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News

Quality Equals Longevity

At Think Tank, we don’t do disposable gear. We handcraft tools that are built to withstand the harshest environments for years to come, ensuring that for us, Quality = Longevity.  Choosing the most durable materials and components ensures our products last significantly longer than our competitors. Hand-crafted manufacturing, replaceable parts, and award-winning customer service further […]

Destinations

Excerpt from Take Your Seat, Costa Rica by Randy and Spencer VanDerStarren

It is the third day of our Costa Rican expedition. Grey clouds postpone our Rio Celeste photoshoot. We shift gears and turn toward the Tree of Peace; what does not work for the river is perfect for a rainforest. The rain abates while leaving a glistening reminder of its presence […]

Featured

Elinchrom – Different By Design

While this year was one of the worst winters I’ve ever seen in British Columbia, the challenges inspired me to find new ways to create images in the mountains. As an outdoor photographer, I can’t control the weather but I can play with light and shadow. The Concept I’ve always […]

PhotoNews Links

Buckle Your Belt

While traveling to scout a film studio recently, I was a passenger in a vehicle rollover accident and my gear was thrown from the vehicle. My Roller Derby was then hit by a car on the freeway going 75mph. My phone was crushed in the crash, so I don’t have any pictures […]

Elinchrom Beauty Dish Gold Deflector
Tutorials

Elinchrom Light Shapers and Lighting Techniques – Episode 4

Welcome to the fourth installment of our new monthly that highlights a different Elinchrom Light Shaper or Lighting Technique, with sample images (full length and cropped headshots) and lighting diagrams. All the images were photographed with the same model and outfit (standing in the same spot on the background – […]

Tutorials

The Basics of Fine Art Printing

Seeing our photographs printed is undeniably one of the most gratifying experiences for any photographer. While prints can be produced at a lab, the true satisfaction lies in printing them at home for yourself. Like all photographers, I relish the joy of seeing my images come to life in printed […]

Reviews

Laowa’s FIRST AUTOFOCUS lens!

Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D Full Frame Autofocus Lens Laowa’s first autofocus lens is also one of the widest rectilinear full frame lenses available. Released to coincide with Venus Optics 10 Year Anniversary, this is a typical Laowa lens with many standout features: an ultrawide 130° field of view, 4.7” close […]

Editor's Choice / Inspiration

Always Shoot RAW, and store your old files

Over the decades, I’ve taken a lot of photos. So many that counting seems pointless. For better or worse, I’m a bit trigger-happy, especially when working with wildlife. After a photo session, I’ll download the files into an external hard drive. I’ll then format my memory cards making them ready […]

Inspiration

Lost & Found

In March of 2021 I went on a weekend bouldering trip in the Eastern Sierra in California. It had been a pretty crowded weekend at the crag due to the good weather, and many indoor gyms still being closed at the time. After climbing we hiked back to the car. […]

Featured

“Pturncoat” Ptarmigan

The chicken-like willow ptarmigan, weighing less than a kilogram, has the largest circumpolar range of any of the world’s 19 species of grouse.  Its unwary nature makes this handsome bird one of my favorite subjects to observe and photograph. In North America, these hardy northern grouse are year round residents […]