It’s Black Friday, and we thought we would give you our choices for great gift ideas this holiday season. Get your credit card out, here goes:
Photo Mechanic 6: This program is absolutely vital to our speedy workflow. It seems counter intuitive…add another program and somehow cut my workflow times 50 percent? Yep…if you want to learn more, join our online workflow class next week. Photo Mechanic is the fastest browser out there, and so convenient when we are on the road and just want to see images quickly without downloading them in LrC. Cost $139
Streamlight Stylus pen light: wouldn’t it be great to have a small flash light that also could be an excellent light painting tool? The Streamlight Stylus fits the bill. This pencil shaped light has a small plastic cap on the end that allows you to narrow the beam of light. I use one a lot to light paint same detail scenes on my travels. Cost $15
Heat Company Mittens: If you read this blog you have read the various cold weather glove/mitten systems I have been trying out. For the best cold weather protection, and great dexterity, the Heat Company full leather shell combined with the merino liners work great. This system uses two additional chemical hand warmers to heat things up inside, and has a zip palm that allows your finger to come out for camera controls. Cost $200
Hydroflask: A mug and thermos in one, these durable flasks keep the coffee warm well into the morning. And unlike travel mugs, they are better insulated and have a liquid tight seal so you don’t spill coffee all over your SUV driving that bumpy road to a morning shoot. Cost $25
National Geographic: A record number of photography magazines went out of print this year, but one still prevails. National Geographic has been a benchmark of photography and writing for a century. Nothing beats flipping through actual printed pages and enjoying the stories while curled up next to the fire with a cup of cocoa…or wine. Cost $36
Nikon Z6II/24-200mm: This setup is going to change how I shoot travel images. Incredibly light and compact, sharper than their DSLR F4 counterparts, robust in-camera stabilization. With this camera around your neck you just feel guilty about the size and weight. But the image quality reveals you have sacrificed nothing in terms of quality. Cost Z6II $2000/ 24-200mm F4-6.3 $900
Singh-Ray 10 Stop Mor-Slo ND filter: I like to get things right in the camera, and use filters all the time for various effects. And one filter I always bring is the 10 Mor-Slo ND filter from Singh-Ray. This filter slows midday shutters speeds down to longer than a minute even in bright sun. Perfect for stretching out fast moving clouds and breaking surf, or slowing your shutter down for a midday pan and blur rickshaw image in Vietnam. Cost $275
Think Tank Emergency Rain Cover: Rain covers tend to get bulky and complex. How about something that keeps the camera dry and doesn’t require a PhD to put it on. Think Tank’s Emergency Rain Cover fits the bill. It attaches to the camera hotshot to hold it in place, and is totally waterproof. Better yet, it bunches up into a small ball you can stuff in your pocket. Cost $50
Really Right Stuff L Bracket: The RRS L bracket does two things. First, it allows you to quickly attach your camera to any arca-swiss style head, both horizontally and vertically. And next, if you ever drop your camera you have at least a 50 percent chance the L bracket will save your camera. I’ve see numerous ‘saves’ on workshops! Cost $100
Sandisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD: Backup drives just get smaller in size and larger in capacity. And SSD drives are faster and more dependable. We use the Sandisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD (1TB) to backup our images on the road. Two of these drives are about the size of a wallet. Drop and water resistant. Cost $170.
Happy holidays and shopping!!