Five Gifts Under $50

Hello photography students and fanatics alike, I am the new Project Editor, Cara Brooke Schultz.  I know everyone must be really busy finishing up the semester and trying to get all their holiday shopping completed.  It can be brutal traveling from retail store to retail store in search of the perfect gift for your loved one.  I thought that perhaps it would be helpful to list five gifts that I found while perusing the Internet.  I took into mind the lack of funds, which most students share, and looked for gifts under the $50 range.  Let me know what you think.  If anyone has any other suggestions to add or reviews on the items, feel free to contribute to my list.  Happy shopping!

Five Gifts Under $50 for Photography Fanatics:

1.    The Gorillapod Flexible Digital Camera Tripod: during my search I found it for around $21.99 on sale at x-tremegeek.com, however, the price ranged on other websites from $21.99-$25.00. The Gorillapod has bendable legs that can wrap around just about anything—to provide a steady and secure platform for your digital camera.

2.    SeaLife SL545 SportDiver II Compact 35mm Underwater Camera: I found this camera listed on Amazon.com for $49.20 on sale, which is comparably less than most other websites.   You can use this 35mm camera both in dry conditions, like a walk on the beach or while vacationing on a tropical island and scuba diving or snorkeling.  The camera allows you to take pictures at depths of up to 164 feet.

3.    QP200 QuikPod Pro Tripod Kit: This product ranges in price from about $25-$30 and can be found on websites like amazon.com and digitalcameraiq.com. This product is a hand-held camera-mounting pole.  It allows you to capture those photographs of yourself with friends and family.  It also features a mirror that can be positioned so that you can make sure you are aiming the camera in the correct direction.  The tripod can be held out at arms length, extended to a length of 18.5" (47 cm).

4.    D.I.Y. Photo Block Kit: This fun and creative gift is priced at about $25.00 on elsewares.com and photojojo.com.  This kit includes everything you need to create two beautiful photo block sets: 8 wood blocks, foam brush, sandpaper, photo-safe glue, and sealer.

5.    LumiQuest Soft Screen: is a diffusion sheet for on-camera pop-up flashes and can be found for $12.95 on Adorama.com. This portable and small soft screen is made to fit over your digital SLR's pop-up flash. According to the product review you can use this to soften the harsh lighting that direct on-camera flash produces and it will also reduce the chance of getting red-eye.

Photographs courtesy of Lumiquest and Joby

Brooklyn Bound

We support our own here at PDNedu, so when PDN Senior Editor Anthony LaSala teamed up with photographer and former PDN's 30 Seth Kushner on a new book, we had to blog about it.

The Brooklynites is a collection of images, interviews and essays on famous Brooklyn-borough residents like Spike Lee and Steve Buscemi, as well as only-famous-in-our-office Brooklynites like our very own PDN Contest Manager John Gimenez and his girlfriend Amy.

Published by powerHouse books, The Brooklynites is available through booksellers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Also check out an upcoming FREE slideshow and book signing with the authors:

Date: November 14, 2007
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Barnes & Noble
            106 Court St.
            Brooklyn, NY 11201

From top left: A portrait of Spike Lee from The Brooklynites; John and Amy in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Photographs by Seth Kushner.

Calling All Gear-heads!

If you've got a gear experience you want to share, check out PDN's new baby, PDNGearGuide.com and post a user review. We've just recently launched the site and want to hear from photo enthusiasts like you about what you do (or don't) love about your DSLRs, point-and-shoots, tripods, strobes, and more. Log-in (it's FREE!) to share your point of view and possibly help other gear-heads from making a really bad purchase.

More Than a Camera Bag

A friend recently introduced me to the newest upgrade in camera bags by Jessica Claire, the Shootsac. After lugging around bulbous camera bags that seem to only get less comfortable as the day goes on, the Shootsac was a long time coming—it’s so popular, it’s already sold out.

The Shootsac is slim, easy to carry and best of all, it’s something you would actually want to tote around. Shootsac also has stylish interchangeable covers you can switch depending on your mood or your outfit. One of my favorites has branches with budding red flowers set on a white background. It’s very cute, and definitely something I’d want to be sporting even if I wasn’t taking pictures.

Check out the Shootsac blog at http://www.shootsacblog.com, where professionals and amateurs can mingle and share tricks and tips, with a special showcase section for their work. Add your name to the “First to Know List,” at http://www.shootsac.com and before long, you could be shooting with a style and ease all your own.

Vintage is the new black

I am currently in the market for a new (and by new I mean well kept, previously owned) Hasselblad 500 series camera. With so many places to look—camera stores, eBay.com and other online sites—it’s hard to decide the best place to buy a reputable and reliable used camera. After researching prices and warrantees, I decided on KEH.com. A relatively unknown site, KEH.com happens to be the largest dealer of photographic products including digital and collectable vintage equipment. It has great customer service, a 14-day no-hassle return policy and a 60-day warranty. With a detailed grading system and a wide range of prices, KEH.com gets my vote as a reputable source for used cameras.

When buying used equipment, remember:

1. Research carefully and thoroughly from many sources—Photo.net, Midwest Photo Exchange, Adorama, B&H, and ACE – are great place to start
2. Don’t be in a hurry to buy; taking your time could mean saving you hundreds, and not having to fix an unacceptable camera.
3. Don’t be afraid of auction sites like eBay with a range of equipment and prices. If you remain a competitive shopper, you may find the deal of the year.
4. The most important thing to know before purchasing the camera: the RETURN and WARRANTY policies! Do not move your credit card without memorizing them.

Happy shopping! You just may find the camera you can afford.

Winter Reading

Just in time for your holiday wishlist, here are a few interesting photo books released this year.

The Color of Jazz: Album Cover Photographs by Pete Turner (Rizzoli, 2006)

Taylor began photographing jazz album covers in the 1950s and has since covered the greats, including Count Basie, John Coltrane and Quincy Jones. The 144-page coffee-table book features 108 color photos including 12 x 12-inch album covers. $45

Monkey Portraits by Jill Greenberg (Bulfinch, 2006)

Greenberg's intimate images of simians are full of emotion, fun to look at and as beautiful as any photo of a celebrity Greenberg has taken. The 112-page hardcover is a winning gift for all the animal in all of us. $24.99

Reaching Climax: And Other Towns Along the American Highway by Gary Gladstone (Ten Speed Press, 2006)

Gladstone, a 40-year veteran photographer, documents small, offbeat American towns with the most unusual names in this 144-page paperback. The towns—such as Sugartit, Kentucky and Idiotville, Oregon— and accompanying portraits of residents who inhabit them, are not only quirky, but laugh-out-loud funny. $19.95

Fashion: Turn to the Left

When you live in New York City, one special week represents all that is young, hot and fabulous. September’s Fashion Week is practically an honorary holiday for the glitterati, paparazzi and designers to showcase their talent. In honor of this glorious event, I suggest two fashion photography books for those interested in models, designers and all things of beauty.

Take a backstage pass with Talking Fashion by Sarajane Hoare and Fabien Baron. This glimpse into the life a fashion editor features work by some of fashion's most famous photographers, including Patrick Demarchelier and Mario Testino.

Plus, no fashion addict’s collection would be complete without Unseen Vogue: The Secret History of Fashion Photography by Robin Derrick and Robin Muir. This book reveals images from Vogue’s archive starting in the 1920s and going through 2002.

Enjoy!

Photo © Talking Fashion: Photographs by Ron Sarajane Hoare published by powerHouse Books

Photo  © Unseen Vogue by Robin Derrick and Robin Muir published by Little Brown Book Group Ltd.

Free Rangefinder Subscription

Are you interested in pursuing commercial portrait or wedding photography?

Rangefinder Magazine is offering free subscriptions.

This month's issue focuses on "Mysteries of Lighting Revealed" with articles about finding directional lighting, four popular flash diffusers, urban nighttime portrait sessions, and finding the light.

Sound interesting?

Click here to see if you qualify!

Movie Night

Last November, I was very excited when the International Center of Photography (ICP) Museum Store advertised three new films about photographers. Now you can rent them from Netflix.

The Contacts films juxtapose images (contact prints, proofs, prints, or slides) with commentary from famous photographers about themselves to reveal their artistic processes.  Some of the shorts are illuminating and entertaining like Sarah Moon's and others are quotes read via voice-over by who knows who and are really rather disappointing. Nonetheless, it is still insightful and educational to see the images not always chosen from a contact sheet and also to see how unbelievably talented some photographers are even in their outtakes.

Contacts 1: The Great Tradition of Photojournalism
William Klein, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Raymond Depardon, Mario Giacomelli, Josef Koudelka, Robert Doisneau, Edouard Boubat, Elliot Erwitt, Marc Riboud, Leonard Freed, Helmut Newton, and Don McCullin

Contacts 2: The Renewal of Contemporary Photography
Nan Goldin, Sophie Calle, Duane Michals, Sarah Moon, Nobuyoski Araki, Andreas Gursky, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Thomas Ruff, Lewis Baltz, Jean-Marc Bustamante, and Jeff Wall

Contacts 3: Conceptual Photography
John Baldessari, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Christian Boltanski, Alain Fleischer, John Hilliard, Roni Horn, Martin Parr, Georges Rousse, Thomas Struth, and Wolfgang Tillmans

Throwing in the Towel

Here is a way to promote yourself at the pool or the beach.

TreasureKnit will weave your photo into a 30x60 inch Egyptian Cotton towel.  The price is $69.95 for two towels. Just upload your 300 dpi JPEG (max 2MB) or mail them a print.

And if that inspires you ... they also offer blankets, woven pillows, bags and tapestries to show off your vision.