Zach Sutton
I'm Zach and I'm the editor and a frequent writer here at Lensrentals.com. I'm also a commercial beauty photographer in Los Angeles, CA, and offer educational workshops on photography and lighting all over North America.
Posts by Zach Sutton · page 3 of 13
3D Prints for Photographers & Videographers
A few months ago, I was spending a lot of time looking for a converter ring that would convert Bowen mount lights, so that they worked for Profoto modifiers. The system seems simple enough, but like so many other times in my career as a photographer, I could not find this tool that would be so…
Lighting Styles to Try on Your Next Studio Photoshoot
When it comes to photography, my love for it is built around my passion for shaping light in new and creative ways. So every now and then, when I come up with some interesting ways to light things, I like to share that process with you on this blog. If you’re a long-time reader, you know I’ve done…
Grids, Flags, Snoots & Fresnels (Oh My)
When you start diving into the world of lighting, you will likely run into several questions regarding products that are seemingly the same thing – or at least achieving the same thing. How does a snoot differ from a Fresnel? What’s the difference between using a grid, and using a black flag to…
Guide to Buying Used Photo & Video Gear
Purchasing equipment from the used market can be an effective way to save money. However, there is a risk of ending up with subpar or defective items, such as a damaged lens or broken gear, with no option for return. Given our extensive experience handling thousands of pieces of equipment daily, we…
A Conversation About Color Calibration
I recently worked with a retoucher, as I needed help with some pesky skin texture that my normal retouching techniques weren’t working on. Following that help, the retoucher asked how I was able to get great skin tones straight from the camera (she’s one of the few who actually sees the RAW images…
Investigating the Medium Format Look
I’ve been a fan of digital medium format for a long time. 10 years in fact, first shooting with a Hasselblad H4-D50C, and then with the PhaseOne IQ250, only to be using my current camera with the Fuji GFX 100S. But my love for medium format has always been with the resolution available in medium…
How Photographers & Videographers Bring the 2024 Olympics Together
There have been some incredible photo and video moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics this year – highlighting incredible moments of victory for the world’s greatest athletes. However, many people don’t realize the amount of pre-production that goes into gearing up for the Olympics, so much so that…
Your Breakdown of Lens Filters
We’ve talked about filters on the blog a few different times before – from Roger’s deep testing of the clarity levels of UV filters to my discussion on how to use ND filters to help balance natural and artificial lighting on location. But despite these years of articles about various filters, I…
A Basic Understanding of Color Theory
If you’ve been a frequent reader of this blog, you’ve probably heard me tiptoe around color theory, and say that I’m not going to go into it further; as a post on color theory deserves a book or several college courses and not something a few paragraphs can do justice. However, it is a frequent…
The Art of Backlighting
When lighting a subject, it makes the most sense to have the light in front of the subject. However, when shooting with the light in front of your subject, it’s easy to make your image appear flat and uninteresting. By using a backlight, you’re able to further separate your subject from the…
Explaining the Different Types of Tripod Heads
A quality tripod can last your entire career as a photographer or videographer, so finding the right tripod system for you is immensely important. While the legs for a tripod are pretty self-explanatory, find one that matches the height you need, decide on carbon fiber or aluminum, and click buy.…
A Brief History of Chromakeying
Chromakey has become a staple in all video productions, from big-budget Marvel films down to your local weather report – but the history of chromakeying and masking is a long and storied one, that dates back over 100 years, well before the digital tools that make it easy today. Being that it’s a…