EDU Advantage

Cameras bags are an object of desire for every photographer. While some photographers go for the more classy and stealthy look, others prefer just to keep their equipment the most secure that they possibly can, in the largest bag they can get their hands on. Whether you're the National Geographic explorer, traveling to remote regions, or you stalk the secretive alleys in your local city, documenting the daily happenings, there is no one bag that does it all. Here is a short list of some popular choices, and a checklist to help you get the bag that's right for you.

Outdoor photographers are trained to recognize good light. For most situations, this means the “golden times” right after sunrise and before sunset, and sometimes the pastel light just before dawn and at dusk. Of course, depending on your latitude, the “golden hour” can sometimes be more like the “golden ten minutes.” Other times, sunrises and sunsets just don’t happen. Clouds in the wrong place on the horizon can kill your chance at amazing light, and weather conditions are often unpredictable, as my students discovered a few weeks ago in South Dakota, where we got fogged in until after 10AM one day.

The aperture of the lens controls the amount of light that passes through on its way to the camera's sensor or film plane. A camera's aperture is also commonly called its f-stop, though 'f-stop' technically refers to the diameter of the opening created by internal adjustable blades, rather than the entire mechanism.

Once upon a time, I was a barely-out-of-college kid that kept copies of lots of my photos online. Then, one day, while Googling myself, I found the New York Times using a photo of mine without permission, or without linking back to my Flickr page. And that is how Chris entered "protect your images online before they get stolen" land. Here are some tips to help you guard against having your images stolen on line. 

I wonder, if one hundred visual artists were questioned why they create, how many different answers I would hear. I also wonder how many similar answers would emerge. Often, there are two somewhat disparate aspects to why we create. One is for self-satisfaction, personal fulfillment, or financial reward. The second is one that we, as photographers, are often reluctant to admit: so that others will see and appreciate what we do.

Eileen's headshot is by Athena Photography

I doubt that I am the only one that becomes obsessive when it comes to packing for a photo workshop. It may seem peculiar that a man whose profession it is to coordinate photography workshops here in Iceland, and who rarely—if ever—attends a workshop as a student, would be writing on this topic. 

B&H and Sigma Photo are giving away a most coveted lens—the Sigma 50mm F/1.4 EX DG HSM. If you've ever wanted a sharp, contrasty, fast-apertured lens with professional-grade construction, here's your chance to get your hands on one with the lens mount of your choice!

Click Read and Discuss to see how you can enter and snag this very-well-reviewed lens.