Versatility is important in photography gear, especially when it comes to lenses. In fact, most photographers will tell you that lenses represents one of the most important investments a photographer can make, more so than camera bodies. Seriously!

Whether you shoot weddings, portraits or landscapes, lens choice can either limit or enhance your creativity and sometimes mean the difference between getting and missing the shot.  For example, if you’ve ever tried to capture an important moment using a slow-focusing lens with variable aperture, then you know how limiting (or frustrating) it can be. Fortunately, it’s easier than you might think to get your hands on a quality lens.

We’ve teamed up with Tamron to offer one lucky winner an amazing new lens, the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A (model B070), equivalent to 25.5-105mm on full-frame cameras. It is the world’s first F2.8 high-speed zoom lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras to achieve a 4.1x zoom ratio. Along with Tamron’s highly regarded VC image stabilization, this fast, sharp, and lightweight lens will allow you to focus on what matters, capturing beautiful images that you and your clients will love.

The Giveaway Prize – Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A (model B070)

Tamron’s 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A (model B070) lens was built for mirrorless cameras and features a wide focal length range, constant aperture throughout that range, as well as an amazing autofocus system, with Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF, Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Camera-based lens unit firmware updates, and more. It’s also lightweight, which makes it great for travel or packing into minimalist kits. See the specs below for even more details.

Specs

• Focal Length: 17-70mm (for APS-C frame mirrorless format) | (for full-frame mirrorless format: 25.5-105mm equivalent field-of-view)
• Maximum Aperture: F2.8
• Angle of View: (diagonal) 79° 55′-23° 00′ (for APS-C frame mirrorless format)
• Optical Construction: 16 elements in 12 groups
• Minimum Object Distance: 0.19m /7.5 in (WIDE), 0.39m /15.4 in (TELE)
• Maximum Magnification Ratio: 1:4.8 (WIDE) / 1:5.2 (TELE)
• Filter Size: φ67mm
• Maximum Diameter: φ74.6mm
• Length: 119.3mm (4.7 inches from the front tip of the lens to the lens mount face)
• Weight: 525g (18.5 oz)
• Aperture Blades: 9 (circular diaphragm, which stays almost perfectly circular up to two stops down from maximum aperture)
• Minimum Aperture: f/22
• Standard Accessories: Flower-shaped hood, Lens caps
• Compatible Mounts: Sony E-mount

[Related Reading: Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD Review | The Superzoom Reimagined]

How to Enter the TamronUSA Giveaway

You can enter using the widget below or by clicking this link. There are a total of 4 ways to enter and each entrant can gain up to 15 entries if you complete all of the entry methods. Giveaway ends February 28th, 2021.

Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A (model B070) Giveaway ($799 Value)!

Good luck!

As photographers and videographers, we deal in data management, but we don’t always give it the attention it deserves. For example, when was the last time you thoroughly reviewed your backup strategy? Or do you even have a strategy/workflow? Those of us who have given this topic attention have probably only done so AFTER losing important data. Gear fails all the time, but failure doesn’t have to equate to lost data. Having dependable gear and a surefire strategy can save the day.

We’ve teamed up with Gnarbox to offer one lucky winner an incredible storage solution! Enter the GNARBOX 2.0 SSD. This rugged backup device was designed especially for pro content creators who need the most reliable way to back up their files when they’re out in the field. Compared to the competition, the compact design and powerful onboard backup features of the GNARBOX 2.0 make it one of the easiest storage solutions to use, all without a laptop.

Boasting up to 1TB internal SSD, an SD slot, two USB-C ports, and mobile apps to complete essential workflow steps before arriving to the studio, GNARBOX will save you time and make you a more reliable creator.

The Giveaway Prize – GNARBOX 2.0 SSD (1TB) + (2) Extra Batteries Giveaway

GNARBOX 2.0 features on-board backup, protected & water-resistant hardware, high-speed transfers with pro image and video support (RAW, Pro Res, H264, H265), and a specially designed mobile app (integrations with Lightroom CC, LumaFusion, and Affinity Pro). Full charge in 2 hours for each battery. You can read more about this model and its latest updates in our review here.

Specs

Hardware

• Intel Quad Core, 2.40GHZ CPU
• 4 Core Intel HD Graphics GPU
• 867 mbps 802.11 ac WiFi
• 4GB RAM
• NVMe SSD up to 1TB
• 3000mAh 7.4v removable lithium ion battery
• SD Transfer: Up to 75MB/s
• USB-C Transfer to 350MB/s
• USB-C (x2), SD, and Micro HDMI ports
• 3-6 hours of continuous use
• Water and Dust Resistant
• 6″x3″x1.16″
• .8lb (375g)

Software

• Works with mobile apps on iOS & Android
• Compatible with macOS & Windows computers
• Image Support: RAW, TIFF, JPG, PNG
• Image Preview powered by Photo Mechanic
• Video Codec Support: H.264, H.265, ProRes, MXF, MTS
• UDF File System Support

[Related Reading: The Ultimate 3-2-1 Workflow Guide with GNARBOX 2.0]

How to Enter the GNARBOX Giveaway

You can enter using the widget below or by clicking this link. There are a total of 4 ways to enter and each entrant can gain up to 15 entries if you complete all of the entry methods. Giveaway ends October 16th, 2020.

GNARBOX Giveaway 2020

Good luck!

The seventh Create No Matter What Creative Challenge theme is ‘Don’t Forget The Details.’ This new photo challenge is all about Macro Photography. Macro photography is a unique form of photography that involves photographing small objects to make them look life-sized or larger in the photo. Whether you’re capturing close-up shots of bugs, flowers, water droplets, or other small subjects, we want to see them all!

[Related Reading: Macro Photography Refined – 6 Ideas You’ve Never Seen Before]

Announced with photographer Tyler Glass, Adorama is calling all creatives to capture close-up shots of bugs, flowers, water droplets, or other small subjects.

One grand prize winner of the Adorama Macro Photography Challenge will receive an Olympus camera package worth over $3,000, including an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Mirrorless Camera, Olympus Macro lens, Platypod Max Plate Camera Support, 3 Legged Thing Travel Tripod, and more. Three runners-up will be selected and receive a Prograde 256GB memory card.

[Related Reading: 5 Things I Learned From The Fstoppers Mastering Macro Photography Tutorial by Andres Moline]

To enter the Macro Photography Challenge, participants should submit a completed online entry form and up to five images at www.adorama.com/cnmw. The challenge is open now through August 19^th at 11:59 PM ET. The winner will be announced on August 21^st at 12 p.m. ET.

[Related Reading: Long Exposure Photography Tips & Tricks with Jake Estes from B&H at Sony Kando 3.0]

Highlights of the weekend include:

• 45+ exclusive classes, workshops, and live Q&A sessions
• A chance to learn from industry-leading instructors
• Portfolio review sessions
• Interactive trivia with iJustine and Jenna Ezarik
• Keynote speakers from SeaLegacy and Art of Visuals
• Networking opportunities with Sony Alpha ambassadors and members of the creative community

Several giveaways will be made available for attendees as well, including one-year memberships to Pro Support and Adobe Creative Cloud, limited edition signed prints from Epson, and a variety of Sony Alpha cameras and lenses — including the highly anticipated new Alpha 7S III camera.

[Related Reading: Sony A7R4 Sample Images & Initial Thoughts | Kando Trip 3.0]

I was fortunate enough to attend Kando Trip in 2019, and it was an amazing experience that, surprisingly, focused much less on a camera brand than we expected; it was an incredible resource for mastering all different types of photography as well as the business and marketing behind the scenes. Plus, the general inspiration to go out and work on the craft of photography itself was highly energizing.

The social interaction with other photographers was priceless, too, and although 2020 may have altered that aspect of the experience, the freely available education itself this year will not be something you can afford to miss.

No matter what type of photography you do, or what your goals are from beginner to full-time professional, you should definitely check out this event. You don’t even need to be “loyal to a camera brand”, just sign up for a class or two that sound interesting to you!

Here are some of my images from last years Kando Event

To register for this event, please visit AlphaUniverse.com/kando-everywhere.

Check Pricing & Availability of Sony Alpha Gear Here;

Adorama | B&H | Amazon

Adorama has debuted the next Create No Matter What Challenge theme: Hope, an illustration contest. Revealed by artist Emily Chow aka Celtis, the illustration challenge asks entrants to draw and submit a scene that encapsulates hope, and what that means to them. One participant will be selected to win a Wacom Cintiq Pro prize package worth more than $3,000, with three runners-up receiving a Wacom Cintiq Pro.

“The third Create No Matter What challenge is all about illustration,” said Mary-Irene Marek, Director of Content and Social Media for Adorama. “There is no limit on what you can create and how you want to express yourself during the entire creative process. There are endless ways for you to share a piece of yourself with the world, and we can’t wait to see what you create around the theme of hope.”

[Related Reading: You Could Win A Canon Camera Package With Adorama’s First #CreateNoMatterWhat Creative Challenge: “Perspective”]

Adorama’s #CreateNoMatterWhat campaign is a community-based hashtag to engage with and encourage creatives to create, learn, and think outside the box. Whether it’s photography, videography, audio, design or editing, #CreateNoMatterWhat challenges creators to keep their creativity flowing and to express their passion at every opportunity.

To enter the Illustration Challenge, participants should submit a completed online entry form and up to five illustrations that demonstrate their talents, skills, and vision. Winners will be selected based on the following criteria: adherence/appropriateness to the challenge theme, originality of expression, quality of artistic composition and aesthetic design, creativity and overall execution of the concept, and visual and emotional impact.

The Illustration Challenge ends on June 24^th at 11:59 PM ET. The winner will be announced on June 26^th at 12 p.m. ET.

To learn more about the Hope Illustration Challenge and submit up to five entries for a chance to win, visit www.adorama.com/cnmw.

Watch the video below to learn more about the contest:

Important Details:

The DEADLINE for submitting your film is October 31, 2019 at 6:00pm (EST). All submissions to the Horror Film Contest should be sent to horror@artlist.io. See here for full terms and conditions.

Artlist Horror Film Contest Rules:

• Your film must be no longer than 3 minutes.
• Your film must feature music from Artlist’s new Halloween collection.
• All applicants must submit the film to horror@artlist.io and upload the film to their YouTube channel with the phrase “Artlist Horror Film Contest” in the video description (main title).

Awards and Prizes:

• 1st Place wins a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, a lifetime subscription to Artlist and a 1-year free subscription to the Artgrid Pro plan. On top of that, the film will be featured on the site’s featured videos section, on all of Artlist’s social media platforms and in their newsletter.
• 2nd Place wins a lifetime subscription to Artlist and a 1-year free subscription to the Artgrid Pro plan plus merch.
• 3rd Place wins a lifetime subscription to Artlist.

[Related Reading: Artlist Announces ArtGrid, A New Stock Footage Licensing Platform]

The Music:

To help kickstart your inspiration, check out some of our favorite selections from the Halloween Collection of songs on Artlist and let these tracks help guide your project.

1. Vic Sage – Grind

• Genre: Hip Hop, Electronic
• Mood: Angry, Serious, Dramatic, Tense, Scary, Dark
• Video Theme: Travel, Building & city, Aerials, Landscape, Slow motion, Time-lapse, Nightlife & More
• Album: Here

2. Yehezkel Raz – Charon

• Genre: Electronic, Ambient
• Mood: Serious, Dramatic, Tense, Sad, Scary, Dark
• Video Theme: Time-lapse, Documentary, Road Trip, Travel, Aerials, Landscape, Slow motion & More
• Album: Here

3. Steve Poloni – At Your Door

• Genre: Ambient, Cinematic
• Mood: Serious, Dramatic, Tense, Scary, Dark
• Video Theme: Time-lapse, Fashion, Slow motion, Building & city, Science, Travel, Industry & More
• Album: Here

4. Ian Post – K.I.T.T. Vs. K.A.R.R.

• Genre: Ambient, Electronic, Cinematic
• Mood: Hopeful, Serious, Dramatic, Tense, Peaceful, Scary, Dark
• Video Theme: Technology, Time-lapse, Building & city, Science, Industry, Slow motion & More
• Album: Here

5. Michael Vignola – Through the Looking Glass

• Genre: Ambient, Cinematic
• Mood: Serious, Dramatic, Tense, Scary, Angry, Dark
• Video Theme: Time-lapse, Documentary, Science, Aerials, Slow motion, Technology, Industry & More
• Album: Here

Thank you to Artlist for sponsoring this article and making this content possible. 

Having a safe place to store our data should be one of our biggest priorities as photographers and videographers. Your photos and videos are your livelihoods and without a secure and sustainable data storage procedure, you could be putting your career at risk. We’ve all heard terrifying data recovery stories of external hard drives crashing and failing and we wanted to do our research to help prevent that.

In doing so, we discovered Synology, an industry-leading storage solution company whose mission is to protect the world’s data. They work with businesses of all sizes to manage and secure data, providing solutions at whatever scale you need. So, we’ve teamed up with Synology to offer one lucky winner an incredible storage solution!

The Giveaway Prize – DiskStation DS218+

Synology is giving away their DiskStation DS218+ along with two Seagate 14TB IronWolf HDDs to one lucky winner. This is $1,300 value that could solve your storage issues immediately! Built with a dual-core processor, an AES-NI hardware encryption engine, Btrfs file system support, and Cinema 4K video transcoding, the DiskStation DS218+ 2-Bay NAS Enclosure is designed for those who need an all-around storage solution that has been optimized to not only safeguard data, but also deliver fast file transfer speeds, real-time 4K video streaming, and the storage of Ultra HD content.

How to Enter Synology Giveaway

You can enter using the widget below or by clicking this link. There are a total of 5 ways to enter and each entrant can gain up to 13 entries if they complete all of the entry methods. Giveaway ends November 6th, 2019.

Synology DiskStation DS218+ Giveaway ($1,300 Value)

What is a NAS and Why Do You Need It?

NAS stands for Network Attached Storage and acts as an external hard drive, but is connected via your network. This allows for remote access and file-sharing capabilities and protects photos and video footage from loss, corruption or disasters. The Synology NAS is an integral part of a 3-2-1 Backup Strategy: 3 different copies of your data, on 2 different media, 1 off-site. To learn more about Synology’s products click here!

The award calls for photographers looking to pursue a long-term project to submit entries beginning, July 22nd and closes on August 29th. The three recipients of the award, chosen by an esteemed panel of judges including VII Agency photographer and Guggenheim fellow Maggie Steber and Art Director & Chief Representative of Leica Galleries International, Karin Kaufmann, will be announced on October 16^th.

Each will receive a cash price of $10,000 to be used exclusively on a long-term photo project, in addition to a one year loan of a Leica Q2, which will be passed down to the next generation of winners, as well as a replacement camera to permanently add to their photography kits.

Applicants are requested to submit:

• A series of 10 images taken with any camera made on any digital or film camera of any make, model or brand, with at least 4 images created between 2018-19
• A 500-word proposal describing their personal project, its relevance in today’s social climate and detail of how the funds will be allocated
• Applications for the Leica Women Foto Project Award can be submitted through the online registration form found on https://bit.ly/Leica_Women

[Related Reading: Leica Releases an Affordable Camera, Almost: The M-E (Type 240)]

Full submission details and additional information can be found in the press release below and some of Maggie Steber’s work can be found here.

The Leica Women Foto Project signifies an enhanced dedication to highlight the female perspective through various programming initiatives, including a new photography award.

July 22^nd, 2019 –  Leica Camera USA takes its longstanding appreciation of women in the photographic arts a step further with the announcement of the Leica Women Foto Project– a platform designed to support diversity and inclusion in photography through ongoing programs, events, and a new photography award dedicated to the Project that jointly serve to inspire narratives through the female perspective.  Leica recognizes that the shape of a story is reactive to the storyteller’s perspective, often leaving out those whose point of views are underrepresented. By amplifying the female perspective in photography, Leica aims to help provide a more dynamic and diverse view of the world around us.

“This importance of diversity in visual storytelling strengthens the integrity of our collective story,” says Kiran Karnani, Director of Marketing for Leica Camera North America. “Visual expressions through myriad lenses challenge and embrace ideas that drive important conversations. We enable growth through an expansion of thought when we actively support inclusivity through the photographic medium. With the Leica Women Foto Project, we aim to embolden photographers to think outside one’s own point of view, support underrepresented voices to speak their visual languages, and celebrate new ways of seeing.”

As part of the ongoing Leica Women Foto Project, Leica Camera USA is launching the inaugural Leica Women Foto Project Award, which will award three photographers $10,000 each to help enable the pursuit of a personal project. Candidates based in the United States who display the highest quality of photography, dedication to the medium of photography, sophistication of project, as expressed through the female perspective with narratives that broaden perspectives, ideas and conversations on today’s social climate, will be selected as winners.

In addition to the financial award, each winner will receive a one-year loan of a Leica Q2. At the end of the term, the cameras will be passed on to the next three winners of the 2020 award to continue the legacy. A replacement Leica camera will be offered to the initial set of recipients to continue documenting their journey through the lens of a Leica.

Photo entries will be reviewed by a panel of renowned judges including:

• Karin Kaufmann, Art Director & Chief Representative, Leica Galleries International
• Maggie Steber, VII Agency photographer and Guggenheim fellow
• Elizabeth Avedon, photography book and exhibition designer, independent curator and writer
• Laura Roumanos, executive producer and co-founder, United Photo Industries
• Deborah Willis, university professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and author of Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery

Candidates for the award must be legal US residents and are requested to submit a series of 10 images from a personal or long-term project, made on any digital or film camera of any make, model or brand, with at least 4 images created between 2018-19. Alongside the images, applicants are required to submit a 500 word proposal describing their personal project and its relevance in today’s social climate, including detail of how the funds will be allocated.

[Related Reading: Leica Announces the V-Lux 5, The Most Travel-Ready & Versatile V-Lux Camera To Date]

Each submission will be scored by each judge individually based on quality of photography, dedication to medium of photography and sophistication of project. The three entrants with the highest total scores from all five judges will be declared the winners of the Award.

Call for entries begins today and closes on August 29, 2019. Applications for the Leica Women Foto Project Award can be submitted through the online registration form found on https://bit.ly/Leica_Women. Leica Camera USA will announce the three winning photographers on October 16 via https://bit.ly/Leica_Women and on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information about Leica visit www.leicacamerausa.com, or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Project Details & Specifics

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited and outside US.  Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. (and DC) who are 21 yrs+ at entry. Contest is NOT open to individuals who have a formal affiliation or partnership with competitors of Sponsor. Contest begins at 9:00 AM ET on 7/22/19 and ends 11:59 PM ET on 8/29/19. To enter, complete the entry form at https://bit.ly/Leica_Women and upload 10 photos that tell a single story through a woman’s perspective, on a topic relevant to the current social or political climate. All photos must adhere to the Submission Guidelines. Entrants retain ownership rights in their submissions, subject to certain rights and licenses granted to Sponsor as set forth in the Official Rules. Prizes: 3 winners will each receive (i) $10,000; (ii) a 1-year loan of a Leica Q2 camera or equivalent; and (iii) a replacement camera at the end of the loan period. Restriction: During the 1-year loan period, winners may not enter into a formal affiliation or partnership with competitors of Sponsor. Total ARV of all prizes: $44,985. For complete rules and eligibility requirements, visit https://bit.ly/LeicaWomenFotoProjectRules. Sponsor: Leica Camera Inc.

Copyright ©2019 Leica Camera Inc.  All rights reserved *Images shared with permission from Leica Camera. Do not share or replicate without direct written permission