The word serendipity isn’t used enough and today I hope this favorite word of mine brings you a little happiness as you begin your work week.

A FEW DAYS AGO,

we were taking a ferry ride from Bainbridge Island to downtown Seattle. The sun was shining, the water calm, and all passengers on board were giddy excitement as the beautiful Emerald City came into view. From the bow’s upper deck, we had a perfect view of Puget Sound as well as the car deck below, an ideal spot for any people watcher. Of course, I couldn’t help but notice all the smartphones and cameras capturing happy moments and took stock of all the different camera straps people were using (I was personally using the WandeR Bundle Smartphone Safety Tether System on my iPhone X).

WHILE SOAKING IN ALL THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS, AND SCENT OF THE SEA,

I glanced down to the car deck below and noticed something happening: a beautiful couple stood at the bow of the boat while two photographers captured their embrace with the city skyline in the background. It was a perfect engagement session underway! Now, I spent the first 16 of my 20 years in photography shooting weddings and to this day, nothing makes me happier than to see love being captured and couldn’t help but smile with genuine joy watching this beautiful moment and photoshoot unfold. It was exquisite! Then I noticed something: one of the photographers was wearing a BLACKRAPID camera strap! With an ah-ha moment and my BLACKRAPID business card in hand, I ran down the steps to the photo session, introduced myself to the photographers, and asked if I could photograph them photographing the couple. They said yes! and we all quickly got to work.

PRO TIP:

No matter your experience level, photographing BTS images of seasoned photographers is always rewarding. You get to see the angles they see, listen to their etiquette in directing people, and learn to anticipate their moves during the shoot to capture the best angle that represents their story. It’s like learning to dance with a new partner and I highly recommend every photographer take on a couple BTS sessions a year just to stay fresh in style and practiced in experience.

MOVING AROUND CARS AND WASHINGTON STATE FERRY WORKERS,

the lovely photographer gracefully maneuvered her way around all obstacles with elegance. She was so kind and gentle in directing her couple, and I knew she was capturing something truly unique while also creating a special moment for them. I felt honored to be allowed to not only witness this beautiful session, but to also capture a few images for BLACKRAPID.

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WERE NONE OTHER THAN

the highly esteemed Alante Photography team, Kimberly Person and Loren Callahan, winners of Seattle Bride Magazine’s Best Photographers of 2018 and I know it was true serendipity that our paths crossed at this moment, on this ferry, on this sunny summer day.

Thanks you guys, for allowing me to #LiveTheMoment with you!

To learn more about Kimberly and Loren, visit their website Alante Photography at www.alantephotography.com and be sure to follow them on Instagram @alantephotography www.instagram.com/alantephotography.

The post BLACKRAPID Guest Post by LaRae Lobdell | Photographing Photographers on a Ferry, Seattle WA appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

A FEW YEARS AGO I WAS LOOKING FOR A GOOD CAMERA STRAP I WANTED IT TO BE COMFORTABLE,

made of good materials and strong enough to permit me to carry heavy lenses too, like a 70-200mm, without problem. I found all this characteristic in BLACKRAPID’s straps so I bought a Cross Shot Breathe in orange.

AS A NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING TO HAVE WITH YOU A CAMERA OUT OF YOUR BACKPACK READY TO SHOOT.

The first characteristic I look for in a strap is that it has to be comfortable. It happens that you might have to carry your camera all day long and a good strap can make it easier. I’ve used my Cross Shot Breathe many times for several hours and never had problems at carrying heavy cameras and lenses and at the end of the day, I have never had backache.

BLACKRAPID’S CAMERA STRAPS ARE ALSO MADE OF VERY GOOD MATERIALS,

so you can use them also in critical conditions without any problem and also after some years of strong work the still look like new.

Fabio Gianesini is a Canon photographer. Nature and mountain lover based in FVG, Italy. Discover more about Fabio and his work on Instagram at @fabio_gianesini_photography.

The post My experience with BLACKRAPID Cross Shot Breathe appeared first on BLACKRAPID.

AS A NATURE AND LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER,

I often have the chance of photographing waterfalls, rivers, landscapes with cloudy skies, and sea in the frame. Every time I find these elements with me, I like to take advantage of the long exposure technique, which best enhances all the features of these elements in the image composition.

To photograph a long exposure there are many factors to consider: the location, the weather, the composition of the image including camera settings. Among these factors I always give some importance in removing the camera strap and it is in this latest task that I want to concentrate more on the use I make of BLACKRAPID products.

REMOVING THE CAMERA STRAP IS VERY USEFUL

to avoid the risk of movement caused by the wind which makes unwanted shakings on the camera. Imagine being in a windy place, the vibrations that the wind has on your camera strap can cause it to bang repeatedly against the camera and/or tripod, and affect the quality of your long exposure.

FOR THIS REASON I CONSIDER THAT REMOVING THE CAMERA STRAP IS A VERY USEFUL OPTION,

and BLACKRAPID in this represents a valid ally. In my current configuration I use a Cross Shot Breathe, which allows me to have an excellent camera strap that loads the weight on the shoulders, is equipped with adjustable length that allows you to adjust it according to your own height and have your camera easily at your fingertips. My camera with the lens mounted is quite heavy, this band allows me to walk with the camera ready for use without having all that weight load on my neck.

CROSS SHOT BREATHE INCLUDES

the connector (CR-3), LockStar, and FastenR5 (FR-5) hardware that mounts very safe for the camera and has a very quick and simple release reducing the time needed to remove the belt. Currently I use this strap with a very useful accessory, the FastenR Tripod (FR-T1) Breathe threaded post to fit standard tripod-mount hole in substitution of the original d-ring on the Manfrotto RC-2 200PL-14 quick release plate.

THE FASTENR TRIPOD (FR-T1) BREATHE HAS A DOCKING RING COMPATIBLE

with the Cross Shot Breathe connector and has a greater hold on the camera than the original. Once the two elements are hooked, it is possible to use the camera strap directly attached to the tripod plate to allow a very rapid transition from the shoulder to the tripod. This allows a quick and optimal use of the Camera and allows to reduce to time the technical times of removal of the strap camera during the use of long exposures.

Giuseppe Sapori is a professional landscape photographer and travel blogger based in Rome, Italy. Discover more about Giuseppe and his work at www.thetimestuck.com.

Special thanks to our official Italian distributor, Ra.Ma. Srl, for collaborating with Giuseppe and our team for this special product review on our website.

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