Russ

Optical receivers, also known as slaves, can get you out of trouble, alongside, of course, helping you fire multiple lights with ease. In this 101 blog, I explore what they are and how to tackle quite a common studio issue, where slaving may just save your shoot!

If you have no experience with studio photography, you may wonder how do you magically fire the lights? And why is it so important to be in control in the studio and not let your camera (or lights) make the decisions for you? In this blog, I'll tell you about both these things!

Let's talk about speedrings, the best mounts for photography strobe lighting softboxes, and other modifiers, This is why I think you should stick to the 'big two' to future-proof yourself!

Outside of creativity, a photographer is merely a problem solver that understands both the limitations of physics & their available tools to tackle it. An expensive camera/light will do you no good if you can't use it, so tell that to people the next time they tell you that your fancy camera takes amazing photos..

An introduction to the Bowens Esprit, a workhorse that just keeps on galloping! Having said that, the only Bowens strobe light I've had fail me so far is the Gemini GM250R, which ironically is newer. Digital strobes have more tech to go wrong, and often times, it's tech that isn't needed for non-specialist use.

I'd taken some of my favourite and best loved photos on these lights, but they had a bit of a reputation for overheating. They're now discontinued and have been replaced with other budget strobe options new to the market, but at the time and for the price point, they were fantastic.

In today's 101, I cover the first strobe lights I ever bought! They're small, they're basic, but ultimately they can do what you need them to do. I always say this, but a light is a light is a light, and what you are paying for is consistency, convenience, build quality and of course, adaptability in the long run.

Don't waste 20 minutes watching a video.. get to the point in 1 minute! And if our 101's haven't covered what you're looking for, then lets us know via a comment. We can't promise we've covered it, but we can promise we haven't made you sit through 20 minutes of waffle to find out!

A blog thanking and showing the importance of YOU ALL for getting us to a YouTube milestone by subscribing and watching our photography & Splash Point related content!

Learn essential tips and techniques to effectively work with models in a studio photography setting for stunning results.

Here I talk about shooting two models on the other side of the world in Tokyo, Japan. You're just making it up as you go along, essentially. This is when experience comes in to play as you'll inevitably be limited by a lack of local knowledge, equipment, and other major variants like the weather.

How do you go about finding someone to photograph on the other side of the world, and what options did I use to find models in Japan? I discuss my fails and philosophies about TF collaborations, and throw in a rant about Meta and its algorithms for good measure!