SB-900 on D90

Another thing I learned is pick someone who trusts you to take photos of at night in the fall.  I say this because it was absolutely frigid that night and I was very lucky that a) I got the model to bundle up in a warm outfit and b) that she was a trooper and didn't mind walking and standing outside in the cold to get these shots.

Now for just personal points, I loved the effect of the lights in the background at large apertures.  However be careful because if I was at f/2.8, the circles turned into octagons (or however many edges it had) and had edges to them... therefore not as cool looking.   I personally really like being in control with the light.  Yes, it was very hard to see what on earth was in your viewfinder but very worth it in the end.  Also I got used to making out the model in the dark with the red light from the SB-900.  I liked the pitch black background you can get with shooting at night.  This shoot was at a park where there was enough open space to not have my flash's light hit anything.  For this shoot I wanted the model in a normal black peacoat however it didn't contrast with the black of the environment.  If you did want to have a strong contrast between colours of your subject and background this is a easy way to get that.  If I got my model to wear a red peacoat for example, she would definitely stick out a lot more. 

So yeah, I just wanted to share my experience with shooting portraits at night because I found I learned a lot in the process.  Therefore why not share what I learned and experienced.  

I hope this helps! 

Photo Shoot: Nighttime Fall Shoot

Hey everyone,

Don't worry, I am still here.  Just super busy is all and some of the good news is some of that busy is photography related.  Woo!  Anywho, here are some of the photos from one of my latest shoots.  I will talk about this one since I had an interesting experience with it but again I will talk about that in another informational post.  So for this one just enjoy the photos and you can go to the Flickr link (HERE) to see more of them at the end of Sarah's Album.  I now am usually placing the newest photos of a previously shot model into their own set instead of having multiple sets for each person.

Without further adieu:

Portrait - 50mm

Portrait - 17-55mm

Hope you enjoy these because I loved actually doing the bokeh thing with the lights with the 50mm being shot wide open.  Too cool.  (I think, for whatever that is worth).

Update: Fall Photo Shoot

Hey,

Just did two outdoor fall photo shoots today and I can't wait to look at the pictures!  My camera is currently thawing in its case so I don't get condensation on my gear.  It did get pretty cold outside however it was a beautiful day.  I will be super busy in the near future however I hope to get a sneak peak soon however that depends on how much time I have and if my camera thaws tonight.

Stay posted for some great photos.  I would like to thank Leslie Emmerson for doing the makeup on the models as well as the models for putting up with the cold.

Photos: Indian Falls

Hey,

Sorry for the large delay but the Indian Falls photos are up.  I posted the two best because I liked them the most.  Please check them out on Flickr.

Hope you enjoy them!