PhotographyBanzai.com

I was recently sent a Hanji leather pen case from an ad agency that wanted me to do something with it. What better way to feature a product like this than to do a full product photography shoot? In this article, I'll walk you through the entire process, from the equipment I used to the various scenes I set up and the challenges throughout the process. The  Hanji leather pen case. The product itself is a very nice roll-up style case. On the inside, it has two different areas for pens or pencils with protective flaps at the top. There's also a zippered pouch for other small items. To keep it closed, a long leather strap wraps around the case. My goal for the photoshoot was to feature all these different aspects in the final photos. The pen case is opened. The Equipment Equipment being used for this photoshoot. Here’s the equipment I used for this photoshoot. These are B&H affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases! Nikon Z5 camera Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 Nikon Z 40mm f/2 Ni...

In this article, I'm going to go over my experience using the Brightin Star 60mm f/2.8 2:1 macro lens. Brightin Star sent me this lens based on my collaboration terms . They had no say in the article or videos I've produced and have not previewed anything before publishing it.  Build Quality The lens in hand. The Brightin Star 60mm f/2.8 lens feels solid. It features an all-metal casing, including a metal mount, which gives it a weighty feel in hand. This is a completely manual lens, meaning the aperture and focus are both mechanical. You won't get any electronic data transferred to your camera, which is generally fine for macro lenses since you'll typically be using manual focus anyway. However, not having any EXIF for aperture settings saved in the camera is something to consider.  The metal mount with no electrical contacts. The aperture ring is smooth with no clicks, which is useful for video situations. But for photography, it might be difficult to set the same ape...

Having fun with photography doesn’t have to be expensive. In this article I show you how I use old camera equipment to do at home macro photography. Besides a camera and lens, you can use normal household “daylight” color temperature light bulbs if you don’t have gear available to light your scene. Just remember that more light is better with macro photography. Let’s get started!  Gear I'll be using for this experiment. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. In this video I use the Canon EOS 30D with a magnifying glass and multiple lenses reversed so that we can achieve close up detail photos. Back in February I started searching for an extremely low cost DSLR I could try out. I’m always up for learning about equipment I haven’t used. With how much traffic my YouTube channel currently receives, there isn’t much of a budget for video projects. My initial idea after searching was a Canon EOS 20D , but KEH had...

The Pentax WG-2 has a special macro configuration that allows some unique images. In addition to the lens being capable of a 1cm macro mode, the camera comes with 6 while LED lights that surround the front element of the lens. This allows these extreme close ups to have sufficient light.  Here is a picture of the camera’s lens and macro lights: The white circles surrounding the lens glass are the LED lights. This function can be turned on or off at will. Getting a photo of your own eye isn’t the easiest thing to do. Especially with large cameras that are more capable of doing that from a technical standpoint. DSLRs are heavy and macro lenses on DSLRs are not always the best at auto-focus. With the WG-2, it’s pretty simple. Get the lens as close to your eye as possible and take a picture. There is some trial and error involved, but keepers are easily possible. Results are very impressive considering the equipment being used. Here are a few examples: The best photo of the set...

The Pentax K-5 camera body was returned from being serviced at C.R.I.S. on the 14th. This time it only took them about a week instead of 2 months, which was much more manageable. So far the camera seems 100% functional. I’ll be trying to test it as much as possible for a few weeks to make sure though.  Here are a few more macro photos, this time with the K-5 instead of the K-7. I also used my standard setup where the flash was mounted directly above the lens instead of to the side.  Making sure the camera is solid for a trip in late October is a good excuse to get out there and take photos anyways.

I needed to get some fresh air, so I took some macro photos around the house today. My favorite thing about macro photography is that you can find interesting things everywhere because the small world isn’t seen with our naked eyes. I might be trying to make this a consistent effort moving forward. This time I used a slightly different setup. The Sigma flash was used in wireless mode in tandem with the built-in flash to trigger the Sigma. I positioned the flash to the left and as close to the fully extended lens as possible to maximize light on the subject. The Ant buffet. They were snacking on some cat food. What that exactly is I don’t know, but it’s interesting. The lens and teleconverter setup can produce very pleasing results. This fly allowed me to have a little photo session. It even appeared to mimic my movements as I bobbed up and down trying to get it in focus.