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John Watson is the original founder of Photodoto. If you're interested in what John has been up to, you can browse his personal blog.

The amazing Bogen Super Clamp

By John Watson
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Bogen Super ClampThe Bogen Super Clamp (Bogen Imaging) is a neat little piece of hardware. This simple looking device can attach itself solidly to almost any object with a width between 0.5 and 2.1 inches (1.3-5.3 cm). That includes shelves, tripod legs, light stands, doors, poles, fences, tree branches—or in my case, the neck of my daughter’s two-wheeled scooter. That’s right, Photodoto’s new unofficial slogan is, “Doing nutty stuff with expensive camera equipment so you don’t have to.”

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Weekend assignment: Night portraits

By John Watson
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If you’ve ever taken a flash photograph at night, you probably know first hand how cold and unnatural these kinds of photographs can look. What you often end up with is an overexposed photograph of a person floating in a sea of black space. But there is a better way to make a portrait at night, the subject of this week’s Weekend Assignment.

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Review of The Pod camera platform

By John Watson
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The PodThe Pod is essentially a fancy-pants version of the classic “beanbag tripod,” a device that photographers have been using for years as a makeshift tripod. The Pod people claim that The Pod “takes the shake out” and is a “breakthrough in effortless camera set-up.” Continue reading my review to find out what I thought of it and to have a shot at winning your own Pod.

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An up-to-date photograph can save a child’s life

By John Watson
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Smilesafe ID cardTomorrow is National Missing Children’s Day. According to a 1999 study, over 2,000 children are reported missing on a daily basis. The National Center for Missing and Exploited children (NCMEC) says, “One of the most important tools for law enforcement to use in the case of a missing child is an up-to-date, good-quality photograph.” Lifetouch School Portraits, in partnership with the NCMEC, are offering the Smilesafe Kids program which includes two free ID cards for each child photographed at participating schools. Find out more about what you can do to help at the NCMEC’s website missingkids.com.

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Psst! Want to know a secret? The best photographers make bad photographs, too.

By John Watson
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Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop. — Ansel Adams

Not all of the time, of course. And as you get better, your ratio of good to bad shots goes up. But no matter how good you get, you will still make a lot of bad photographs. The secret, the reason some photographers never seem to take a bad photograph, is simple: they only show the good ones. Self-editing is a simple concept but it takes discipline to do it. Many people, myself included, become attached to photographs as soon as the shutter is pressed. There was a time when I was saving every single photograph I took, even the ones that were out of focus. I look back on those now and wonder what I was thinking. Most of them have no value to me now.

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Shooting a live event: an exercise in positioning and timing

By John Watson
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I attended the Aloha Expo in Sante Fe Springs, California. Great food, music, entertainment—and events like these are fantastic photo opportunities. Shooting a live performance outdoors can be a lot of fun. Here are some tips to help you get the best photos possible.

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10 more ways to tell if you’re a photographer

By John Watson
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Expanding on the original post, here are 10 more ways to tell if you’re a photographer:

  • One of your primary criteria when buying a new cell phone is how good the camera is.
  • You love the smell of fixer in the morning.
  • You’ve made more than 50 shots of a single subject.
  • When you can’t find a model, you make self portraits.
  • You’ve endured a little loneliness for the sake of a photograph.
  • There’s a photo that inspires you to try and make one just as moving.
  • Tourists ask you to take their picture.
  • You were insufferable for the two weeks it took to get your camera back from repair.
  • You seem to find great photo opportunities whenever you leave your camera at home.
  • The garbage needs taking out, the house is a mess, and your car is filthy… but the glass on your favorite lens doesn’t have a speck of dust on it.

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Quick photography hack: Softening your built-in flash

By John Watson
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An external flash unit with an adjustable head is a great addition to any photography kit. With it you can bounce the light off the ceiling or a wall nearby or even use it off the camera to soften and change the light and reduce red eye. But compact camera owners are usually stuck with the built-in flash which is fixed in position next to the lens. Here’s a quick tip to help soften that built-in flash: try holding a piece of semi-transparent paper or white plastic (like from a milk jug) in front of the flash. It will act as a makeshift diffuser and help soften the light hitting your subject.

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Neat gift idea: photo blocks

By John Watson
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Photo blocksThe gang over at Photojojo have some really cool crafts you can make with your photographs. The latest is photo blocks which are easy and inexpensive to make but look great. Oh, and Photodoto and Photojojo aren’t affiliated in any way except possibly that we both belong to the club of websites with silly names.

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