Afraid of missing out on the latest photo industry news while you’re out, well, actually taking pictures? Photography News of the Week is all the news you might have missed this week, published on the weekends. Alongside the biggest stories of the week, like the tiny DJI Osmo Pocket and the new Capture One 12, find briefs on the latest in accessories and photography news from this week.
Tiffen Lowel Tota brings portable, powerful LED light
Tiffen’s latest light is both robust and portable. The Lowel Tota LED, launched on November 27, is a portable flood light that uses 70 watts to output the equivalent of 750 watts using 160 LEDs. The light is the first LED for the company’s Lowel Total line.
The light is daylight balanced and includes a dimmer as well as a slot for using with an umbrella. The Tota LED is constructed with a metal chassis and weighs about five pounds. The light can run on battery power or using AC, with an auto-sensing power supply that automatically adjusts when traveling to different countries. The Lowel Tota LED is priced at $449.
Shutterstock Select launches with high-end 4K footage
As the demand for video grows, so does the demand for high-quality video — that’s why Shutterstock this week launched Shutterstock Select. The option brings a premium tier of 4K footage. Shutterstock says the footage included in the collection is shot on high-end equipment such as cinema cameras from RED and Phantom. The collection is highly curated, the company says, but includes the same royalty-free licensing with simple pricing. The Select videos are designated with a new Select badge in Shutterstock searches, while users can also set search parameters to search only in the Select collection, or simply browse the collection.
Instagram’s visuals are becoming more accessible for the visually impaired
Instagram is a platform focused on photos and videos but the social network is rolling out more tools for the visually impaired. The update uses object recognition to provide alternative descriptions of photos using object recognition technology for users with a screen reader. Instagram is also allowing users to add custom alternative text with their photos for visually impaired readers, which will also be read for users with a screen reader.
Cold? This photo vest uses a smartphone-controlled heating system
Camera batteries (and many photographers) don’t like the cold but a new photo vest from COOPH uses a built-in heating system to help photographers shoot longer. Like a traditional photo vest, the COOPH photo vest uses pockets designed specifically for stashing photo gear. But the vest also uses a THERM-IC system to heat the hand pockets as well as the back and stomach. The heating system can be controlled using a Bluetooth add-on that allows users to control the heat.
Placing camera batteries inside a coat pocket will help keep cameras shooting longer, so perhaps COOPH is trying to give photographers a way to stay warm and keep batteries warm as well. The vest lists for more than $400, however, with the battery and Bluetooth accessories.
