Jon Sienkiewicz Blog

Raise your hand if you’ve ever taken a flash photo and wished a) it wasn’t so washed out, b) it didn’t have those harsh, black shadows behind the subject, c) it wasn’t so bluish all over, or d) it were possible to do it all over again because the results just plain sucked. Does this picture sound familiar? You need a flash modifier. In fact, you may need a BounceLite.

If you’ve ever taken something apart to make it better, or enjoyed building something from Lego bricks, you’re going to love the Platypod Pro. It’s the world’s most compact base for a tripod head, according to its label, but that’s selling it short—it’s really much cooler than that. 

Last week we listed seven ways to improve picture taking at indoor school events. This week the focus shifts to outdoor school activities. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from applying these tips to other situations—family reunions, company picnics, county fairs—almost anything outside that’s fun, loud and involves people. 

There’s an old saying that locks only keep honest people honest. If you ask me, that’s some BS spin a locksmith cooked up to explain why thieves cut through his deadbolt like it was licorice. If a lock cannot deter a bad guy, what’s the point?

An effective camera support that could be used as a pillow when you snooze in the back of your pickup truck in a pinch? Hard to believe? Take my word for it—this thing is as sensible as it is functional. 

When the folks at Fotodiox asked me if I wanted to look at one of their FlapJack portable LED studio lights, I told them “no.” 

You may think that the main appeal of Tenba’s new line of Switch camera bags is the assortment of flaps that can be zipped on to replace the standard leather-like top. Choose from denim, urban camo, brick red—check Tenba’s website for all the flavors. But even without the far-out fashion flair, these bags are the real deal.