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Adaptalux shines the light at the end of the tunnel


Those of you that have been following my News Stories for a while should now be well aware of my love for Macro Photography. Macro Photography allows me to be innovative and expressive with “obvious” objects that are readily identifiable, as well as objects that I can shoot from my own creative perspective. If photographed correctly, some objects leave the assumption of what they are to the imagination of the viewer.

One great tool for adding interest and creativity to macro photography is light. Playing around with lighting and having the flexibility to do so, can accomplish great results. However, one of the challenges is getting lighting options with enough effective versatility and portability, since macro photography can be shot anywhere and under some difficult logistical circumstances.

Enter Adaptalux!! Adaptalux is a macro photography and videography light and light studio that allows you to use flexible lights to create the lighting effect according to your imagination. The manufacturer refers to it as an “adaptable miniature lighting studio that allows for an infinite amount of lighting environments to be created, in an effortless and adaptable way all under one product”. “Adaptalux has been designed to make macro photography, macro videography and product photography lighting easy and accessible to photographers of all ability. The only limit is your imagination”.

The Adaptalux seems like an amazing product and I can’t wait to get my hands on one to review and to add to my macro photography kit.

If you would like to purchase the light studio, head over to the Adaptalux website and pick one up. There are several kits available, with the starter pack costing just $260.29.

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Adaptalux shines the light at the end of the tunnel originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 21, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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The Westcott X-Drop Kit (5×7′) Green Screen is just what the Director ordered!


Green screen photography and filming is a very frequent part of in-studio and on-location work. Depending on the shoot, having a portable green screen that can be set up quickly is a great advantage, especially when time and resources can make or break the success of a shoot. While there are tons of green screen options available, I found that I needed something that I could easily carry and set up quickly, and it had to be not too big or not too small so that it would be usable for my one or two-person shoots.

I found just what I was looking for when I purchased the Wescott X–Drop (5×7’) Green Screen kit. This very lightweight kit comes with a very nice machine washable green screen that is 100% polyester, and apart from being wrinkle resistant, it smooths out perfectly once attached to the telescopic legs and arms. A nice carrying case is included, and since it can be assembled and disassembled rather quickly, it is my “go to” green screen.

You can pick one up at B&H Photo Video or Amazon for $119.90.

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The Westcott X-Drop Kit (5×7′) Green Screen is just what the Director ordered! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 19, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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The Flashpoint Budget Macro Focusing Rail Set will fine tune your macro photography

By now, many of you that have read my news stories can easily see my love for photography and even more, my love for macro photography. The ability to capture amazing images that have an interesting focal point, depth of field, and great bokeh, has become an obsession. When I am in the studio working on macro photography, there are times when my setup involves an object that I mount in a fixed position and a camera on a tripod that is focused on that object.

To get the perfect shot, there is usually the need to make micro adjustments to the distance between the lens and the object, and the left or right position of the camera. Making such adjustments by manipulating the tripod head simply does not work, and after many of my own failures trying to do just that, I purchased the Flashpoint Budget Macro Camera Focusing Rail Set, with 4 way and Fine Control.

I should immediately declare that cost was a major contributor to this purchase since many of the revered focusing rails cost hundreds of dollars. I settled on the Flashpoint rail because it was comparatively cheaper and because it had very good reviews. I must say that it turned out to be a great choice and a great decision. This rail is well built and capable of adjustments that are micro enough to do the job. It stayed in place with a relatively heavy DSLR camera with the extended battery grip with 2 batteries installed, and with the weighty Sigma 105mm macro lens attached. I was able to really get the position between the lens and the object dialed in perfectly and it has remained reliable for every shoot.

If you are in the market for a focusing rail and if you don’t want to put a hole in your pocket, head over to Adorama and pick one up for the bargain price of $54.95.

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The Flashpoint Budget Macro Focusing Rail Set will fine tune your macro photography originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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The Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer prints your selfies in a flash

Since the early years when my interest in photography was peaking, I always wanted to take great photos and be able to produce a hardcopy very quickly to display my work, without having to go through a time-consuming process. I have been looking at photo printers for a very long time, but I never seemed to find one that was cost effective with a small footprint, that produced pictures that were very close to being 100% true to color. While I still have not found the complete solution, I did find a great little Photo printer that is compact and very versatile, reliable, and very cost effective. I purchased the Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo printer, and I have been pleasantly surprised at its ability, and efficiency. It was also very easy to setup.

This little gem of a printer prints photos from 2.1” x 2.1” to 4” x 6”. In addition to the standard 4” x 6”, it prints those passport and application photos that most of us usually go running to a photo store or drug store to print. It connects via USB 2.0 and Wi-Fi and can even go with you on the road because it can be battery powered. It has a very nice 3.2” tilting LCD screen and uses Apple AirPrint or the Canon Print Mobile App for printing. Since its printing technology is dye Sublimation and thermal transfer, I have never had the ink dry out over time. It is capable of borderless printing, brightness correction, color adjustment, photo cropping, image optimization, red-eye correction and several other tasks. It comes with a sample pack of photo paper and ink, and if you purchase a replacement combination pack of 108 4”x 6” sheets of photo paper and ink, the entire set is available for under $30 at B&H Photo Video.

If you would like to give the Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer a try, you can purchase one at B&H Photo Video and Amazon for $109.97.

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The Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer prints your selfies in a flash originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 10, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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JustMobile Shuttergrip review


Nowadays, I use my phone for nearly all of my photography needs. It is just so simple to use and it is always with me. I have a nice tripod that I’ve used for my big camera and have been recently wanting to use it for the phone as well, so I picked up a simple tripod phone mount. Less than a month later, JustMobile offered to send their Shuttergrip, which is an easy to use mount, but also can be used for holding your phone steady and has a detachable a Bluetooth remote.

What is it:

The JustMobile Shuttergrip is a remote shutter combined with a grip for photography that is used with smartphones. It allows someone to utilize the camera on their phone in a more ergonomic, efficient way.

What’s in the box:

In the box, you’ll find the Shuttergrip, a hand strap, battery (CR2032 type), and an instruction page.

Design and features:

Pairing the Shuttergrip to my phone was simple, and there were no problems connecting whatsoever. I did not have to charge it up first since it uses a watch style battery instead of a rechargeable battery. Once paired, I was ready to go!

Attaching it to the phone is easy and I could use it with my case, which is something my simple mount could not do. I could slide it on and off with ease but it was still very firmly attached to my phone. It also paired without me even knowing after the initial pairing. I was testing the grip a few days later and accidentally took a picture. There is no real way to turn off the camera button that I’ve found. Instead, it goes into idle mode after three minutes of inactivity.

When using it as a grip for taking pictures with the phone, it was comfortable and easier to use than the buttons on the phone. My pictures always turn out slightly blurry when using the volume buttons, but with the Shuttergrip, I did not have that problem.

It fit well on my tripod and using the remote made taking scenery pictures easy. If I felt the need to inject myself into the photo, I can easily hide the remote since it does not need line of sight. That is much more useful than the remote I have for my big camera, since finding creative ways to hide the remote is a challenge at times.

To test the range on the Shuttergrip, I set it up in my room and detached the remote, walking through the house and pushing the button five times total. All five photos took, which showed me the range was pretty good.

What I like:

  • Very easy to use
  • Pairs so quickly that it never feels like it turns off
  • Usable with multiple types of phones/cases

What needs to be improved:

  • Simplicity is best. The only thing I’d improve is adding a bag to put it in for storage.

Final thoughts:

I am looking forward to going on a trip and taking this with me. It will pack very easily and be so useful, both in my hand when walking around, and on my tripod for great scenery shots. For someone like me who takes tons of pictures when out and about, the Just Mobile Shuttergrip will come in handy. I would recommend it if you are in the market for something like this. It is a very nifty product, with a good design that is also very easy to use.

Price: $39.95
Where to buy: JustMobile Website
Source: The sample of this product was provided by JustMobile.

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JustMobile Shuttergrip review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 10, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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