Mastering Lighting Review

Review? I meant to say “reaction”. And that’s the way I like to keep it.
First of all, I do not do reviews that offer blatant kick-backs. Second, I am NOT being paid by Mastering Lighting for this review, and the authoring I gratefully did for Mastering Compositing was a one-time flat rate. I’ve done a review of a Phase One, my manly leather bag, and my sweet rolling desk. I will only review things that I personally want associated with my name.

What’s in your bag?

Why hello there. Nice shirt. What?? You would you like to get to know me better??? Maybe, take a peek inside my bag and see what I use?!? Well don’t you have a dirty mind!! But you did ask nicely… ziiiiiiiiiip

I don’t think I’ve displayed my photo equipment before, mainly because I don’t take much stock in the gear making the photographer. I believe that an aspiring mind is more important than any piece of camera equipment you can possibly own, because an aspiring mind will not ask questions like “how can I get that shot” or “how are you so successful” at a seminar; instead, he/she will already have the mindset that they CAN do it. In my experience, an eager mind coupled with setting goals will be able to purchase any camera gear in given time.

BMW M6 shot with a Phase One IQ160

“Do you shoot Canon or Nikon” is usually the first question I get after I tell someone I’m a photographer. I’ve been holding a Canon since I was 14. The main reason is because my dad had some old Canon lenses that (I thought) looked expensive, that’s it. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentex, whatever the camera, if you rely on the camera to do all your work you’re gonna have a bad day. They are all very nice and capable cameras. Granted I’d rather work with a camera made in 2013 compared to 2003, but still when images are compared side by side it’s arguably tough to tell what image was taken with a Canon, Nikon, etc. This is why the phrase “Wow! Your camera takes nice photos” makes photographers cringe. Case in point, here’s a video of Douglas Sonders rocking a cheap camera.