I’m often out in nature taking pictures, and almost every time I’m out past sunset where, as you know, the light tends to go quickly. So having a good tripod is important to catch those great shots. I also love hiking and often carry my camera with me, so a lightweight compact tripod is essential.

After discovering the Manfrotto Photo-Movie Tripod and seeing that it was perfect for what I needed, I was ecstatic when I had the opportunity to review it! The tripod itself is very lightweight, weighing approximately 2.5 pounds. It’s compact and very easy to adjust. It’s a snap to adjust the legs to the height I want, and the head is simple to set and I can position it just about any direction I want to photograph. When not in use, I love how it packs into my camera backpack quickly and easily and is so light on my pack that I can’t even tell it’s on!

I had the perfect opportunity to put this baby to the test on my recent trip to Hawaii. With all the hikes my husband and I had planned, I knew it was going to be put to good use. One of our first hikes was through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We hiked down into one of the volcano craters and as we reached the floor of the crater, I pulled out the tripod for a quick photo of my husband and me. Having this light, compact tripod with me was like having an extra set of hands. If I hadn’t had it with me, I wouldn’t have been able to take photos with both of us in the frame.

As you can imagine, we did a lot of hiking on our trip. I love how easy it was to take this tripod along with me. It’s solidly built, so I was confident it would have the stability I needed to hold my Canon 7D and for low-light and night photos. It certainly lived up to my expectations!

My overall favorite feature of this tripod, I’m sure you can guess by now, is that it’s so easy to take with me for those moments when I want to be in the shot. There’s no more fumbling with my big camera to hold it just right, while praying it doesn’t slip out of my hands. Maybe you’ve been there?

I now consider the Manfrotto Photo-Video Tripod “My Buddy,” because I love it so much and it’s with me pretty much all the time!

You can’t beat the price…available at B&H for approximately $52.

I love shooting in natural light, although sometimes the lighting just isn’t good enough. I’m sure you’ve been there before. I decided to take the plunge and purchase an SB-700 Speedlight for my Nikon. I hit the gate running, learning everything I could about artificial lighting. That’s when I discovered the Rogue Starter Lighting Kit from ExpoImaging, I was already familiar with the quality of their ExpoDisc white balance filter, so I was ecstatic when they sent us out a kit to review!

It includes the basics, everything I was learning about diffusing and manipulating the light from my speedlight (shoe-mount flashes shown in photo above NOT included in kit):

Small FlashBender to throw the light in different directions

Small Diffusion Panel for softening the harsh light from the flash, acting as a small soft box

Bounce Card/Flag for reflecting or shielding light from your subject

Rogue Universal Gel Kit for correcting, manipulating, or diffusing the light

The day the kit arrived happened to be the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk, so I packed the kit in my bag and off I went! I experimented a lot bouncing and reflecting light in different directions, some photos turned out…some didn’t. That happens when you’re first starting out, right? One photo I took that night really stood out to me. It’s the photo you see here. I’d like to share with you a little behind-the-scenes story about this shot in particular…

Nikon D7000 | 50mm 1.4 lens | f/2.8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 100 | SB-700 Speedlight | ExpoImaging FlashBender

Small FlashBender

It might look as though I shot this photo at night. But in fact, I shot this around 7:00 pm just as the sun was beginning to set. There was plenty of light all around to make this photo look as if it was taken during the day. So how did I create this effect? Pretty easily, actually…with the help of the small FlashBender from the starter kit, that is.

One of my favorite uses for the FlashBender is to make a snoot…yes, I said snoot. Really, that is a word! It literally means a tube that controls the direction and radius of a light source. Think “spot light.” I bent the FlashBender around my flash, as you see in this image, and laid my flash on the ground to the right of the grouping of leaves. It created a nice spot light effect. Then, I set up my camera settings to under expose slightly to create the night-time lighting effect.

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There are several other ways to use the FlashBender. Really, you’re only limited to your imagination. It’s designed to be used on-camera since it’s so light-weight and easy to use, but can also be used in off-camera flash situations like the photo of the leaves above. Here are just a few of the ways the FlashBender can be used:

Small Diffusion Panel

The diffusion panel is a dream! Imagine being able to soften the light that comes from your flash to create a soft box type of effect without all the expensive and bulky equipment. The diffusion panel attaches right to the FlashBender you see above, using velcro strips.

Bounce Card/Flag

The bounce card and flag works similarly to the FlashBender in that you can bend and reflect the light in any way you like, as well as shield the light from particular areas of your photo.

Universal Gels

And finally, the gels. These little guys are amazing and so easy to use! They’re designed to lay right over your shoe-mount flash, attached with an included band that holds them snugly in place. There are five correction filters, one diffusion filter, and 14 color gels to create any kind of lighting you can imagine. Plus, included in the kit is a durable case to store them safely.

Your artistic expression is limitless with this kit! Bend, shape, manipulate the light any way you like. Create dramatic lighting by shaping your light into a snoot and spot light your subject, change the mood by altering the color, or diffuse the light to create a more subtle lighting effect. It’s all up to you!

So, are you ready to play? Great, this Starter Lighting Kit is available at B&H for $99.95. But wait! ExpoImaging is giving one lucky reader the opportunity to win a Rogue Starter Lighting Kit of their very own! Will it be you?

How to Enter

To enter, just like ExpoImaging on Facebook and leave a comment below telling us what you’ll use the kit for. That’s it!

Extra Entries

Once you’ve completed the required entry above, you can also gain one additional entry for each of the following (*Please leave a separate comment in order for each extra entry to count).

• Post on the ExpoImaging Facebook wall that you were sent by @Love that Shot (make sure you “like” our page first, so the @Love that Shot tag will appear as a link in your FB post.)
• Follow ExpoImaging on Twitter
• Tweet this: I just entered the @expoimaging giveaway hosted by @LoveThatShot >> http://lovethatshot.com/blog/?p=11579

This giveaway is open through Friday, November 30th and is open to all Love that Shot readers, worldwide. Love that Shot will cover shipping costs to US residents. If you are the winner and reside outside of the US, you will need to cover shipping costs. The winner’s name will be randomly chosen and announced shortly after November 30th.

We want to send a HUGE Thank You to ExpoImaging for offering our readers the chance to win this amazing lighting kit!

Update (12-4-2012): And the Giveaway goes to…

#166 Ellie Augustin

Thank you all so much for participating in this exciting giveaway! Congratulations Ellie, we’ll be in touch with you shortly.

I love to photograph nature and that often takes me to locations where I get to do some hiking. Normally, I wear my camera on a strap so that I can have my hands free when I need them. Stability is important to me when hiking with my camera and the strap alone doesn’t give me the security I need. So I searched for something that would work better, and that’s when I discovered Cotton Carrier.

They have many camera carrier systems to choose from and I immediately gravitated towards the Cotton Carrier Strapshot. This system attaches to the strap on your camera backpack and allows you to securely attach your camera on the backpack strap for quick access.

I was so excited for the opportunity to review the Strapshot, and received it just in time for my trip to Hawaii.  My husband and I had several hikes planned through the beautiful Hawaiian scenery, and I knew this would be the perfect situation to test out this system of carrying my camera. Preparation was easy, a couple days before we left, I attached the Strapshot to the strap on my camera backpack and the Camera Hub to the bottom of my camera. I found the instructions very simple to follow, having it all assembled within 5 minutes. Seeing how I was up to my ears in travel plans, this was something I truly appreciated!

Our first adventure in Hawaii was a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a great opportunity to try out the Strapshot carrying system! As we started our decent down into a volcano crater, it was a bit uncomfortable at first. I felt a little uneasy about the bulkiness of my camera strapped to the front of my backpack. I was tempted to take it off, but since we had already started our hike, I thought I might as well leave it on until we got to the bottom of the crater. It would be safer that way.

As we reached the floor of the crater, I was a believer. My opinion of the Strapshot had made a complete turnaround. It was fantastic! Once I got used to the initial awkward feel, it felt normal and a part of me. My hands were free to keep my balance when necessary, and my camera was secure against my chest and not swinging around bumping into things. I wore my backpack with the Strapshot everywhere for the rest of our trip, even while we were zip lining!

The system is extremely easy to use and once you get the hang of the feel, it sort of just blends right into you and your camera is safe and secure. Photographers who love to hike or simply desire a safe and secure method for carrying their camera on vacations, or when they wear their camera backpacks, will love the Strapshot. Now that I’m home from vacation, I wear it on all of my hiking trips.

The Strapshot is priced great for the value at $79. I love mine and, if you’re a nature nut like me, it just might be the answer you’ve been looking for, too!

This past August, I found myself in one of the most beautiful lighting situations a photographer could ever dream of. It was dusk, there was a wildfire burning nearby giving the sky a fiery orange tone, and streaming in through the windows of the venue was the most gorgeous golden light I have ever seen! I was in Heaven!

But, what should a photographer do when mother nature isn’t quite giving them the perfect lighting scenario? Well, create it yourself, of course! There’s so much information on the topic of lighting, not to mention the amount of gear available, so where’s a photographer to start? Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a book that covered everything from lighting styles and terminology to what gear to use in a particular situation? When I discovered Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook, which includes over 100 lighting styles and setups for photographers, I knew it would be the perfect solution. Kubota Images sent me a copy to review and as I read through the chapters and the saw the applications, I couldn’t wait to get out there and start manipulating light!

Kevin starts the book off with a few chapters covering things like history, terminology, lighting styles, gear, etc. All to equip you with the right information to be able to decide for yourself the best lighting setup to use. I especially love the way he weaves humor into his writing, making history fun. He writes about how he sat down with Leonardo da Vinci for lunch to pick his brain about his thoughts on light and shadow. Kevin then illustrates the different styles of lighting in photographs taken throughout the 20th century. Crisp and directional in the 1930s and 40s, natural in the 60s and 70s, and of course, a little edgy in the 80s. He emphasizes the importance of defining the concept of your shoot then building your lighting around that idea.

So how exactly do you know which lighting styles will create the mood you’re going for? Kevin has you covered! In chapter 2, he goes over several different styles of lighting and the effects they create. Some of these lighting styles include Rembrandt, Split, Butterfly, and Backlighting. He also goes over the essential lighting tools and how to choose them wisely because, as he says, “You can light your subject in countless ways – any of which could be completely awesome or completely awful.” Knowing which tools are essential to a particular situation is key. He covers everything from Speedlights to Softboxes, and everything in between. He’ll even show you how to assemble a lighting kit tailored to your needs.

After talking a bit about using software to further enhance an image, we get to the real “gravy” of the book─and my favorite part─the Notebook. Say you have a shoot coming up and you know you will need artificial light because you’d like to backlight your subject creating a silhouette style, and your budget is $0 to $300. Using the key icons, you can thumb through the pages to the exact lighting setup Kevin suggests for your situation.

For example, on page 86, he gives a detailed list of settings and equipment used for this type of lighting scenario, as well as a sketch of where the equipment was placed in relation to the subject. You’ll find these sorts of details on the more than 100 situations outlined in the book. Lighting situations ranging in style and budget (from $0 to $2000+). He does an excellent job in covering a wide range of lighting situations, gear, and scenarios.

Here’s a short video of Kevin talking about the Lighting Notebook in his own words:

The Lighting Notebook is definitely written for any photographer interested in how to manipulate light, whether it be natural or artificial. Find it on Amazon for a steal at about $20.

We are super excited to be partnering with Epiphanie Bags for an exciting holiday giveaway! If you’ve been wishing for one of these beauties to magically appear under the Christmas tree this year, then you’re in luck. But first, I’m bursting at the seams to tell you about the newest addition to the Epiphanie Bags family…Brooklyn. Isn’t she sweet! She made her debut as Epiphanie’s first backpack for women this fall. And she’s not alone─Epiphanie also announced their first backpacks/satchels for men as well, London and Austin! And they’re all shipping as we speak.

I’ve been a fan of Epiphanie Bags for quite some time, ever since purchasing my Lola a couple of years ago. So I knew I could expect quality when I had the opportunity to review the new Brooklyn. I was thrilled with how large it was. Imagine not having to wonder if all your gear will fit in your bag…what a dream! I’m able to fit my Nikon D7000 with lens attached, 3 additional lenses, my flash, and a few accessories (macro kit, Lensbaby optics, etc). And that’s not including the laptop sleeve, which I’m using to carry my flash benders and diffusers, so they can be stored flat. There’s also room for a notebook, my phone, keys, and wallet, as well as an iPad.

The best part? It’s slim and easy to carry. With multiple strap options, you can either wear it as a backpack (which is my favorite!), or over your shoulder, messenger-style!

And now you have the chance to WIN one of your very own! How exciting is that?? One lucky reader will have the opportunity to choose the in-stock style and color of their choice ($155 to $225 value).

How to Enter

To enter, just visit Epiphanie‘s website and leave a comment below telling us which bag is your absolute favorite.  That’s it!

Extra Entries

Once you’ve completed the required entry above, you can also gain one additional entry for each of the following. (*Please leave a separate comment in order for each extra entry to count).

• Like Epiphanie on Facebook
• Post on the Epiphanie Facebook wall that you were sent by @Love that Shot (make sure you “like” our page first, so the @Love that Shot tag will appear as a link in your FB post.)
• Follow Epiphanie on Twitter
• Tweet this:  I just entered the @EpiphanieBags giveaway hosted by @LoveThatShot >> http://lovethatshot.com/blog/?p=11472
• Follow Epiphanie on Google+

This giveaway is open through Friday, November 30th and is open to all Love that Shot readers, worldwide. Epiphanie will cover shipping costs to US residents. If you are the winner and reside outside of the US, you will need to cover shipping costs. The winner’s name will be randomly chosen and announced shortly after November 30th.

We want to send a HUGE Thank You to Epiphanie for offering our readers the chance to win one of their amazing camera bags!

Update (12-20-2012): We have a new winner…

#181 Susan Dusseault

Thank you all so much for participating in this exciting giveaway! Congratulations Susan, we’ll be in touch with you shortly.