20 24 August 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Technique S AV E M O N E Y
Clear plastic bags
Ian Pack (www.packshots.biz)
‘Every photographer working outdoors
in the UK should carry a couple of
(heavy-duty) clear plastic bags in their
kit. Great for kneeling on the ground
if it’s wet or dirty, and I also use them
to cover my flash and camera when
working in the rain. All you need to do
is cut a corner from a bag and slice it
down one side to make a camera cover
which is attached to the lens hood with
Gaffer tape or elastic bands – don’t use
electrical or duct tape because they
leave a nasty residue when removed.
Supermarkets sell these bags as Clear
Storage Sacks or Strong Tall Bin Liners.’Padded
inserts
Claire Williams
Claire Williams
on Facebook said:
‘Buy a padded
insert for a
backpack you
might already own
for hiking, and it
will double for
camera and kit.’ A
great tip for those
who already own
a decent backpack
and do not want to
invest in another
just for their kit.
White
shower
curtain
Emma Finch
(www.
emmafinch
photography.
co.uk)
Portrait, wedding
and lifestyle
photographer
Emma Finch
shares her secret
behind capturing
a well-lit portrait:
‘A white shower
curtain diffuses
light beautifully.’
Free software
Tracy Calder, AP Acting
Technique Editor
‘If you don’t want to splash out
on the big bucks when it comes
to software, you need not. Most
cameras (all the mainstream
ones anyway) come with free
image-editing software,
from Canon’s Digital Photo
Professional to Nikon’s ViewNX-i
and Capture NX-D software. If
your aim is to only make basic
adjustments to your images,
that is, tone and contrast
control, these programs are
more than sufficient to get you
professional-looking results.’Wooden clothes pegs,
clips and clamps
Ian Pack (www.packshots.biz)
‘You can never have too many
clothes pegs, clips and clamps. I have
a wide variety accumulated over the
years. Wooden clothes pegs are
cheap and have been used by film
and TV lighting gaffers for decades
to attach gels and diffusion to lights
mainly as they don’t conduct heat,
don’t melt, are cheap and readily
available. I carry them for attaching
gels inside and out to softboxes and
other modifiers.’© CL AIRE GILLO
© IAN PACK
© IAN PACK
© IAN PACK