One of the most common questions we are asked is what is tethered photography and how can I incorporate it into my photography?
Tethered photography is a shooting strategy which has been utilized by advertising, fashion and product photographers for years. Used primarily for studio work and high end commercial photo shoots, the process was known in the past to be cumbersome and expensive.
However, in recent years tethering technology has been become more reliable, portable, less expensive and easier to use. Due to these factors, it’s only natural tethering has become more common and is now enjoyed by countless professional photographers and enthusiasts.
So what is tethered photography? Tethered photography is the process of connecting your camera to your computer with a Firewire or USB cable. The computer can be a desktop or laptop, PC or Mac.
Once you create your image, it bypasses the camera (or change a camera setting and it can save an additional copy on your memory card) and saves it directly to a folder setup on your computer.
The tethering software then displays the image on the large computer screen, where you can clearly see the results. How great is that!
The 3” un-calibrated LCD on the back of your camera does not clearly provide the detailed information you need to know, with certainty, you have the shot. A laptop or computer display will provide you with this information.
It’s always better to get it right in camera as opposed to have to spend time fixing it in Photoshop, right? Tethering allows you to easily see distracting elements, identify depth of field & focus issues, sensor dust as well as unwanted reflections or shadows. Now you can easily make any needed changes, create another image and evaluate the results.
Having proper tethering equipment helps make your shoot a seamless, professional process, ensuring you always get the desired results.
Future articles will discuss other benefits and tools needed for tethered photography.
