Hey Everyone! Hope your having a great week!  This week I want to talk about Color Space.  What color space is and what you should set your camera to and what you should export to.  This is a subject that can really get you lost in the woods and its very simple to figure out.  There are lots of opinions on this subject.  First of all if you shoot only in RAW you it doesn't really matter what you set your camera at.  Only if your shooting JPEG's.  It does affect your live view a little but not really.  So lets talk about Color Space first.  

SRGB.  SRGB is the most common color space.  It is what your phone , computer screen and all of the devices use for their color.  I like to think of the color spaces as crayons.  SRGB is the pack you got when you were in pre-school.  Maybe 8 Colors and you can mix and match all of them to make other colors.  So all of the colors that you see on your laptop, iPad, phone even TV are SRGB.  Most camera's come factory set at SRGB.

Adobe RGB.  This color space came out after SRGB and has many more colors.  In crayon terms its the 64 crayon box full of colors.  It has 35 times the colors that SRGB has.  The problem is that you have to have a special monitor to see the difference between SRGB and Adobe RBG. So that is the difference between SRGB and Adobe RGB color science.  One Adobe RGB is much more colors than SRGB. So when can I use Adobe RGB?  The only time I think you could use it is when printing.  Some printers can print Adobe RGB and if your entering photo contest they use Adobe RGB monitors to view the photo's.

So for setting your camera if your shooting in RAW which you should it doesn't matter. If your shooting in JPEG you could use either. The real question is how are you going to present this photo? So its really how are you going to export the photo from your photo editing software? Most of us are going to put it on the web or use it as a digital image.  Remember Screens can only see SRGB so if you shoot in Adobe RGB and are outputting for digital use all of the colors won't be used because SRGB space is so small. If your only going to display as a print then Adobe RGB printed on a Adobe RGB printer will work great.  But there aren't many Adobe RGB printers. And they are expensive.  If your going to send it out to be printed check with the company your using on what color space they use. Then choose that one.  The simple answer for all of the questions is SRGB in most cases and Adobe RGB in special occasions.  I hope this has helped and not muddied the water.

The reason I came up with this topic this week is because I was looking at some of the EXIF data on some of my photo's on my web site and saw that some photo's were in SRGB and some were in ADOBE RGB.  So I started researching and thought I would share. So until next week keep learning and get out and shoot!

Hey Everyone! Hope y'all are doing great this week.  This week I want to talk about learning how your equipment works. Everyone loves to get new equipment, especially me. Sometimes the equipment isn't as simple to use as we might think.  So we need to learn how to use the equipment before we take it out on a photoshoot.  A photoshoot isn't the time to learn the new equipment.  Not knowing how to use your equipment is embarrassing and very frustrating.  We all want to take and make great photography, but being a good photographer is more than just vision.  We must also be a technician to operate our cameras and the associated equipment.  To some people this comes easier than for others.  I tend to be a very technical photographer.  But others are more artistic and less technical.  Being artistic is super, but the artist in us must make the effort to be more technical.  So how does one become more technical when it doesn't come naturally? Well here goes a few tips that might help.

1.  Find someone that knows about your equipment. Maybe they have the same piece of equipment that you have or something similar.   Ask them to teach you one-on-one.  Maybe you can help them with a photoshoot where they might have the time to show you exactly how the items that you're trying to learn work.  Let's use off-camera flash for example.  They could show you how to set up the lights and put them on the stand, go through the settings on the lights themselves and how to make the triggers talk to each other.  Maybe how to use a light meter to set up the lights and your camera. One-on-one instruction is always a good place to start.

2.  I almost hate to say this one, but read the manual.  Most complicated equipment comes with a manual that will take you step by step on how to set up and use the equipment.  Sometimes this is a hard read, so take your time and go slow.  Even if I know how to use the equipment, if I haven't used it in a while I'll read it again just to get familiar with it, especially if I have a photoshoot coming up where I'll be using it.  Just like having all of your batteries charged, it's good to get your mind in the game before a big shoot. 

3. I am a big YouTube fan.  You can find out how to do almost anything on YouTube, from changing the brakes on your car to setting up a photoshoot with food.  This is a good place to learn your equipment and maybe get some inspiration on how to set up or use your equipment. Also online tutorials. Places like CreativeLive have lots of camera-specific tutorials that take you through every part of your camera settings and how your specific camera works.

As you can see, I'm a big fan of knowing how to use your equipment.  I must confess, I don't know everything that I should about my equipment, usually just enough to get it to work the way I want it to.  Think about your own camera.  Do you know all there is to know about it?  I sure don't.  So if I want a new camera, I just need to get in the manual and learn about my camera and I'll have a new camera that can do what I didn't know it could.  I think if you know your equipment and how to operate it, you will be a better photographer because the technology will be second-hand and you can devote all of your thoughts to your subject and not your camera or gear.  So until next week, get your gear out and shoot! And get outside!

Hey Everyone! I hope y'all are doing great today! This week will be a continuation of last week's discussion of my favorite photo accessories. Today I'm going to open my bag and just start going through it. I've already told you about one thing that was in my bag, my Lumecube 2.0 light. So let's get into my bag.

1. Lens Brush.  I love to keep my things clean. This little brush helps keep my lenses clean and the body free of dust.  It's just a cheap brush but very important.

2. Blower Bulb.  I have a small blower bulb and a small nozzle on it.  I got it from Amazon and it's a jeweler's blower.  I like it because it's small and works great.  I try to blow off my sensor to keep dust off of it.  By doing this I don't have to clean my sensor as much.

3. Microfiber Lens Cloths.  Lots of them! I put one or two in every compartment of my camera bag.  If I pull out a lens, "BOOM" lens cloth.  These cloths come with almost all kinds of things you buy.  I just keep them and try to keep them everywhere.  I always have one in my pocket.  I try to keep my equipment as clean as possible.

4. Desiccant Packets.  You know, those little packets that are put in everything to keep the moisture out.  I keep these little packets and put them everywhere I can.  They don't cost anything, and I think they work. I've never had a problem with my lenses and equipment.  Anyway, that's one of the things I do.

5. SMDV Radio Remote Trigger. I found this company out of Korea when I shot Nikon cameras, and I fell in love with them.  When I got my Sony, they didn't make them to fit my camera for a while, but then they started making them and I snatched one up. They are great and simple triggers.  They do use AAA batteries, so you need to have some on hand.

6. Lens Coat Battery Holders.  With my little Sony cameras that still use the older battery, battery life is still a problem and you need to have spares.  I have two of these battery holders that can attach to your belt if you wanted.  They help keep my batteries organized and separated.

7. Think Tank SD Card Wallet.  This is a great little card wallet.  When I take a long trip, I use one card a day and use the card as backup until I get home and on my computer.  This card can hold many cards.

8. Vallerette Photography Gloves.  This will be my last item, but there are many more.  These gloves are great and warm.  They are pricy but when you're out in the cold holding a metal camera, your hands can get cold quickly.  These gloves have fingers that fold back with little magnets that keep them back.  They even have little pockets on the back of them that you can put some hot hands into.  Hot hands are the little chemical pouches that you shake and they get warm.  I should have made these one of my accessories, but the gloves beat them out.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this blog series on accessories.  What are some of your favorite accessories? There are so many things that can help you with your photography, and I love them all.  Until next week, keep shooting and get outside!