In my photo bag - microfiber absorbent towel

I'm cursed (or my wife is, we still have to figure it out) because it rains wherever we travel to. It wasn’t any different during our trip to Utah and Arizona back in May 2015 (it even snowed!). We love to hike and we often end up taking the hardest and most strenuous trails possible so I bought a pair of small microfiber absorbent towels. The initial purpose for having them was to wipe off sweat from our heads and hands but I ended up using these microfiber absorbent towels for something else... you've probably guessed it! I was caught in a very heavy rain while shooting long exposure at the Virgin River in Zion National Park. My Nikon D610 and 24-70mm f2.8 lens were completely wet and even though they are both weather-sealed to a certain degree, I was still afraid that something could have happened to the equipment. I pulled out the absorbent towel immediately after finding a shelter and I wiped the camera and the lens thoroughly.

Macro photograph I took of a microfiber absorbent towel

I'm obviously not a marketing manager for microfiber absorbent towels and I don't know the technology behind these towels but I was really amazed how quickly and well they absorbed water from my photo gear. I think that if I tried to wipe it off with a regular towel, it could actually push water into small cracks and spaces in my camera and lens. However, the absorbent towel 'sucked in' all the water! From now on, I take at least one microfiber absorbent towel for all of my photo shoots. They are really small, lightweight and inexpensive. This is the one I got (12x24 inches) but of course you can find different ones from different companies: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MGGZE52

Hacking Peak Design's Anchor as JerkStopper when Shooting Tethered

I really like shooting tethered directly to a computer whenever I have a chance because it's very easy to see on a big screen what needs to be corrected and which light needs to be moved. Unfortunately, tethering has its drawbacks and there are at least 3 nightmare scenarios that can happen when you pull the tethering cable by coincidence: (1) the camera will be pulled as well causing it to fall on the floor (the worst sound ever!); (2) the cable will get disconnected from the camera; (3) the tension caused by the cable and the connection will cause the socket/terminal in the camera to malfunction. There are 2 ways to fix the first problem: either get a really stable tripod or get a wifi connection for your camera. The other 2 problems can be easily fixed either with DIY twist ties as jerkstoppers (check out the video I posted long time ago here) or if you already use one of Peak Design products, their anchors.

I love Peak Design products and I have their anchors almost on every camera I own. I was recently shooting tethered and I was about to take the anchors off the camera when I realized that I can use the loop in the anchor for securely attaching my tethering cable, just like the jerkstopper products do. This will prevent the cable from being accidentally pulled out of the camera's terminal and it will reduce the tension put on the in-camera terminal. Here is a short video where I explain how you can make use of Peak Design's anchor for tethering.

Camera Keychain with flash and sound for a photographer

It's not a typical photo gear review this time but it's a really awesome little gadget for a photographer or anyone who enjoys taking picture - a camera keychain with flash and sound! Yes, this camera keychain actually makes shutter sound and flashes when you press its shutter button! I found it on Amazon while searching for a new keychain for my car keys. It costs only about $6 and the great thing about it is that you can replace the battery when it dies. I think it's a great gadget or a gift for a photographer or for anyone interested in photography.

Link: http://amzn.com/B0036UR5JU

Video Review: Domke Protective Wraps from Tiffen

I got last Christmas a set of Domke Protective Wraps, which are produced by Tiffen. You can get these on Amazon for about $15 in 3 different sizes (11", 15" and 19") and in a variety of colors. They are designed to protect lenses and camera bodies when storing photo gear or transporting it, for example in a backpack. I think these are great but I don't think they will completely protect your gear. I explain why in the video review.

Learning how to travel light with photo gear

Let me start by saying that I've been shooting with DSLRs for the past 4-5 years. I really got used to them but they are too heavy for me when travelling or going for holidays. I recently bought my first in a long time point-and-shoot - Coolpix P7800. I'm heading out for Florida tonight (road trip) for a week and i won't take a DSLR with me. I guess it will take me a bit to adjust and I'll have to learn now to travel light without a DSLR.

What I really like is, because I don't have a huge and heavy DSLR with me, I have much more space in my bag and I can take a couple of speedlights without worrying for my back (yeah, I'm getting old). Previously, I almost never took a speedlight with me (mainly because of weight of my bag), so I hope that thanks to this change of my photo travel habits, I'll use speedlights and come up with some more creative travel photographs.

Nikon Coolpix P7800: How to trigger off-camera flash/speedlight

Nikon Coolpix P7800 (and P7700) both have a 'fully functional' hotshot (that's what the manufacturer claims) and a pop-up flash. It might however not be easy to trigger an off-camera flash or speedlight using Coolpix P7800 (or P7700). I show you 2 ways to trigger an off-camera speedlight with P7800 and  how to use P7800's pop-up flash to trigger an off-camera speedlight.