Raddish

Photographer:Kapil Raichana

Westcott Apollo Softbox Review...

Here is our video review of the Westcott Apollo softbox.

Included here are a couple photos showing the wooden dowel extender we added for two reasons:

1. To give the center shaft additional stiffness/rigidity so that when we tighten down the thumb screw (on the flash bracket) it does not dent/collapse the shaft, and


2. When closing the softbox the center ring pulls beyond the shaft, so the next time you use the softbox there is a bit of fumbling (and mumbling) as you try and line up the shaft and center ring


The dowel cost (well) under a dollar and keeps the shaft from getting beat up during use and makes setup just that much easier. We did not glue it in so that if (for what ever reason) it needed to be removed at some point in the future.

Don't misunderstand me, the dowel does not take this from a good softbox to a great one, the Westcott Apollo softbox is outstanding... period.

It simply makes life a little bit easier.

Though they are not on sale right now (current price is $114 with free shipping), Adorama will often have them on sale for $95 with free shipping, so keep an eye on their site.

Below is our video review, subscribers will need to return to the blog or head directly over to our YouTube channel to watch it.

Strobist Photo Trade Secrets...

Strobist Photo Trade Secrets, Volume 2: Portrait Lighting Techniques has been released.

Similar to Volume 1 (see our review here), you get a lot of great lighting tips, but this set is focused on shooting portraits and are even more affordable (only $17.99).

You will find 25 different portrait lighting scenarios (microlessons) and the vast majority are shot using only SpeedLights, and many using just one light.

Great lessons, a wonderful resource, so please head over to Peachpit and check it out for yourself.

FYI: the spiral binding you see in the images below are my own "hack" that you can learn more about in our other review.

Winter in America...

We got 8 inches of snow yesterday and here is our forecast for today... another 12-18 inches... maybe more, they're "not sure".


Of course I am not telling many of you anything new as the storms we have been experiencing have already kicked the stuffing out of many of your communities on their way here.

Here are some image I received yesterday.

Feel free to post some of your winter images on the Weekly Photo Tips Flickr group, I would love to see them.

WEDDING DRESS WEDNESDAY

I know how absurd it sounds for a wedding planner to say this but... Viva never understood a bride's attachment to her wedding gown. Don't get me wrong, it was always exciting to hear one of Viva's brides-to-be describe her dream dress, see her fill with emotion when finding "the one" and jaw droping to see her glowing in it on her wedding day, but why all this fuss over a dress? Then... Viva got married. And yes (two and a half years later) my beautiful Mikaela gown is still hanging in my closet, my attachment to it making it impossible for me to let it go. Since getting married, not only did I gain a new appreciation for the relationship between a bride and her wedding gown, but I just can't get enough of them! And that's why Wedding Dress Wednesday posts now appear each month on the blog.

This month we're featuring not one, but two dresses from White on White Bridal. We tried to choose just one but we love this line so much, we failed miserably. The first is Kelly WWG302 made of silk/organza, the second also made of silk/organza is Carolyn WWG316. The White on White line can be found in Ottawa exclusively at With Love Bridal Boutique and starting today, February 1st until February 5th, you can view the entire 2011 Spring Collection in store. Here's Dana of With Love to tell you more...

"We are excited to be Ottawa's exclusive retailer of White on White Bridal. These super feminine and modern gowns are the perfect addition to our boutique. Not only are these dresses absolutely gorgeous, but they carry an easy to swallow price tag. These dresses range from $1200 to $2300 and many styles give Brides the option to choose a tafetta or silk fabric to suit their budget. The entire collection will be in our store as we offer the White on White Trunk Show from February 1st to 5th. Our samples will be arriving mid month, but the Trunk Show offers Brides-to-Be an opportunity to view the entire collection."

Only five days ladies so contact With Love and book your appointment to see these beauties before it's too late!

Looking Through an Object

photographer: Siddharth Menon

Phenomenal learning opportunity... FREE!

Learning Photoshop can be a daunting (and sometimes expensive) task. In the past I have shared some free resources but I think I may have stumbled across one of the most thorough Photoshop CS5 courses out there.

It is "Photoshop CS5" taught by Jason Welsh of the Michigan MI Learning Center and is available through iTunes U.

There is a total of 15 lessons, 15 assignments, and it comes with all of the practice images used throughout the entire course.

The 15 lessons are broken down into 132 different video presentations, the shortest is just one minute in length and the longest being 12. Small, manageable, and easy to digest bites of Photoshop information. This works out nicely in that you are not bound to the computer to watch long and sometimes overwhelming lessons.

Though the video segments are short, combined they total over 9 hours of viewing/learning.

Follow this link for all of the details.

Be sure to check out Jason's website and his YouTube channel, where you'll find over 1,700 videos covering Photoshop, 3D modeling, and much, much more.

Below is the course intro video, enjoy.