Mac or PC – which computer is better for photo editing and why? Edition 2024 Over the years, a huge number of computer configurations have gone through this article. I suggested Macs due to their easy color management in macOS and great screens in MacBooks. well-functioning scaling, even if it is different on multiple monitors […]
I have already written about the advantages of Apple computers on the main page of this guide, and here I focus on describing noteworthy models along with information on what is worth paying extra for, what’s not worth buying, etc. Home page: Mac vs. PC and general information […]
I have a mouse, keyboard, speakers, and various devices such as monitors connected to my PC. However, I also wanted to have a Mac and switch between computers quickly so that most of the devices would also “jump” to the one I am currently using. For several months now, I have been using a KVM […]
Last week, Tara Bancroft came to me for a photoshoot – a mix of China and Switzerland, although she spent most of her life in the UK. Such models often do very well professionally because they look like Asians, but with lighter skin and taller height, which is highly sought in Asia. In the past, […]
For a long time, I had been thinking about a desk with electric height adjustment, the kind that lets you alternate between sitting and standing while working. Friends had praised using a computer this way for years, and it is obviously worthwhile for health reasons. But I was concerned about whether retouching photos like this would be comfortable. Working on a pen tablet […]
Table of Table of Contents: Page 1: Introduction CRT and LCD – were they ever better? Characteristics of photo-editing monitors Is it worth investing in a good monitor? Monitor for a photographer Advantages of 4K/UHD monitors for photography How can manufacturers "cheat"? Calibration Graphics Card Page 2: List of Monitors for Photography – HD […]
As I wrote last week and discussed on Nadgryzieni, my Mac Mini is being replaced by a Hackintosh. Most of the parts have arrived, so it's time to assemble everything and install Windows. macOS will have to wait until the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card gets here, but that's fine because I want to see what living with Windows is like anyway. But more on that […]
Remember when I said that the late-2018 Mac Mini was a computer I would not replace for many years? Well, I am about to build its successor :). Yesterday I talked about it on the Nadgryzieni podcast, because my next computer will be a Hackintosh—a PC running macOS (although I will use Windows on it too). The podcast […]
Finally, the time has come when it is easy to illuminate your computer workstation for retouching, graphic design, or video editing. In the past, there were many complications when people wanted to do it right. In the past almost everyone used fluorescent bulbs because other light sources had too many drawbacks for such use: incorrect […]
Do you use gloves for retouching? Almost nobody does. In fact, few people even know they exist. Whenever my hand was visible during webinars, people often asked whether something had happened to it, "what is that strange thing on your hand?", and "how much does it cost?" I used to review gloves all the […]
In this post, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk a little about lighting stands, but first a brief introduction. In June, two unique models from Belarus caught my eye. They were on contracts with A1 Models in Bangkok. Unfortunately, due to my trip to Europe, I had too much things to do, to […]
Can a cord that makes a matchstick look thick support a large camera with a huge lens and battery grip—and its owner? Anchor Link is one of Peak Design’s coolest inventions, while also being one of its simplest and cheapest. These small discs on cords can be attached to all kinds of things and then connected to a Messenger bag, […]
After buying the 2018 Mac mini, I found that it needed a separate graphics card far less than I'd once assumed. Even with a UHD monitor, the little Mini works surprisingly well on its awful integrated graphics, and thanks to the T2 chip it renders video at iMac Pro speeds. So in the end I said I'd probably buy an eGPU someday, but more to […]
After switching to a desktop computer, I no longer had a second screen. I don’t need one for everyday work anymore, but occasionally I run into situations where it’s essential. Previously I could simply open my laptop; now I would have to buy another monitor. I knew I wouldn’t do that, because it would need a very high resolution to […]
I have already written a huge buyer's guide to the new Mac Mini, where I also included benchmark results and so on. But I still have not described my own experience of using the new Mini or how I put all the parts together. I only posted something to Instagram Stories occasionally. I wanted to wait until all the pieces of the puzzle arrived. I finally have everything here, so […]
At the end of 2018, we finally got a new Mac mini. And this isn't the parody we got four years earlier, but a genuinely excellent computer and a worthy successor to the 2012 Mac mini, which had been very popular, including among photographers. The new model still uses a case just as small as before, so you can still easily take it […]
Taking cool photos of people (and not only) often requires the use of tripod-mounted lamps. For my first lighting set (3 lamps, stands, RF controllers, etc.), I spent a total of around 250 USD and described it in an article many years ago. It was an incredibly low price for such possibilities (one good Nikon/Canon […]
The Peak Design Everyday Messenger was intended to be the best camera bag in the world. Brilliantly designed and made only from very high-quality materials. But half of all manufacturers describe their products that way, and I doubt anyone believes such assurances anymore... In this case, future users agreed with the claim. The Messenger raised 5 million dollars […]
Many things can give you a serious boost while learning photography, and some of them can be bought. It will probably be something different for everyone and largely depends on what you photograph. I made a list of the things that mattered VERY much to me. I only mention equipment here, but a separate post about […]
I’ve been using my beloved, super cheap YongNuo YN-560IV lamps lately. It may not be anything unusual, as I use them all the time, but this time they weren’t a supplement to studio lamps, but the only source of light. I’ve been doing this for the past few months on other shoots as well, so […]
Tethering, or simply previewing photos during a shoot just moments after pressing the shutter, is a huge convenience that I use regularly. It makes it much easier to judge whether everything in the photo is right. The photographer, makeup artist, assistant, and the rest of the crew all get an easy look at every shot. I probably don't need to explain how much this improves the chances of catching […]
For several years I shot with a Nikon D700. It was great, but eventually the time came to replace it. Last year I bought a Nikon D810; so far I had only mentioned it briefly while describing my gear. It is high time I wrote something more and posted some of the photos I took with it. Alongside the retouched photographs (click a thumbnail to load the […]
I've written a lot on this blog about the photography equipment I use, but almost always about lights, modifiers, and how I position them on set. Lighting has a huge effect on the final image. I certainly wouldn't say the same about the camera, at least for work published online. That's why I've always avoided writing at length about my […]
UHD/4K monitors are the future, and partly the present already. They offer a much sharper image that looks far more like prints than what we'd been used to. It's no surprise that photographers in particular want them on their desks. Top-of-the-line models made specifically for photography are already available, but their prices are fairly overwhelming. Fortunately, more […]
Another shoot done in Poland. I completed quite a few over the previous several days, mostly with Klaudia Danch, who appears on this site constantly anyway. Karolina Zientek was there as the makeup artist, with Mateusz “Pro” Prociak assisting, so the whole team was together again. This was another shoot using Jinbei MSN II lights, and […]
As some of you probably already know, I flew to Poland a month earlier than planned and decided to spend some of that time on photo shoots. For them, I chose studio lights I hadn't had a chance to use before: the Jinbei MSN II. They're easy on the wallet, but they also have certain […]
This will be a purely technical post about equipment (although interspersed with photos from a shoot I did recently). I have described in more detail what I currently use when taking photos. It may be a useful guide for anyone who wants to shoot in a style similar to mine. I wrote about this here before, but back then I created something closer to a compendium. This time […]
I do my photoshoots using flash exclusively. When I organize an outdoor shoot, I switch off the sun and make my own with lights. This time, even though I had a 600 and 1200 Ws outdoor studio kit, I decided to shoot using available light only. I had taken very few photos that year and decided it was time to change that. I knew […]
As almost everyone probably knows by now, my favorite kind of light is the type you can get from a 70 cm beauty dish, most often with a honeycomb grid attached. You will find plenty of photos I took with this modifier. I created almost my entire portfolio with it. Last year, I had a chance to do a shoot with a Fomei dish of a much smaller diameter, 43 cm, which […]
I had already done two shoots based on the Tomb Raider game and film, shown my take on Snow White, and created a cosplay inspired by The Vampire Diaries. Now it was time for photos inspired by The Walking Dead. I had been planning this shoot for a very long time, but it finally happened only this year. Karolina Zientek handled the makeup, while Aga from Le’Prestige did the hair. […]
Some time ago, I decided I'd had enough of laboriously setting up my equipment for every shoot. I planned to go back to speedlights and put together the most mobile kit possible, but that would come later. The first step was to replace my standard modifiers with quick-setup models, which had been growing more popular for about two years. I also planned to replace the bag I used for carrying […]
I recently described a beauty shoot done at the Onyx music club. That day, however, I photographed not only Aleksandra Cogiel but two other girls as well. I also had the opportunity to see how the Powerlux VE series flashes performed (I had already written about the VT series). One of the girls was Ola Lech, whom I had also photographed before (in […]
Since I started this website, I've received plenty of questions about equipping a first studio: which lights, modifiers, lens, and so on. I decided to write about what helps me when taking photographs and what everyone should have in a small studio. This will be highly subjective, but if you're interested in the same particular area of photography as I am, […]
Table of contents: Page 1: Introduction CRT and LCD – were things better in the past? Characteristics of photographic monitors Is it worth investing in a good monitor? Monitor for a photographer Advantages of 4K/UHD monitors in photography How can manufacturers “cheat”? Calibration Graphics card Page 2: List of monitors for photography – HD […]
This time, something between fashion and beauty. I did this shoot a few days ago, mainly using accessories from Powerlux. They included VT-series lights, the simplest, lightest and, just as importantly, cheapest models. In terms of price, Powerlux VT lights are comparable to Quantuum PT lights. I also used other lights, but today's post will focus on […]
If you want to photograph people, sooner or later you will need to start using lights. I do not mean one built into the camera or mounted on it. Today I am covering equipment, specifically strobing: photographing with speedlights placed around the set rather than on the camera's hot shoe. My lighting kit […]
Last Saturday, November 24, the 11th National Extravagant Makeup Championship took place. The theme was "Summer Time." Of course, I wasn't the one competing. It was the makeup artist I work with on almost every shoot, Karolina Zientek. She won, though I doubt that surprised anyone. We did a beauty and fashion shoot to capture the championship-winning styling, subtitled […]