Tip of the Day: Vanguard Photography Gear

Have you ever heard of Vanguard USA brand? Probably not. I have not either, until I started looking to get a new photo backpack, which had to be large enough for all my gear, have space in the top for clothing, water and other stuff, and most of all, be durable, and easy to use. As I began researching I came across a company which supposedly produced different photo storage gear, and became intrigued. The company is Vanguard USA. They are not easy to find, and their site leaves much to be desired. Nonetheless, their gear looked interesting, and the bag which I liked in particular seemed spacious and fairly well built. I ordered this bag from Buy.com, and hoped for the best. I got the bag about a week later, and I am still raving about it. The quality of the product is on par with Tamrac, Lowepro, Kata, and other high end brands. The bag, Kenline 60, is huge, more pockets than you will ever use, and extremely comfortable. I am thoroughly impressed, and wanted to pass this onto others searching for a high quality durable home for all your camera gear. Consider their products. Visit Vanguard USA.

Tip of the Day: Landscapes and the Sky

One thing that many people have trouble with when planning their photographic adventures is the sky. More often than not, we check the weather reports and the report calls for a beautiful sunny day which is great, but without a cloud in the sky, deep blue is just not very interesting. Next time you are planning your photographic adventures, look for days with partially cloudy conditions. There is nothing better than the sky breaking through the clouds as it brings out the definition, texture and interesting transitions in the otherwise boring sky. To make things even more interesting, look for days with very light wind, which will assist in architecting interesting patterns in the clouds and if you are shooting near bodies of water there will be a presence of motion which will make for more sweeping views.

Tip of the Day: Maintaining your Camera's Battery

Of all your photographic gear, batteries receive least amount of consideration and care. While batteries seem like a trivial item, they are absolutely paramount to your photo shoots. Don not forget, no power, no photos. Most modern cameras, primarily digitals, are equipped with rechargeable Lithium-Ion(Lion) batteries. Most of these batteries perform very well over their lifetime, however there are things you can do to make them last longer, and work better. Though cleaning your battery is not something you may have considered, clean contacts mean good connection with the camera, and less errors. Clean contacts on your battery with a soft cloth, and use some alcohol if necessary. Drain your battery fully before recharging every month or so, and it will last much longer. Do not recharge the battery more than needed, or keep it in a charger for trickle charging, this will diminish performance.

Tip of the Day: Wide-Angle Cokin Holder

Cokin Filter system is really an excellent tool, and has the potential of offering significant savings since one filter matches several lenses. However, there are some disadvantages to using this system. For example, when using a wide-angle lens, the corners of your image will vignette at the widest end, up to approximately 30mm in 35mm Format. If you shoot digital, the same applies, only because of the APS sized sensors the issue occurs with wider lenses. Nonetheless, this is a rather annoying issue. So, if you feel the same way about it, consider switching your Cokin holder to a Wide-Angle Holder, which you could get for about 10 bucks. It allows for only one filter at a time, but hey, better than nothing, right?