A recap of our first "Six Days of Holiday Gifts For Photographers"

For those that have been missing our "Twelve Days of Holiday Gifts For Photographers"... here is a recap of the first six days...

Gift #1 - The Lightning Trigger

The way the Trigger works is simple. Attach the device to the camera hot shoe (for stability, the Trigger is powered by battery, not from the camera itself) and connect it to your camera’s electronic cable release terminal. When switched on, a forward-pointing sensor will keep an electronic eye out for quick flashes of light, when it detects one, it’ll trigger the camera.

Gift #2 - Renting a super telephoto for your photographer

Lens Rental Canada has an assortment of lenses that you can rent for a few days all the way up to 90 days at some awesome pricing...

Gift #3 - Portable Flash

If you like doing photo shoots on location you definitely want to look at this bad boy! The TritonFlash Battery Powered Strobe Kit is rated at 300 watt seconds with a guide number of 185 and up to 750 full power flashes on a single charge, the TritonFlash™ operates in the power range of studio strobes, enabling photographers to shoot large setups in bright sun without the need for AC power. Fast recycling allows bursts of up to 7 shots per second for capturing fast action at weddings, sporting events, or for scientific purposes. The lightweight lithium ion battery pack (22 ounces / 623 grams) is extremely efficient and environmentally safe, representing a significant upgrade from heavier Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) systems.

The lightweight lithium ion battery pack (22 ounces / 623 grams) is extremely efficient and environmentally safe, representing a significant upgrade from heavier Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) systems. The charger automatically adjusts to AC voltages between 100~240 volts for international use. The TritonFlash battery can be charged while it is connected to the battery pack and the flash can be used while it is charging with no adverse effect. The battery can also be removed from the battery pack to charge, which facilitates charging of a spare while the flash is in use with 2nd battery. These qualities make the TritonFlash™ a smart buy for both studio and location photographers.

Gift #4 - The Gift of Travel and Learning

Next year Rick and I are going to some awesome places... and the photography opportunities are going to be spectacular!

Tanzania - Come join us on a African Photo Safari in April of 2013. We will be going for a 7 days safari, spending time at Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Central Serengeti.

Provence - To start the tour we will bring the white ranch horses to different properties, allowing for a wide range of photogenic backdrops and behaviours. We photograph the white horses running through the shallow water of salt marshes and along the beach in the waves and salt spray. With shots of fighting stallions, mares with their dark foals in the fields or at the ranches, and detailed portrait head shots and guardian riders in their gear. We’ll have many opportunities to capture this time-honoured breed in a variety of environments unique to this seaside estuary.

Venezuela - Together we will photograph the Catatumbo lightning storm and travel into the Andes Mountains to capture the culture and scenery of this amazing part of the world.

Canada - Join Rick and I as we do a Canadian Caravan in north central Ontario in Canada near the iconic Algonquin Park area.

Iceland - What an awesome tour of Iceland this will be. We will be travelling to Reykjanes, Blue Lagoon, Hengell Geothermal area, Pingvellir, Gullfoss waterfall and geyser geothermal area, Fjallabaksleio, Eldgja Canyon, Vatnajokull Glacier Park, Jokulsarlon Lagoon, Skaftafell, Dyrholaey and Skogafoss waterfall

We would love to have you join us! Shoot me an email and we will extend to you Rick's "Friends of Rick" discount as a holiday special till Christmas.

Gift #5 - A Rain Cover for Their Camera

Think Tank sells a product called a Hydrophobia. These rain covers come in covers sized for a pro size DSLR with up to a 70-200 f2.8 lens attached, one that can accommodate a 70-200 that has a flash on it and one that can accommodate a 300 to 600mm lens. The Hydrophobia® protects valuable photo equipment from the elements during active use. Keep shooting in the rain, snow or blowing sand. The Hydrophobia gives a photog peace of mind that they can capture the moment in almost any weather! You can buy them directly from www.ThinkTankphoto.com

Gift #6 - The Gift of Software

Have you ever photographed a high contrast scene? If so, you know that even the best exposure gives you blown out highlights, or flat shadows, or both. The solution is High Dynamic Range (HDR) processing:

› Take multiple photographs at varying exposure levels (brackets) › Merge the photos into an HDR image › Adjust the settings to get the look you want: from natural-looking with Exposure Fusion to painterly or surreal with Tone Mapping

Photomatix Pro and Photomatix Essentials are stand-alone programs running on Windows and Mac OS X.

One license for Photomatix Essentials is US$39. One license for Photomatix Pro is US$99.

Photomatix Essentials focuses on simplicity and ease of use. Photomatix Pro offers more options and includes advanced features such as batch processing and selective deghosting, as well as a Lightroom Plug-in.

Some of the features of Photomatix are also available as an Edit Plug-in for Aperture and a Filter Plug-in for Photoshop CS2 or higher. A free Lightroom Plug-in makes it possible to access Photomatix Pro directly from Lightroom, if desired. Tell your family and friends that if they want to purchase the software they can receive 15% off of the Photomatix plug-in if they go to http://www.hdrsoft.com/ and enter KPepPhoto on checkout to receive the discount. Tomorrow we will resume the 12 days of holiday gifts and finish strong with some great gift ideas for the photographer in your life