Other uses for photography equipment

[1] drying laundry

In case of non-stop rain, you can place a light stand or tripod in front of an electric fan to hang dry a towel or few articles of clothing.

For an entire load of laundry, backdrop stands can be used instead, but you'd want to pair this with a fairly capable dehumidifier (extraction capacity of 15~30L per day) to dry everything in a single afternoon before the clothes start to smell musty (amoy kulob).

[2] portable light

There are times when the dinky LED flashlight on your smartphone simply isn't enough.

Granted, you can also get cheap flashlights at a fraction of the cost, but LED lights for photography typically come with a 1/4" mounting point for tripods and light stands.

This opens up a world of options such as clips and mini tripods for hands-free lighting setups while you're camping, working in the garage, checking the roof for leaks, or just walking down the street at night.

LED panels are pretty common, but I personally prefer mini cube lights (ex. Lume Cube, Ulanzi, SmallRig) for the smaller profile and slightly more focused light beam.

[3] phone/tablet holder

Most smartphone/tablet clamps use the same 1/4-inch mounting point which is the standard for photography equipment, so you can unlock new levels of sloth with multiple ways of watching videos hands-free via light stands and tripods.

[4] balance assist

Granted, you can also hold on to other objects such as chairs, tables, doorknobs, posts, etc. to steady yourself, but repositioning and height adjustment are both more straightforward with light stands. They're easier to move around in cramped spaces or if you want to check your form in front of a full-length mirror that's fixed to the wall.

Of course, it doesn't have to be limited to unilateral leg exercises either. You can place a sufficiently tall light stand next to a stool or stepladder if you need additional stability while trying to access high places.

Camera Carrying Options

The photographic community has countless articles and videos on cameras, lenses, and other equipment, but (with the exception of a certain video by Chris and Jordan when they were still part of The Camera Store) there doesn't seem to be as much in-depth discussion when it comes to the options for carrying cameras and lenses.

This article/blog entry aims to provide a more exhaustive list of the pros and cons of camera carrying tools and accessories. There's a wide variety of options out there, but for simplicity, most of them will be classified under 3 broad categories:

1. bags
2. straps
3. holsters

Note that these three are not mutually exclusive, so feel free to mix and match them based on your needs and preferences.

Gear/D.I.Y.: Tripod Attachments for Positioning Small Subjects

Note: For demonstration purposes, none of the shots here involve photo manipulation such as cloning in Photoshop.

Tripods are typically used in conjunction with cameras or some other piece of photography equipment. However, other things can also be mounted via a standard 1/4-inch nut and some basic D.I.Y. modifications. Shown here are two variants that I use for my toy photography.

Camera Settings: Utilizing In-Camera Reference Folders

 
Among DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and perhaps some advanced compact cameras, one common feature is the ability to create separate folders to which the pictures would be saved. In the case of Canon, the first folder to be created in a freshly formatted SD or CF card would be "100CANON", and subsequent folders would be "101CANON", "102CANON", and so on.

Camera Settings: Utilizing Minimum Contrast

contrast: 0

0 (zero) is the default contrast value for Canon cameras. Some photographers may find this misleading since 0 is actually the median in the set of possible values ranging from -4 to +4. What this means is, by default, your camera is already adding contrast to your photos. This can have a detrimental effect if the scene you are shooting requires a wide dynamic range.

With so many online tutorials advocating the use of RAW files for post-production editing, it's easy to take the in-camera JPEG settings for granted. However, dropping your camera's contrast settings to the minimum value can have benefits whether you shoot in JPEG or in RAW format.

Indigo Eye Photography Project

This new blog was created in an attempt to systematically catalog future articles on photographic gear and techniques. The next posts will feature less common shooting practices, DIY projects, and product reviews/comparisons.

As an average non-professional photographer, I am in no position to give advice on improving one's vision or skills. However, I hope that my experiences with the equipment may help fellow photographers become aware of the options available to them.

• The first set composed of 3 posts (March - April) will focus on toy photography applications.
• The second set will consist of subject isolation techniques and equipment.
• The third set will feature reviews and comparisons of minor photographic tools.

The old blog (Katipunan Kaidashi Kikou) will continue to feature my occasional reflections as well as the actual output of my attempts at photography.

Basically:
Katipunan Kaidashi Kikou - the output
Indigo Eye Photography Project - the processes


Incidentally, this blog is named after chapter 59 of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.