Unfortunately, photographers who are editing photos in Lightroom for example, have usually been limited to a mouse and keyboard when it comes to their photo editing. Only a few companies have worked to change this status quo over the years. Today, we’re bringing you our TourBox Dynamic Panel V2 review so that you can see one of the best examples of how physical controls and a dedicated control interface will bridge that gap and bring professional production to your photography workflow.

Indeed, the digital interface is extremely important; it’s not just about a physical device with a few extra keyboard buttons and a few sliders or dials. We’ve tested such tools before, and they usually fall short. That is where the Dynamic Panel V2 comes in, and provides a level of smooth operation that really sets the standard for photo editing workflows. Whether your desire is to edit photos full-screen and still have your most common edits right at your fingertips, or you wish to speed up your editing by having other powerful tools readily at your disposal even while traveling, every serious photographer should check out a TourBox system.

We’ll dive right into our Dynamic Panel V2 review, but here’s the spoiler: The higher volumes (no pun intended) of photos you edit, the more time you will save with a TourBox + Dynamic Panel setup.

TourBox Dynamic Panel V2 Review | What TourBox Is All About

The TourBox concept is simple: it brings professional, studio-quality editing tools to the everyday user. Obviously, a giant “sound board” is out of the question for photo editors such as portrait & wedding photographers, content creators, and everyone who ever does work on a laptop while traveling.

We already did a deep dive into the hardware itself, the Tourbox Elite Plus. Simply put, it’s the perfect size for most photographers, whether you’re a serious full-time pro or a passionate hobbyist. One theme is common: if you’re regularly culling and editing hundreds or thousands of photos, you absolutely must consider a workflow tool like a TourBox. 

Of course, even if you don’t do high volumes of photo editing but you simply wish for that tactile, physical control over your editing, it is indeed something you should try out. Anyways, what we concluded was, the physical quality of the device is superb; it feels very professional and rugged, yet offers compactness and portability. Furthermore, the software that complements the TourBox is super smooth in everyday operation.

Today, we’re focusing on the software itself, the Dynamic Panel V2; it’s the companion to the TourBox control panel. It’s so much more than just a support app to a physical tool, though. It’s an overall workflow game-changer.

Having a physical device and software that integrates seamlessly with Lightroom, opens up whole new realms of workflow potential. One of my favorite things is the full-screen editing ability; it’s such a refreshing experience to have a completely distraction-free workspace; just your photo on a screen, and you use the TourBox to manage the adjustments of your frequently used color-correction sliders or other editing tools.

The end result is, I’m both saving time and feeling more creative focus! Accomplishing one of these things is rare and valuable; to get both from one new workflow tool feels priceless.

Let’s dive deeper into exactly how I use it in my workflow, and then we’ll discuss the main pros & cons you’ll want to be aware of when giving the TourBox your consideration.

TourBox Dynamic Panel V2 Review | Get Tedium & Clutter Out Of The Way, Be More Creative

Across the many years that we have been working professional photographers as well as photography educators, one thing that has remained consistent out of all the advice we’ve ever given has been this: whether it’s a camera, or a lens, or software, our goal should be to minimize technical obsession, and focus on being creative.

In other words, yes, it’s fun to get nerdy about tech and gear, but the tools we use should exist to make our lives easier, and ultimately, to enhance our art. Which is what brings us to now: we have a cutting-edge workflow tool that will fundamentally change how you approach photo editing.

The Dynamic Panel V2 doesn’t just help streamline or reduce tedious tasks, though it certainly does and we’ll get to that next. It’s also going to help us with our primary focus, which is being creative. The way the Dynamic Panel integrates with Lightroom and the TourBox, it can virtually eliminate distraction, while increasing access to the tools you use most.

I don’t know about you, but especially with Lightroom Classic, there’s an immense amount of interface clutter and it’s overwhelming. After countless years of familiarity with LR Classic, it’s not that I feel overwhelmed by having all those panels and tools, it’s more so just …distracting. I immediately hit “Shift-F” twice to get rid of the operating system window clutter. I hide those extra tabs; I only need “Library” and “Develop”; I don’t need Map/Book/Slideshow/Print/Web… You get the idea…

…So, I usually de-clutter Lightroom Classic as much as possible, like this:

Well, when you have the Dynamic Panel V2 at your disposal, things get about as sleek and de-cluttered as they possibly can. How is this possible? Because you can go full-screen with your photos, in both the Library and Develop modules, and use the TourBox to keep your workflow going.

…That is what it looks like to do color-correction in the Develop Module. By the way, I’m using the default controls for the above editing screenshot. I did, however, re-program one of the main dials to jump from photo to photo.

Since I’m left-handed, I’ve been trying out the TourBox with both my left and right hand; if I use my right-hand on the TourBox, it keeps my left hand free to use my mouse as I normally would. If you’re right-handed, it might seem counter-intuitive but I suspect you might want to also try using your left hand, too!

Whichever way you use the Dynamic Panel to customize your workflow, the point is this: when editing your photos, you’ll notice that you feel much more relaxed, in some sort of zen mental space where you just get to focus more on the image in front of you. Ultimately, this workflow makeover brings us creative clarity.

I will say this, however: the learning curve does require an investment of time, to get things tailored exactly to your needs. This is understandable, and worth it. Besides getting used to the device itself, some photographers may wish to create an entirely new key layout for whichever tools they personally focus on the most. You might want to create a setup that gives you rapid access to the cropping tools, to ensure that every horizon is level at a blazing fast rate per image. Or, you might prefer to have a stylistic set of adjustments right at your fingertips, such as Color Grading, HSL control, or the ability to apply presets. Maybe you want to set up different modes so that you have all of those things relatively close at hand! Again, it takes a while to get your workflow fully customized, but once you get there, the results are worth it.

Dynamic Panel V2 Review | Saving Time Every Step Of The Way

Whether part-time or full-time, every pro photographer knows the struggle of delivering photos ON time. We’ve all felt the bit of panic when a client asks, “hey, are my photos ready yet?” (Hey, sometimes the client texts you while you’re literally still driving home from the job! It’s okay, it happens… We love giving our clients an amazing experience, and we consider it flattery that they’re so excited to see the photos!)

The ageless dilemma, then, is this: how do we deliver results quickly, without compromising on quality? Better yet, how do we accomplish this goal consistently, when business is booming and we have three (or five, or seven…) jobs every week?

Thankfully, a single photo editing app such as Lightroom can do a massive amount of the heavy lifting for your workflow. Both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic have covered almost everything: from download, backup, and catalog management, to culling, color-correction, creative styling, and even portrait retouching, luminosity masking, and many other advanced edits, LR is now a one-stop shop.

Still, there is a lot of room for saving time, without compromising creativity. That is where TourBox comes in…

In portraits and weddings, you’re likely to have a workload in the range of hundreds or thousands of photos per week. (Even if you only count the delivered “keeper” photos, sometimes!) And yet, one of the key aspects of our own workflow is, applying at least basic color-correction and cropping to literally EVERY photo that our clients see. 

It’s a simple process; making quick adjustments to exposure, white balance, and a little bit of highlight and/or shadow recovery. Plus, of course, we ensure the level cropping of any photo that has either a hard horizon (like the ocean) or strong vertical lines (like a downtown skyline)…

However, if you’re not careful, this basic level of editing could consume hours of your time every day. Thankfully, though, if you have the right tools (and a disciplined mindset!) it could be a matter of minutes.

Using the Dynamic Panel V2 to customize the editing tools we have at your fingertips on your TourBox, our whole process of basic color correction can be measured in a matter of seconds per image, not minutes. (Or, for the really tricky shots, maybe one minute or so… Yes, we’ve extensively clocked ourselves and averaged out the numbers across hundreds of thousands of delivered images!)

What about your workflow? Well, let’s see; do you start with a Lightroom preset to set your color-correction baseline, or apply a final stylized look? Dynamic Panel V2 can put any of your presets at your fingertips, or a whole folder of them. (See above) Or, maybe you are like me, and have a bit of OCD when it comes to making sure that every strong horizon is always level… Once again, the TourBox has controls for that, including a whole new Dynamic Panel dedicated to cropping. This means you can turn a knob to perfectly level a horizon, and also have things like aspect ratio (and locking) at your fingertips. Again, this is all possible in a totally de-cluttered work environment!

Personally, I love traditional tonal manipulation, so I’m often turning to the Tone Curve tool for my personal work. (See below; again, what a gorgeous full-screen editing environment!) Of course, for a wedding or portrait session, you probably shouldn’t treat every image like you’re Ansel Adams. Especially for high-volume weddings, we’re more likely to be skipping the Tone Curve tool and instead using the Color Grading interface.

Whichever tools you frequently use, being able to go through your photos in a rapid-fire manner while still achieving quality results is a gift that keeps on giving. For some, it might immediately add up to hours saved every day. In our experience, even a conservative estimate would be, you’ll shave hours off your workflow time each week.

There are two main aspects working in your favor here, when it comes to time savings: As we’ve described, the tools you likely reach for the most are given dedicated buttons and dials/sliders; this ability alone will speed you up. However, the Dynamic Panel V2 goes a step further, and follows you from tool to tool. (It even follows you to other apps, but that’s a whole different article!)

The end result is that whether you’re in Grid Mode and need to jump into leveling a tilted horizon, or you’re in full-screen Develop Mode and you want to jump from tweaking your WB to applying advanced Color Grading, there can be a hotkey for that, and the Dynamic Panel can automatically change the function of dials to suit the current tool.

Again, it certainly takes some getting used to, but it’s one of those things where once you get familiar with it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

One last key thing that I really like about TourBox Dynamic Panel V2 is this: the initial setup and advanced customization are as intuitive as they can be, which really helps tame the learning curve. Whether you’re just customizing the buttons, of you’re creating your own personalized set of edits to have available at the push of a button, …things are pretty much self-explanatory. 

Just touch a button/dial/wheel, and in the Dynamic Panel it automatically selects that control so you can see what it currently does, and change that function if desired. Honestly, this is one of the smoothest learning curves I’ve experienced with any software in quite a long time!

Dynamic Panel V2 Review | Pros & Cons

The bottom line is this: with how much time you save, we think the Dynamic Panel V2 is a huge value to photographers. Especially any professional Lightroom user who needs to process greater volumes of images; even if the time saving was “just” hours per week or per month, it would be worth it, and yet, in our opinion a full-time pro is looking at a magnitude of hours saved every day. That’s huge.

For those who need more convincing, here’s the bullet point pros & cons as an overview:

Pros

• Reduces friction for virtually all tedious tasks
• High-volume workflows benefit the more you edit
• Seamless integration with both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom
• Physical controls also connect the artist with the creative work
• Updates & new features worth the investment/upgrade
• Physical device connection is simple, functional right out of the box
• Extensive customization for personalized workflow needs

Cons

• Significant time-saving tools always have an intimidating yet brief learning curve
• Every button being shaped differently might be an issue of personal preference

Advantages far outweigh any disadvantages, as you can see. I would be truly nit-picking to say, “some of the buttons are a little too small for my big clumsy fingers!” …but that’s about the worst thing I could think to say. Even then, I believe that most people will actually find it preferable to be able to memorize the feel of each button on the device. Also, I cannot emphasize enough just how perfectly sized the TourBox is for my work and my lifestyle; the device is portable enough to travel with, yet big enough that most of the controls don’t feel cramped.

The highlight of this review, though, is the Dynamic Panel V2, and what a leap forward it offers to all creative folks. I created a seamless workflow system using the extensive customization and useful new features like cropping and tone curve control, …and then suddenly without even thinking, I found myself using similar controls in DaVinci Resolve to cut up a video timeline and do tone curve color grading! I wanted to mention this last part because I know that even for someone whose entire income might be professional photography, there’s still a strong chance you’ll have some sort of social media presence that requires “content creation”, whether just for fun, or marketing your business, etc.

TourBox Dynamic Panel V2 Review | Conclusion

After editing literally millions of photos, our solution to the workflow conundrum is very straightforward: you need a streamlined system. (Yes, a clean, de-cluttered desk, also helps, and put your phone just out of reach in DnD mode, too!)

Personally, I myself managed the entire studio’s workflow for years, and to me, a tool like this is a holy grail. It makes my job easier in real, meaningful ways that result in me having more free time. Personally, I tend to lean more towards a simple look when editing; I believe that “timeless” is best. However, if I’m honest, I do have a weak spot for technical perfection, and that is where I once struggled to avoid spending an hour editing just one or two random photos. With a tool like the Dynamic Panel V2 and a TourBox Elite Plus, I feel like it’s actually FUN to “get the job done” with speed, while having even more creative control at my fingertips. You can learn more about TourBox Dynamic Panel V2 by clicking here.

Here’s the bottom line for you photographers out there: the more photos you need to edit, the more you need to check out TourBox Dynamic Panel V2. Whatever your creative style might be, and whichever version of Lightroom you use, Paired with the TourBox Elite Plus as your physical console, your professional workflow will finally feel complete. To check out your options, here is the information about pricing & availability.

There are many free online gallery options, however paying for any of the following comes with added perks that can revolutionize and automate parts of your business.  In this article, we’ll discuss the most popular options available and give you our verdict on the best one.

Outline:

• How to Choose an Online Gallery for Photographers
• ShootProof
• Pixieset
• Zno
• Pixpa
• SmugMug
• Pixellu Galleries
• Pic-time
• Zenfolio
• Sunshine Photo Cart
• Photoshelter
• Pass
• Photonesto
• Conclusion

How to Choose an Online Gallery for Photographers

Sign up for trials whenever available and thoroughly analyze the features and experience.  Switching services is cumbersome, so making a good initial decision is important.

When choosing the right online gallery, consider the following characteristics of the company:

• All levels of their pricing – Your online gallery storage needs will only increase over time.  Image file sizes are getting bigger with each generation of cameras, and you’ll also be adding many more shoots that you’ll be deleting.  This is why it’s critical to think long term.  Compare both the plan that you currently need as well as their highest plan with competitors to make a sound decision.
• Aesthetics – The aesthetics of the gallery is a factor, but perhaps an overrated factor.  Yes, the gallery should look and feel beautiful and high end.  However, a client may or may not notice small design differences between galleries.
• Features for the photographer – What other features and integrations does the gallery offer?  Some of these services offer additional features like a website and hosting, a Lightroom plugin for uploading photos, client and photographer contract templates, slideshows, and integrations.  Check to see if you need any of these additional features and weigh your options.
• Features for the client – Do they offer a good client experience?  Is it easy to access?  For example, some of these gallery options have apps for the clients to download and easily view/share their images.  Is that important to you?
• Longevity and growth – Will the company add features and grow with your studio?  Or is it struggling to stay afloat?  A company getting stagnant, not keeping up with tech, or even worse, going out of business could be a big hassle for you down the line.

With that said, let’s get into the best options.

ShootProof

ShootProof is one of the larger industry leaders for online photo galleries, and their main focus is on client-proofing and providing clients with excellent access to purchasing options for prints and downloads.

From the photographer’s perspective, ShootProof’s user interface is surprisingly fluid and easy to use, and they have plenty of tutorial videos for all of their tools. They also give you a lot of flexibility regarding the format and presentation of your galleries, something missing from most free gallery options.

Some of their security options are great for controlling how you share your work, with password and PIN-protected galleries, print releases, watermarking features, and the option to limit the number of downloads a visitor can make.

And instead of taking a cut from each of your sales, ShootProof operates on either monthly or annual subscription charges instead. You can try their trial 100-photo plan for free or pay $100/year for a 1,500-photo plan, $200/year for a 5,000-photo plan, $300/year for a 25,000-photo plan, or $600/year for a completely unlimited plan. Each plan comes with unlimited galleries, digital contracts, invoicing and brand development tools, and access to the mobile app. The unlimited plan also includes free archiving.

Because of its strong set of features, Shootproof is our recommended online gallery.

Pixieset

Like ShootProof, Pixieset operates on a flat subscription fee rather than charging you commissions for every transaction that you make through them, unless you are using the free account in which case they charge a 15% commission.

All paying subscribers have the option to connect Pixieset with their own domain and replace all of Pixieset’s branding with your own for a more professional client gallery. Clients are able to mark their favorite pictures using the Pixieset Favoriting tool, allowing you to track and download whatever they select.

All of their subscription options will allow your clients to create a mobile app of their photo gallery to preview images fast and easy. You also have the option to build your own professional portfolio site and blog, with tracking, and analytics integrations, and SSL security for an extra $12/month. In 2021, they released Studio Manager – a business app designed to help photographers enhance client onboarding, allowing you to create and send branded contracts, invoices and questionnaires, with booking and scheduling on the roadmap.

Their suite plans, which combine client galleries, online store, studio manager, and website, cost $28/month for 1000GB, and $48/month for unlimited space.

Their suite plans, which combine an online store, website, mobile app, and client gallery, cost $28/month for 1000GB, and $48/month for unlimited space.

Zno

This cloud-based gallery stands tall among the best in the batch of client photo galleries for a number of reasons.

When you register an account on Zno.com, you automatically get access to 1GB of storage on Zno Gallery. With a Basic level account (set at just $5/month), you can share, deliver, and proof your images. As a powerful and client-friendly tool, the Gallery allows your clients to select and download their favorite photos, which you can also track. Of course, you have the option to set the permissions for the gallery to not allow downloads, depending on your arrangements with your clients.

To keep your professional looking gallery on brand, you can customize the colors and add your logo. Furthermore, with a basic plan, you can send the gallery to a client through Zno using an unbranded URL, meaning only your brand will be represented.

Finally, yet another way that Zno Gallery stands out is through its integration with Zno Estore, an online store that you can use to sell prints, albums, and wall art with the images featured in your galleries. The online store allows you to set your own prices, doesn’t take a commission (other companies can charge 15% or more), and offers automatic fulfillment for printing and shipping your products to your customers.

Zno Gallery on its own is fantastic, but it’s worth noting that it is also part of a powerful all-in-one platform for photographers, which recently introduced a new Fulfillment Apps Bundle to make the Zno collection of apps more affordable than ever.

[Related Reading: The Best Online Album Proofing Options for Photographers]

Pixpa

Pixpa stands out from other online gallery options by enabling photographers to manage their online galleries along with a professional portfolio website, blog, and store – all in one place. Pixpa is also the most affordable option, with all-inclusive, flat-fees pricing plans ranging from $5 – $25 per month. Discounted yearly and 2-yearly plans are also available. All plans come with a 15 days free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. All plans offer the ability to connect a custom domain name, generous storage space, unlimited bandwidth, SSL certificates and 24×7 live chat support. You can add more storage space to any plan – $10 for 100Gb to $45 for unlimited storage.

Pixpa’s full-featured Online Galleries platform is included in all plans (except Basic) and enables you to share, proof, deliver and sell your images with style and simplicity. You can create unlimited client albums with multiple galleries in each album, enabling clients to mark favourites, download, and buy images easily. Selling images as prints and downloads is a breeze with custom price lists, discount coupons and an easy, smooth checkout experience. You can also create exclusive, personalised mobile gallery apps for clients to share your images with them.

Pixpa’s portfolio website builder also stands out with 150+ premium templates that can be fully customised. You can easily add an integrated online store, blog, marketing popups, ecommerce-enabled galleries and over 150+ apps and integrations to power up your portfolio website without touching a line of code.

Overall, Pixpa offers a great feature-rich package at a very affordable price, making it a great option for photographers looking for an all-in-one platform to showcase, share and sell their work online.

SmugMug

Unlike most of the online gallery options on this list, SmugMug doesn’t have any free account options, although users can try out their free 14-day trial period to get a feel for their platform. SmugMug has been operating since 2002, meaning they have weathered the age of Canon and Kodak and will most likely be around for many years to come.

Another perk to SmugMug is that every one of their plans comes with an unlimited amount of storage space and galleries, and you can easily import your photos from other platforms like Dropbox and Flickr. The downside is however that you need to purchase their more expensive options in order to have full control of your site’s e-commerce, and they have been criticized for having a cluttered user interface, although this is in part due to the amount of customizable gallery options they give.

Their basic plan starts at $7/month and comes with a fully customizable website, an easy drag-and-drop gallery organization system, password protection, email and social media integrations for quick sharing, and access to their print lab.

Their Portfolio plan, which is billed at $27/month, is where you start to have more control over your e-commerce with a Turnkey storefront, e-commerce gallery optimization, multiple options to fulfill print orders, download sales, and the ability to set your prices store-wide. You can also use your own domain name with this option. For $41.99/month, you can create custom price lists and coupons for individual clients, group multiple galleries under single events so customers can access all of the relevant photos and choose their favorites, brand your shipping orders, and give clients additional gift-wrapping options.

Smugmug offers the best pricing, and it’s a great option for those looking for a great solution at a great price.

Pixellu Galleries

Pixellu was initially known for their slideshow software, SmartSlides, an Animoto alternative and their SmartAlbums, a Fundy alternative for album design.  However, they recently announced their client photo galleries, and they are worth considering.   The Pixellu team’s primary focus is solving three specific problems:

• Usability – They’ve simplified the upload process into a three-step workflow (upload, customization, and delivery).
• Limited Layout Options – They offer multiple text and layout options for the client galleries.
• Slow Loading Times – They’ve optimized their galleries for fast loading for both the photographer and the client.

The rest of their feature set is comparable with the other Online Galleries like Pixieset and Pass, with reasonable pricing starting at $8/month.  This should be your Online Gallery of choice if you already use SmartSlides or SmartAlbums, as you can get ALL three for $40/month.  This can potentially save you significant money if you can eliminate the need to pay for these types of services separately.

Read our more detailed breakdown here.

Pic-Time

Pic-Time operates as more of an integrated workspace for photographers rather than just being a stand-alone online gallery space. Their platform has Lightroom integrations and syncing, and also comes with some great marketing tools that help you to make coupons, promo codes, and a range of marketing campaigns for your products.

Their platform is also well known for its easy-to-use and beautiful aesthetics on both the photographer’s end and the client’s. Customers can select their favorite shots and build their own albums, and the range of prints available through Pic-Time, including calendars and greeting cards, allows any photographer to increase their product range.

Pic-Time has a comprehensive range of pricing plans with three client gallery options, three art gallery options, and three bundle plans. Client galleries start at just $17/month for 100GB of storage or $34/month for unlimited storage with the option for you to add multiple brands for $16 each. These options all include an online store, marketing platforms, customizable products, GIF and video integration, shipping rerouting, customizable domain names and more.

The art gallery options have a similar option for expanding your operation to cover multiple brands, and the prices start at just $10/month, although this art gallery package comes with a 15% sales commission. You would need to purchase the $17/month art gallery option for commission-free sales.

Zenfolio

Zenfolio’s Portfolio plan, priced at $7 a month, offers an accessible entry point for photographers seeking an online presence. With this plan, users can establish a personalized website showcasing their portfolio and create shareable galleries. The options include mobile-friendly templates, client galleries for proofing and sharing, along with features such as watermarks for image protection and the People Filter.

Zenfolio’s PortfolioPlus plan, available at $19 a month, steps up the game by integrating an online store into the photography portfolio. The plan includes everything in the Portfolio plan, plus features like auto-fulfillment options for prints and products from partner labs, blog creation, and storage capacity of up to 150 GB, including HD video hosting. The advanced tools provided, such as Smart Pricing and rapid desktop uploading, make PortfolioPlus a option for photographers looking to monetize their craft.

Zenfolio’s ProSuite plan, priced at $33 a month, positions itself as an all-encompassing solution for photographers aiming to run a successful online photography business. The plan offers unlimited storage for photos and 4K video hosting, multiple watermarks for added security, flexible auto and self-fulfillment delivery options, and advanced features like automated scheduling and payment through BookMe. They also integrate PhotoRefine.ai for image culling and rating and Automated Client Campaigns for marketing.

If you are a school photographer, their advanced plan at $36/month is something to consider, as it comes with specialized features like for school, sports, and event photographers, a post-shoot green screen, multiple user accounts for larger businesses, the ability to set your own shipping methods, the creation of mini-sites to target specific events, boutique packaging options and much more.

WordPress + Sunshine Photo Cart

For photographers already using WordPress for their website, Sunshine Photo Cart is a great option that provides all the advanced features you need for successful gallery sales but you get it on your own website with more features than we’ve seen in other WordPress options. By using WordPress + Sunshine Photo Cart, you have control over your galleries for unique design customizations and functionality. Additionally, in this privacy-focused era, you have control over the data of your customers by having it on your own website.

Sunshine Photo Cart imposes no limits on the number of galleries or images you can create. It also does not charge any commission fees so you can keep more of your sales income compared to some other options.

Their WordPress plugin has a free version that can work great for many photographers and worth exploring to see if it is a good fit for you. They offer paid add-ons and various bundle packages. Their Pro bundle, which includes all their add-ons and being the most popular, is $279/year which is cheaper than many of the other options listed. From the affordable cost of the software, lack of commission fees, and offering a completely free version, Sunshine Photo Cart is a great solution to make gallery management easy and cost effective for those using WordPress.

PhotoShelter

Right away, one of the most attractive aspects of PhotoShelter is their image proofing system that gives photographers a wide range of easily customizable options for presenting and delivering photos to clients. Customers also have the option to rate and comment on pictures they like, giving photographers instant feedback on what works and what doesn’t, and the use of FTP and password-protected links makes sharing photos easier than ever.

One of the downsides though is that there is a commission fee between 8% and 10% on all sales regardless of the plan that you purchase. This downside is offset by the fact that every plan comes with free self-fulfillment of orders, and the platform supports 23 global currencies as well as PayPal, so there are almost no geographical limitations to your customer base.

Each of their plans comes with 9 HTML5 site templates, a custom domain name, Vimeo, Instagram, WordPress, and Tumblr integrations, SEO marketing and social media sharing tools, their mobile app, and the ability to sell prints and license photos. The basic plan for $12.99/month only comes with 4GB of cloud storage though, which is comparatively low compared to competitors, and this package does not come with a client proofing tool which their other two options do include. The standard $29.99/month plan gives you the above plus 100GB of online storage, while the $49.99/month gives you unlimited storage.

Pass

Pass has been around for roughly a decade, and they are mostly known for catering to wedding photographers and other professional photographers who deal with large quantities of photos per gallery or event. This means that they have great upload and download speeds to and from their platform, and they feature fluid social media integrations that allow your clients to easily share their favorite picture to their social media feeds with a backlink to your work, spreading your brand through word of mouth. Their gallery setup has a pinterest-esque feel to it, allowing clients to easily move through large volumes of content.

And best of all, they have expanded their free account options to up to 6,000 photos or 20GB of storage. Free accounts are charged a 15% fee on all purchases, and come with unlimited galleries, the use of your own logo in client galleries, an online smart store, mobile app, a portfolio site, and sales & marketing help.

Paid accounts start at $17/month for 30,000 photos or 100GB of storage and include the above without the 15% purchase fee, along with email marketing and additional album design options. Their unlimited account is $34/month and comes with the above as well as a full professional website and blog.

Photonesto

Photonesto is mostly known for its easily customizable online galleries and user-friendly system for selling photos online. The images in their photo albums are always presented with a clean, beautiful aesthetic.  Their password protected galleries work quickly and reliably and are tailored for every device.  For the end user,  the photo selection is made intuitively by marking the chosen photos with a star, and each selection is signed with the customer’s email address.

In addition, proofing galleries are password-protected and pictures within them are secured with watermarks. Other useful features include,  e-mail templates, currencies support, activity log storing all events, sale of additional products (prints, photo painting, etc.) and 24/7 technical support.
Photonesto is also unique because of their prcing model, where subscription is not required – basically, you pay for what you use. Online photo album prices vary depending on the publication period (3, 6 or 12 months) and the size of the album.  For example, choosing 6 months publication period, one small album (up to 1 GB of data – about 100 photos in full resolution) is $5.50, medium album (up to 3 GB of data- approx. 300 photos in full resolution) – $6.00, large album (no data limit – unlimited number of photos) – $6.50.

For more information, click here.

Conclusion

When it comes to professional online photo galleries, there really is no “right” option.  Each has a set of pros and cons, some are better looking than others, and some offer more features than others.  Switching galleries is a hassle, so signing up for a free trial and doing proper homework is critical.  You will likely be married to your final choice for a long time.   Ask yourself, what is the best option for you now and years down the line.  Will the price creep up and out of control as you add more images?  Do you trust that the company is well managed, and that the company will be around in 5-10 years?  These are all factors to consider.

But we’d love to hear from you.  What is your favorite online gallery? If you enjoyed this article, you might also be interested in our thoughts on the Best Studio Management Software and our thoughts on the Best Website Builders for Photographers.

Today’s Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 review is exactly that; something unprecedented, but in a modest way that is within reach of most photographers. It’s a professional quality lens, yet with a massive savings compared to the average professional f/2.8 zoom lens in this range. We’ve already seen so many unique zooms already that buck the trends of traditional zooms. We’ve seen quite a few totally unique ultra-wide lenses lately, such as the Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 G2, the 20-40mm f/2.8, and the 17-50mm f/4. Simply put, across the board, nobody else is making lenses like these.

The thing is, with so many excellent zoom lenses on the market now, how do you know if this exact focal range is right for you? Read this review and I promise you’ll find out… I’m not an influencer, though, so don’t let my bold “clickbait” type statement trick you; instead, check out these sample photos and decide for yourself.

What I do have to offer you is, my 20+ years of experience as a photographer, including professional weddings and portraits, but also countless other types of professional work, plus more hobby / amateur subjects than I can count. That is to say, whatever type of imagery you create, I’ll probably be able to advise you on whether or not the Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens is right for you.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD | Specifications

• FOCAL LENGTH & ANGLE OF VIEW: 35-100mm (63° to 24°)
• LENS MOUNT(S): Sony E (FE full-frame), Nikon Z (FX full-frame)
• APERTURE & RANGE: f/2.8 (constant), minimum f/22 rounded 9-blade diaphragm
• STABILIZATION: No
• AUTOFOCUS: VXD linear motor, near-silent
• MANUAL FOCUS: digitally controlled, dedicated focus ring, “custom function” switch
• OPTICAL CONSTRUCTION: 15 elements in 13 groups, 2 aspherical, 1 low-dispersion aspherical, 1 low-dispersion, 1 XLD (extra-low dispersion)
• MECHANICAL BUILD: metal barrel & mount, weather-sealed, USB port
• MAGNIFICATION & FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.3x magnification, 8.66” (0.22m) close focusing
• FILTER THREADS & HOOD: 67mm, 1-piece hood included
• SIZE: 3.2 x 4.7″ (80.6 x 119.2 mm)
• WEIGHT: 1.2 lb (565g)
• PRICE: $899

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Review | Who Should Buy It?

Let’s dive right in and talk about why this lens even exists, then we’ll talk about who should consider it. Simply put, you probably already know that the most common zoom range is 24-70mm. Such lenses seem to pop up like weeds, and most of them are pretty good!

Honestly, though? Right off the bat, I will say that as a portrait and wedding photographer, I never liked that exact zoom range. Especially for almost all types of portraits except maybe large groups, I never spent much time at 24mm, and I always wished for a little bit more than 70mm.

Therefore, for portraits (and weddings) in particular, I actually find myself wondering, …where was this exact focal length 20 years ago? It’s actually perfect for so many different types of portraits. Whether I’m doing engagement portraits of a couple, or newborn / maternity portraits, or headshots, high school senior portraits, graduation portraits, …but I’m getting ahead of myself now. The bottom line is this: If you take pictures of people, and if you value bokeh (background blur) …then you should really consider making this your go-to standard, mid-range zoom, instead of a common 24-70mm.

Portrait & Wedding Photography

I’ve already set the stage for which types of photographers I’m going to recommend this lens to, so, here I will just rattle off a list of all the different types of (people) photography that I’ve done, and whether or not I think this a good lens…

This Lens Is Perfect For:

• Engagements / Couples
• Individual headshots (corporate, graduation)
• Maternity & newborns
• Editorial & fashion
• Candid street photography
• Detail shots AKA “food portraits” etc
• Concerts, theater, stage etc

I Might Prefer a 24-70mm or 28-75mm for:

• Up-close photojournalism & indoor weddings
• Large groups of families, corporate teams, etc
• Environmental portraits, elopements, etc

Vloggers & Content Creators (Video)

This is where things get complicated, especially since many cameras apply a crop factor depending on which exact video settings you’re using. There is, however, one thing I wanted to point out where this lens might feel truly perfect for you!

I imagine that there are a lot of video shooters of all types who previously used a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. However, in the past a lot of cameras applied a crop factor when switching from photo to video, and they got used to that.

Now, more and more cameras are offering “full-width” video capture, meaning there is no longer a crop applied! Suddenly, your 24-70mm might feel “too wide”. In this specific instance, you might absolutely love the arrival of this 35-100mm.

Of course, the same logic applies to all video shooters past and present. When deciding which mid-range zoom is best for you, consider your current camera’s crop factor, (1.2x, 1.5x, etc) …and also consider what camera you might eventually upgrade to! You might decide that this lens isn’t right for you, and maybe the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 is a better choice. Ultimately, this decision is a complicated one because there are both creative and technical factors, so, give it a lot of thought.

Action Sports & Wildlife Photography

Both of these types of subjects often benefit from “a little extra reach”, so, again I will strongly recommend checking out the Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8. Maybe you’re photographing your kid’s gymnastics, theater, or music recital. Maybe you’re sitting in a blind waiting for wildlife to pass by. Either way, obviously your primary lens is going to be a much bigger telephoto option, but this mid-range zoom makes a much better complement to add to your camera bag.

Landscape & Nightscape Photography

Last but not least, here we have a mixed bag of suggestions that I’ll make. Simply put, I could see this lens being a great mid-range zoom if your bread-and-butter lenses are a 16-35mm and a 100-400mm. Obviously, the 35-100mm literally fits perfectly between two such lenses!

On the other hand, if I had to pick just one mid-range lens for either landscapes or nightscapes, I have to admit that it would be a good 24-70mm f/2.8.

On the other (third?) hand, honestly? I really like how much more lightweight, compact, and affordable this 35-100mm lens is. So, I come full-circle back to my initial advice: If your main landscape/nightscape lens is a 16-35mm, this is a perfect supplement. On the other hand, if your go-to is a 14-24mm or a 12-24mm, then yes, you ought to consider a mid-range zoom that is slightly wider.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Review | Pros & Cons

I’m going to be as brief as I can be in this section, because I want the photos to really speak for themselves. I’ll sum up this entire section for you right here: The Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD delivers excellent image quality, is built to feel professional and rugged, yet fits into a decently compact package compared to “exotic flagship” glass.

Image Quality

As you’ll see, whether it’s the clinical sharpness or the subtle bokeh, I’m impressed with the results. Especially for a lens that is likely oriented towards portraits, it is important to find a balance between technical perfection and the “character” of an image. In each instance, I think Tamron has done a very good job.

Technical factors such as vignetting, distortion, and chromatic aberrations are minimal, or at least they seem to be. This is likely thanks to built-in lens profiles that correct (hide) some amount of vignetting and distortion. However, this is par for the course in virtually all modern mirrorless lenses, and what really matters is the end result: Not only do you get excellent final images, but you also don’t have to lug around a massive piece of glass to get those results.

I do wish that this particular lens could focus just a little more close-up. The particular zoom range could lend itself to being an excellent “semi-macro” lens, and therefore I do wish that the magnification had been capable of 0.5x compared to 0.3x. With that being said, the close-up images are indeed stunning and I’m very happy with what I can get from this Tamron.

Build Quality, Ergonomics, & Portability

The Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD joins a growing arsenal in Tamron’s lineup, one that offers both professional quality yet also compact portability. We’ve seen this trend already; Tamron’s lenses getting smaller and lighter while offering different zoom ranges. Years ago, we started with lenses like the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 and 28-75mm f/2.8, both of which were significantly more compact and lightweight versus traditional flagship lenses.

More recently, we’ve seen options such as the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8, and the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2. Across the board, there’s been a common theme: durable, professional quality, with significant weight (and price) savings.

For this particular 35-100mm f/2.8 lens, the theme is similar: It’s lighter and smaller than a 24-70mm f/2.8, and yet it feels solid and professional.

Honestly, I was expecting something even more lightweight and compact when I first heard this lens announcement. I think, maybe, I have been spoiled by such ultra-light lenses as the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8, (365g) the Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8, (440g) or the APS-C crop sensor Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8. (530g) I think, however, that this 35-100mm f/2.8 lens is just a touch heavier than those because it is very difficult for any lens to bridge the gap between “normal”, AKA ~50mm.

Simply put, there’s no other f/2.8 zoom on the market which offers this exact zoom range, and this Tamron does it in a relatively compact package with just a tiny bit more heft than, shall we say, “weighing almost nothing”.

Autofocus Performance, Manual Focus, Focus Breathing

Compared to the older types of autofocus, Tamron’s latest VXD AF lenses are excellent. They’re virtually silent, fast, and accurate. I had no trouble nailing focus with this lens, even in low light and even with tricky subjects.

Of course, this may depend on the exact camera body you’re using; older mirrorless camera bodies don’t have the same AF chops as, say, Sony or Nikon’s latest-gen AF algorithms that use AI to help detect and track all manner of subjects.

All in all, I’m very happy, and I think anyone else considering this lens will be impressed as well. Whether you’re doing precise manual focus work for landscapes & astrophotography, or you’re pulling focus for video work, there’s nothing negative to note here.

Features & Customizations

I’m delighted to see Tamron begin to include an AF/MF switch on their newer lenses. Well, this isn’t a dedicated AF/MF switch, it’s a 1/2/3 position custom function switch, but of course you can use it to switch between autofocus and manual focus.

There is also a custom function button, which I personally don’t use very often but it’s a nice professional feature for those who want it.

Last but not least, there’s a USB port for customizing the lens and updating its firmware, and apparently this USB-C port is weather-proof.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Review | Value & The Competition

Here’s what you need to know: There’s no other 35-100mm f/2.8 zoom on the market, period. If you want this exact zoom range, this is your only option. (It’s an excellent range too, in my opinion!)
Having said that, there are still alternatives, if you’re flexible. Multiple 28-70mm or 28-75mm options exist, and some of them are more lightweight & compact while others are a bit heavier. Or, if you’re looking for the most traditional option, tons of 24-70mm f/2.8’s exist.

I do want to note that Tamron themselves have yet to release a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens for mirrorless cameras. They have a phenomenal “SP” DSLR-made 24-70mm f/2.8, but so far in the mirrorless realm they have focused on alternatives that are a slightly different focal range, and much more portable. In my opinion, this was a very smart move, but it’s worth noting that if what you really want is a 24-70mm f/2.8, maybe Tamron will offer one someday.

With all of that said, here’s the bottom line: For under $900, this Tamron is in a class of its own. The flagship 24-70mm f/2.8’s start around $1400, and easily get up to $2400. Any other option in a similar ~$900 price range is going to be a significantly different offering; not just the zoom range but also the image quality, autofocus reliability, etc.

In summary, if you like this zoom range, this isn’t just your best choice by default, it is truly an excellent lens that beats any “close but not quite” alternative.

Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Review | Conclusion

I hope you now have a better idea of whether or not the Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens is right for you! It’s not for everyone, however, there is definitely a huge group of both photographers and video creators who should strongly consider it.

If you photograph portraits or people in general, you should consider this lens before you think about a standard mid-range zoom. If you photograph people or animals in action, …same! To my own surprise, I’m even extending my recommendation to landscape and nightscape photographers, depending on which exact ultra-wide zoom you are using.

Currently, the Tamron 35-100mm f/2.8 DI III VXD sells for $899 on the Sony E mount, or $929 on the Nikon Z mount. From time to time you might see a $50 or $100 savings offered, as is common for many lenses, but for now (spring 2026) it’s a rather new, popular item so you’ll be fortunate if it’s in stock!

The contest was originally announced at NAB Show earlier this year and has since drawn hundreds of submissions from businesses, production teams, and educational institutions across the country. This week, Adorama Business Solutions added Canon U.S.A. as the exclusive camera and lens category partner, which means the winning studios will be equipped with Canon’s professional imaging lineup alongside everything else.

What the Prize Actually Includes

Each of the two winners receives $40,000 in production equipment spanning photo, video, lighting, audio, computing, and accessories, plus $10,000 in hands-on support from the ABS Pro Services team. That support piece covers consultation, system design, installation guidance, and training, which is worth noting because a $40,000 gear drop without someone helping you integrate it properly is a recipe for frustration. The fact that professional setup and workflow support is built into the prize rather than left as an afterthought reflects how ABS operates on the B2B side generally.

Adorama Business Solutions will also document the transformation process for each winner, capturing before-and-after content as the studios evolve. For organizations that want to tell that story to their own audiences, that is an added benefit beyond the equipment itself.

Who Should Enter

The contest is open to organizations that produce video or multimedia content and are looking to meaningfully upgrade their production environment. That covers a wider range of applicants than you might initially think:

• Higher education media programs
• K-12 broadcast and video programs
• Corporate in-house video teams
• Brand studios and creative departments
• Marketing teams producing internal video content

The people typically entering on behalf of these organizations include media program directors, video production managers, creative directors, and AV or IT leaders responsible for studio environments. If you are the person at your organization who is always quietly frustrated by what you are working with, this is aimed at you.

How to Enter

The submission process is straightforward and free.

1. Head to adorama.com/studioupgrade
2. Complete the form describing how your team currently uses the studio and what improvements would make the biggest difference
3. Submit photos and videos of your current studio as part of the application

After submission, you’ll be connected with a dedicated account manager and our Pro Services team for a virtual walkthrough to discuss your goals, optimize your space, and help finalize your entry. Please note that entries are reviewed based on studio needs, production goals, and the potential impact of an upgrade on the organization’s work.

The submission window is open now through November 11, 2026. Two winners will be announced on December 2, 2026, with studio upgrades taking place in the first quarter of 2027.

Final Thoughts

Contests like this tend to attract a lot of submissions, which means the quality of your application matters. The judging criteria leans on vision and impact, not just need, so organizations that can clearly articulate where they are today and where they want to go creatively will have an advantage. If that describes your team, it is worth the time to put together a strong entry. The deadline is months away, but getting in early never hurts.

You can find full details and submit your studio at adorama.com/studioupgrade.

We’ve broken down the following list of the best photo t-shirts into three categories: Funny, Designer (or Artsy), and Practical. Whatever your fashion sense, there’s a shirt here for you. Also, at an average cost of $20-$30, they won’t break the bank, so go ahead and grab one from each section.

Funny Photo T-Shirts

Let’s kick things off on the lighter side with some humorous photography t-shirts. This batch includes some clever puns and creative designs to touch on topics that just about all photographers can relate to.

1. It’s Not Hoarding If It’s Gear

All photographers are familiar with G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). It’s not uncommon for us to build up a formidable stash of gear (and debt). With this shirt, we can help break the stigma of gear acquisition and let the world know these are tools we use to show the world in a better light, and we need them…all of them.

2. Never Lose Focus

Delivered in equal parts pun and good advice, this shirt’s message strikes a perfect balance and reminds photographers to keep their minds on the subject at hand.

3. Vintage Camera Simulation

You’ll never be without a camera so long as you’re wearing this shirt. Even though you can’t use this camera to capture photos, you’ll definitely catch looks as passersby take a second glance to at your vintage gear…shirt.

4. Camera Sutra Photo T-Shirts

We typically associate posing with models or subjects in photography, but photographers have been known to strike some interesting poses as well while getting the shot. This humorous reference to a famous, ancient Indian sanskrit provides a new take on how to find fulfillment.

5. Evolution of Photography

From an old wet plate camera to a modern day drone, this shirt outlines the brief evolution of how photographers capture images. It’s good to see the selfie made the cut as no true evolution would’ve been complete without it.

6. Evolution of the Camera

In another record of photography evolution, we have the ever-evolving camera itself. We can imagine adding a mirrorless, smartphone, or drone to this collection to really bring it up-to-date. As is, the illustration does a nice job of showing others that you appreciate the history of your favorite visual occupation.

7. Size Matters

Do you prefer primes or zoom lenses? Wide angle or telephoto? Whatever the case, this entry into the list of the best photo t-shirts samples them all and answers an age-old question. It’s been said that it’s not the size (of the lens), but how you use it. This shirt argues otherwise.

8. I’m About to Snap Photo T-Shirts

You have to appreciate the wordplay here, and the illustration is great. Photography puns are underrated and deserve some “exposure” in the form of photo t-shirts.

9. Parker Photography & Web Design (Spiderman)

If Spiderman (aka Peter Parker) hasn’t already been named the official superhero for photographers, then he should be. This shirt boasts a clever cover for our masked hero and would suit him (and his fans) well.

10. Mommy Paparazzi

Until I saw this shirt, I never thought of maternity photographers as mommy paparazzi, but it makes perfect sense. It’s one of those “why-didn’t-I-think-of-that” ideas. This would also make a great shirt for photography moms who constantly capture moments in everyday life on their smartphones.

Designer Photo T-Shirts

Although you’ll find some crossover here with humor, this section of the best photo t-shirts for photographers deals more with artistic graphics that don’t necessarily focus on being funny.

11. Vintage Camera Patent Photo T-Shirts

This patent design taken from the ‘60s breaks down the design of a photographer’s main work tool. As utilitarian as cameras are, they still manage to lend beautiful form to their functionality.

12. 1938 Graflex Speed Graphic Camera Patent Drawing

The design for this shirt rings similar to the one above, but this time with an even older camera. This shirt is cheaper and easier to use than the camera itself, and it looks almost as cool as the real thing.

13. Watercolor Camera Photo T-Shirts

While black & white is nice, color plays a big role in bringing our imagery to life. This watercolor-inspired illustration beautifully captures the essence of how cameras help us see the world around us in new and interesting ways.

14. Sunset Camera Dial

Set the dial to chill and let the shirt do the work to set the vibe on your next shoot. The color scheme here is both warm and peaceful, or in other words, comfortable. That’s exactly how we want our subjects to feel when we’re photographing them.

15. Nature Photography

Whether you love landscape photography or the beauty of nature in general, this shirt has what you need. Take this photo t-shirt out on your next adventure or wear it indoors while you dream of getting back outside.

16. DSLR Camera Silhouette

This DSLR silhouette packs the stealth, mystery, and coolness of a certain DC Comics hero. Shadows and light direction work in tandem to elevate the drama in this unique photo t-shirt. Pick one up and wear it to your next night session.

17. Histogram

Photographers typically use histograms in an effort to maximize dynamic range. With these photo t-shirts, you can also maximize your fashion sense. It’s a win-win.

18. Aperture Adventure Photo T-Shirts

The team at Photogenic Supply offer up this entry as a sort of “choose your own adventure” design. It looks like a landscape drawing with photographic elements sewn into it. You can grab this shirt in a number of colors, all of which will inspire your next photography adventure.

19. Audiovisual

This combination record player/film camera design will bring smiles to those who wear it AND see it worn. A loving tribute to analog technologies that fill our eyes and ears with some of the best things in life.

20. Camera Line Drawing

Sometimes, simplicity makes for the best option. Two simple lines come together to reveal our workhorse, the mighty camera, showcased here in a delicate design.

Practical Photo T-Shirts

This last collection of photo t-shirts features shirts you can use to teach others about photography, or even to help adjust your white balance in post! Check ‘em out!

21. What the F?

Like others on this list, this design blends humor and design with practical information (though it leans mostly into humor). In this instance, the shirt gives us a basic visual of different aperture settings (aka f-stops) and pairs it with a clever pun.

22. Aperture Chart Photo T-Shirts

Use this aperture chart to memorize your f-numbers. The concept is as simple as the design.

23. Photography Pennant

If you didn’t already know when photography came into being, now you do, and so will everyone who sees you in this shirt.

24. Photography Defined

This definition might not quite match the one you’ll find in the dictionary, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

25. Storyteller Photo T-Shirts

A reminder of what photographers really do. There’s a reason people say a picture is worth a thousand words.

26. 18% Grey Card

You can get this shirt for your assistant and put it to use during your next shoot. The next best thing to this design would be to sell shirts in this color (18% grey) and advertise them as such, thus eliminating the need to write what it is across the front.

27. Important Dates in Photo History

This shirt takes the evolution of the camera to the next level and includes the dates (or at least the years) that these milestone cameras came into existence.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this collection of the best photo t-shirts for photographers. Whether you choose to be fashionably funny, hip, or practical is your call, but at least you have options.

Here lie just a few of my fallen flashes – gone too early and all because of a flimsy cold shoe mount. Feeling triggered? Well, we’ve just about had enough of these accidents happening consistently and decided it’s time to compare speedlight umbrella mounts to see which one reigns supreme and will secure your flashes through it all in the Ultimate Cold Shoe-down.

Speedlight Umbrella Mount Contenders

• Westcott Triple Threat Speedlite Bracket ($30)
• Amazon’s Top Choice: FOTYRIG Camera Flash Speedlite Mount Light (2 for $15)
• MagMod MagShoe ($60)
• Manfrotto Lite Tite Swivel Umbrella Adapter ($32)
• Phottix Varos Pro M Multi-Function Flash Shoe Umbrella Holder ($25)

Cold Shoe Flash Bracket Security & Durability

When shopping for a cold shoe mount, the top priority should be whether or not it can securely fasten your flash no matter what. While screw knobs like you see on most flash brackets have done the job for years, over time they have the potential to get stuck or lose their springs/knobs, inevitably leading to a fallen flash.

The Phottix speedlight umbrella mount is easily the strongest build, made of aluminum/fireproof plastic.  In contrast, the Manfrotto Lite Tite is one of the highest-reviewed on B&H with 434 reviews with a 5-star average.  The swivel and the cast metal structure are its major selling points, making it the sturdiest exterior build on our list.  But a glaring downside is that the round head isn’t made for speedlights but more for video lights, making it a tough sell for photographers.

The MagShoe, on the other hand, is one of the top performers in this category because it has a fastening lock that doesn’t budge if you were to nudge your light stand. Although it comes at a much higher price point, that’s some serious stability; and honestly you, quite literally, get what you pay for. Another bonus point for the MagMod Magshoe is that it gives you a 1/4-20 Adapter with your purchase, which is incredibly useful for Godox AD200 owners. This makes mounting a strobe simple and as easy as mounting a speedlight.

Cold Shoe Flash Bracket Ergonomics

Most cold shoe brackets come with a twist knob to adjust the mount head so you can angle your speedlight up or down. This is probably the most varied category for results because each of these flash brackets operates differently. The Manfrotto Lite Tite has a lever that lets you rotate the flash bracket almost 180-degrees, but it requires two hands to adjust, which isn’t the worst-case scenario but it is something to note.

The most innovative, by a landslide, is the MagShoe with its one-handed usability and ergonomic grip. You can tell that there was so much thought put into how to make a photographer’s life easier with the creation of this product, especially since it can be hand-held or placed on a light stand and operate identically.

Cold Shoe Flash Bracket Prices

While Amazon’s top choice from FOTYRIG  is the cheapest on the list, it isn’t the most versatile nor is it the most durable.

You will likely end up having to buy 2 more within the next year and a half depending on how much you use your flash brackets or how many hits they take. Like any other gear purchase, this is an investment you’ll want to think through, measuring how it will pay off in the long term. Having a more durable flash bracket could potentially save you money because they secure your flashes. Think about it this way, if you buy a new cellphone and decide you don’t want to get a case to protect it, you’re still the chump that has to pay out of pocket to fix that cracked screen. So, the real question isn’t about how much money you are willing to spend on a flash bracket, but how much money do you want to save on future speedlight purchases?

Dual Cold Shoe Mounts (Bonus)

While this category only applies to a smaller group of professionals who have more than 2 speedlights, it’s still worth discussing for those that want to grow their kit. The only cold shoe mount on our list that applies is the Westcott Triple Threat Speedlite Bracket. While this triple-headed tool can successfully mount 3 flash heads, securely fastening them might be an issue over time, and the unit we’ve had in the studio is now permanently stuck onto our light stand.

Another popular dual shoe mount contender is the Cheetahstand 3 Speed Light Hot Shoe and Umbrella Holder.  However, its construction feels like a plastic prototype for the Westcott, making it tough to stand behind.  Our studio unit is also broken, with the top mount having broken off through normal use.

While none of the other cold shoe mounts on our list fall into this category, the MagShoe offers the ability to mount 2 lights if you attach the MagRing. Now, technically this is a different product so it shouldn’t count, but as you progress through your career you may see the need of adding more speedlights to get more power, and the MagRing helps you do that without having to buy another light stand or cold shoe mount.

And the Best Cold Shoe Flash Bracket is…

MagMod’s MagShoe is the winner due to its versatility and overall protection exceeding its competitors in nearly every category. When you lock your speedlight into this flash bracket, there is no budging or worrying about whether or not it’s coming out. While it’s the most expensive (by far) on the list, it will inevitably save you money because you won’t have to replace parts or the entire unit for several years due to the solid construction and engineering.  Also, you can save your speedlights from early retirement with its robust build and durability.

We’d love to know what your favorite cold shoe mount is in the comments below! Let us know why it works for you and feel free to share this comparison for those shopping around for a new cold shoe mount to secure their flashes.

Personally, I have clicked well over one million photos in my career, and the number of images that I’ve truly “lost” has been limited to a couple of unimportant snapshots here and there, thankfully. However, I have had a few memory cards “go corrupt” on me, and each time I was able to retrieve all the photos!

First, it is important to start by understanding how memory cards work. Also, just as importantly, you need to create a simple, safe workflow procedure and then never, ever cut any corners! Cutting corners, and sheer forgetfulness, will be your worst enemies.

Unfortunately, the fact is that human error is far more common or likely than actual memory card failure. It may sound silly, but, don’t accidentally format a memory card if you’re not absolutely sure you’ve transferred the photos!

In this article, we’ll provide you with workflow steps for basic SD card recovery, (or any memory card, of course) so you can give yourself the best chance (the last chance!) of never truly losing images.

Memory Card Recovery | How To Save Your Images!

Duplicate Your Images As Immediately As Possible

Your absolute best line of defense against any sort of data loss is redundancy, AKA, having a backup! So, duplicate your images as immediately as possible.

Most high-end cameras these days have dual card slots, and therefore all serious photographers should be recording raw images to both cards at once, especially if you are getting paid to click photos! If you do this, the entire issue of a memory card getting corrupted usually becomes a secondary, last-resort emergency.

[Rewind: Tips for surviving a potential memory card disaster]

If the worst happens, there are two categories of problems that you face: Data corruption, and physical memory card damage. As you might imagine, one is easier to deal with by yourself!

Physical Memory Card Damage

Cards can crack open, (both CF / SD) or have the contact points damaged, or be physically bent or punctured etc. (Surprisingly, water, especially freshwater, is a rather survivable event! Saltwater is nasty stuff, though.)

[Rewind: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Cheap Memory Cards! (Sandisk Yikes!)]

Unfortunately, if a memory card is physically destroyed, there is not much you can do except to either carefully attempt data recovery, (see below) or send the memory card off to a professional recovery service. The good news is, if you’re willing to pay a price, sometimes even a highly damaged memory card can be recovered.

Steps to Recover Data Corruption

Okay, so, let’s assume that your memory card is at least in good enough physical condition to be plugged into a card reader. (If it’s physically falling apart, you probably don’t want to get bits of it stuck in your camera, but a cheap card reader can be sacrificed!)

If you were using dual card slots, then the first thing to do is to check the other memory card, of course. What if you weren’t using dual card slots, or what if both cards are somehow not displaying images that you know should be there?

In this worst-case scenario, there are two common problems: either a single image has gone bad, or the whole memory card has failed.

Step 1 | Immediately stop shooting on the corrupt card!

No matter what, the very first thing you do when you suspect that a memory card has encountered a problem is, STOP SHOOTING! If you keep shooting on that “bad” memory card, all bets are off.

Why is this so important? Because of over-writing. In most cameras when you “format” a card, it does not actually erase or destroy the image data on that card. It simply tells the card to “pretend” that the current images aren’t there, which allows the camera to write new image data onto the card, on top of the old image data.

If this happens, if the images you wish to recover get overwritten by newer images, then you’re really, really out of luck. Maybe the CIA or FBI can help you. (Or pray to the magical ENHANCE gods?)

So, remove your memory card immediately, and finish your photoshoot on a different card.

I pre-print a few “BAD” labels on a P-Touch labeler,
and store them in my card wallet for an emergency.

Step 2 | Inspect The Memory Card for damage

Assess the situation: does your camera not even “see” the memory card at all? Is it giving you a specific “ERR” message or code, or memory card warning? Is it telling you to format the card?

Or, can you actually see images on the card but one or more of them look visually corrupted, or are showing up as an “X” thumbnails?

Whatever the case, quickly jot down some notes and then remove the problem card, label it as “BAD”, and put it in your memory wallet.

Step 3: Run Image Recovery Software

There are many different memory card recovery applications out there, some are free and some cost a few dollars. I prefer the ones that cost somewhere in the $20-50 range; they seem to get the job done very well.

Try companies like Salvage Data for professional data recovery, RecoveryFox, or my favorite (on my Mac) is called PhotoRescue, from www.datarescue.com. I’ve been using this app for over ten years, (more often to help friends than myself!) and it has never let me down. In case anyone is wondering, yes, I’ve had better results with this application than with the name brand, Sandisk memory card recovery and Lexar memory card recovery applications.

On my PC, I use a more powerful (and a slightly more expensive) app called Data Rescue PC3 from ProSoft.

If you’re hoping for a free solution, I’ve heard success stories about a program named Recuva. As I mentioned, most memory card companies offer their own memory card recovery software, either for free or as a trial, but I can’t say that any of them work better than the apps I prefer.

How to perform memory card recovery

As you run the recovery software, even with its default options you’ll often be lucky, and it will immediately pop up with every photo that wasn’t recently over-written. In fact, if it’s been a long time since you shot the card all the way to 100% full, (I almost never do this anyways) …then you might wind up finding all kinds of images from many, many different shoots, going back many months!

There’s a small chance that one or two images might be truly corrupt; these might have been the culprits that caused your card to trigger the error message in the first place. Recover these images anyway, and try reading them in multiple different programs including the name-brand (Nikon, Canon, Sony) raw software that came with the camera. (Such as Nikon View NX) You might at least get lucky with a full-resolution JPG preview, if not the raw file itself.

Unfortunately, sometimes nothing comes up at all. If this happens, just try running the recovery again; do a deep scan, or advanced scan, or whatever additional options your recovery app has. If this fails, try another recovery program!

The least productive outcome is that your computer simply doesn’t recognize the memory card. The good news is that even if the card isn’t visible in Explorer or Finder, your recovery app may still see it. (You’d likely also be able to see the memory card in your disk utility application, if this was the case.)

If the card simply isn’t reading in your computer at all, you can try cleaning the contact points and re-inserting it a few times.

*Quite a few laptops have SD card readers that can get finnicky due to firmware; maybe try an external SD card reader, instead of an internal one.

Hopefully you’ve gotten nearly all your images back by now. Your software recovery has transferred the raw photos to your computer, and you can breathe that sigh of relief.

Of course, before you go back to work like nothing ever happened, be a responsible photographer and retire that memory card! (You did buy a memory card with a lifetime warranty, right?) Don’t take a risk with that card again; send it in for a free replacement. Especially if you’re a working pro.

What to do with Water Damage to Memory Cards

Okay, back to the physical aspect of things, before we wrap up. Believe it or not, water damage to memory cards is actually very survivable! In fact, a whole lot of folks have joked about how they accidentally put an SD or other memory card through the washing machine, and they figured what the heck, they might as well put it through the dryer too… lo and behold, the card then worked perfectly!

I would never recommend putting a memory card in the dryer, of course, but instead simply drying the card off with a towel and leaving it in a warm, dry place. (If your accident involved salt water, take a fresh damp cloth and wipe down your camera, lens, and/or memory card! Salt is like cancer to electronics.)

You can try the bag of rice trick, or you can use some of the anti-humidity desiccant packets. However, all you really need is low humidity and time. (If you live in Arizona, just let it sit out for a day or two!)

If you do this, instead of jamming your wet memory card into your camera/computer, you might not even need to run recovery software!

(Again, I’d recommend retiring & replacing that memory card! It’s the responsible thing to do.)

[Rewind: When is it time to retire an old memory card?]

Step 4: When All Else Fails, Call for Backup

So, you’ve tried everything and you still can’t recover any images. Maybe the card is physically damaged, or maybe it is just totally corrupted.

Either way, there may still be hope. Data recovery specialists have tools to perform actual SD card repair, or rebuild any type of memory card or hard drive, both physically and electronically.

My personal favorite, DriveSavers, is one of the most trusted names in data recovery. Their prices aren’t cheap, though; if you’ve lost only a few images on a small memory card it won’t cost you too much, but if you lost a whole hard drive, you’ll quickly look at costs in the thousands of dollars.

Conclusion | SD Card Recovery Is Possible!

Hopefully, your memory card recovery efforts don’t come to that. Or if they do, hopefully, you have photographer’s insurance that can help pay for it. Either way, no matter what the problem may be, there’s a very good chance you can recover images from a corrupt or damaged memory card.

If you have any questions or would like any additional input on a particular aspect of this process, or the overall safety workflow, please comment below!

Happy clicking,
-Matt-

Surprisingly, some of the most helpful tools photographers can use to manage their workload come in the form of mobile apps. In fact, there are several apps available to lend an assist to help get the job done from start to finish, and most are available for both Android and iOS users (with exceptions, of course). Many of these apps are free with in-app upgrades for special features, and even those that cost money up front won’t break the bank. For what you save in time and hassle, these apps are more than worth the price of admission.

We’ve updated this article to include 21 of the best photography apps for professionals in 2021, and we’ve broken them down into four sections:

• Best Photo Apps for Planning a Shoot
• Best Photo Apps for Capturing Images
• Best Photo Editing Apps
• Best Photo Sharing Apps

Basic Photo Apps for Planning a Shoot

Let’s start with planning! Planning for a photo shoot requires preparing on multiple fronts, from communicating with clients to scouting locations and checking weather conditions for proposed dates. These apps have you covered for all of the above.

Unscripted 

(Free with in-app subscription options for full access to all features – available for Android & iOS)

The Unscripted app checks off several boxes for photographers throughout the entire photoshoot process. You can read a more detailed review we wrote for this specific app here, but it includes an easy-to-use client management system for keeping track of your shoot details (including contracts & invoices), as well as a posing guide, access to photography education resources, and some other features that would take several apps to match, like moodboards, a sun tracker, a guide for camera settings, and more. Having this app is like having an assistant on you at all times.

Sun Surveyor

($7.99 – Android & iOS)

You can find other apps for tracking the sun and moon, but Sun Surveyor offers much more. In addition to its functionality as a sun and moon guide, you’ll also get schedules for golden hour & blue hour, and you can use the app’s “augmented reality” mode, which behaves like a 3D map, to see how the sun, moon or Milky Way will look at the time you expect to shoot at your chosen location. A lite version is also available. I also recommend checking out the PhotoPills app, as it functions similarly to Sun Surveyor.

Tide Charts

(free – Android & iOS)

This app offers a cleanly designed, simple way to worldwide tidal estimates on your phone or other mobile device. Other features include access to lunar data, weather forecasts, and current radar. One unique feature you’ll find with Tide Charts is that you do not need internet access to use it. The app was designed to share tidal and lunar predictions without internet access. It’s worth noting that loading time is somewhat slow the first time you launch the app, but you should be good after that.

Yr.no

(Free on Android & iOS)

This is a solid go-to from the available selection of weather service apps out there. As the app’s creators note, their “primary goals” with the Yr app were “to secure life and property, while delivering useful and accurate weather forecasts to our users, preparing them for all kinds of weather.” The app has been available for over a decade and remains one of the more popular weather services in the world.

Basic Photo Apps for Capturing Images

A lot goes into capturing perfect images. The photography apps below will give you the tools you need to take professional quality photos on your smartphone, in addition to providing services like creating model releases, lighting diagrams, and more.

Camera+ 2

($7.99 on iOS)

This is an all-in-one photo app. You can capture photos (one at a time or in burst mode), make your edits, and upload the images to social media, all in one seamless workflow. Camera+2’s editing menu includes some unique options, like choosing your file format (RAW vs TIFF, for example), adding artificial flash and creating animated gifs, as well as more traditional features like cropping, rotating images, and making adjustments to brightness, saturation, tint, sharpness, and contrast. The app also includes custom filters.

Pro Camera by Moment

($6.99 on iOS)

You have to appreciate this app’s ability to shoot in RAW format while also giving you full manual controls on your phone. Moreover, you can use the app to shoot a time-lapse, long exposures, or go the opposite direction in burst mode. For those interested in shooting video, Moment provides a number of cool videocentric features as well, including color profiles, bitrates, dual-channel audio meters, and more.

ProCamera

($8.99 + in-app purchases – iOS)

As noted on their site, “ProCamera is an all-in-one app that features photo, video, and editing capabilities using state-of-the-art technology.” Some standout features include RAW photo captures, low light assistance, auto perspective correct, and rapid fire burst, among others. As advanced as the features are, the app’s design is intuitive and remains easy to use. If you’re an Android user, this app might just tempt you to jump over to iOS).

Camera360

(Free – Android)

In addition to its functionality as a camera app, this tool is also meant to keep you on task and meeting deadlines. Camera360 allows you to set timers for your tasks as you apply flash effects to photographs, adjust photo size, and check out the app’s mirroring capability, and more. You’ll appreciate the no-nonsense style of its layout.

Sylights

(Free – iOS)

While some might expect an app for lighting diagrams to fall under the “planning” section, it’s actually quite useful for quick reference on location. You can use this app to refer back to lighting diagrams that you’ve created ahead of time, or else quickly take note of new setups you try out in the field. Choose from a variety of lighting icons to create your very own lighting diagram. I would always recommend practicing lighting techniques BEFORE you’re on location with a client, but this professional photography app is great for keeping track of your favorite setups.

Basic Photo Editing Apps

Busy professionals don’t always have time to make it back to a desktop. Sometimes, when tasks need to be completed, they need to be done on-the-go, immediately. The apps below are the best for editing your photos anywhere, whether you need to do a quick edit or even throw in some retouching. We’ve also included some apps for stylizing your photos with textures and such, in case that’s part of your workflow.

Adobe Lightroom Mobile

(Free with in-app purchases – Android & iOS)

Adobe has continued to improve Lightroom mobile and it’s already a worthy opponent for the desktop version, with bonus points for portability. The Lightroom Mobile app also allows you to use the same filters & sliders to edit your images with the same precision as the desktop version. In fact, we used the app exclusively to edit the photos in the SLR Lounge Workshop, Creative Photography 101.

Photoshop Express

(Free with in-app purchases – Android & iOS)

People who use Photoshop premium for desktops will be shocked at how many of their go-to tools like noise removal, image healing, perspective correction, and others are found in the Express version. Easy to use, the Photoshop Express app acts intuitively for the user and makes it easy to flip, rotate, crop your images, and more. You can also use this app to create collages and add watermarks, borders & text.

VSCO

(free with in-app purchases – Android & iOS)

The VSCO app is equal parts photo, editing, and sharing app, but we’ve included it here for its unique and well-known editing capabilities. The app comes stocked with 10 presets (or over 130 presets with the paid version), but you can take the edit further with manual adjustment tools like crop, exposure, clarity, contrast, sharpen, straighten, saturation, shadow save, and more.

Snapseed

(Free – Android & iOS)

Snapseed offers incredible granular adjustments and slight modifications that are often too subtle for the average user. This incredible photography tool could be used for the finest adjustments for the most discerning eye, including straightening, cropping, saturation adjustments and more. Even though it’s free to use, Snapseed feels like a premium app.

TouchRetouch

($1.99 – Android & iOS)

The TouchRetouch app works wonderfully for removing blemishes and other unwanted elements from your images, often with a single touch. Some of the app’s available tools include a lasso, eraser, clone stamp, and more.

Afterlight 2

(Free with in-app purchase options – iOS)

Afterlight 2 offers high quality filters (130+ filters), real film textures (60+ textures/layers) and (20+) precise editing tools like advanced curves, selective HSL, overlays, gradients, and more. You can also add frames/borders to your images and top them off with type and other designs, each editable on its own layer.

Picsart Photo & Video Editor

(Free with in-app purchase options – Android & iOS)

The Picsart photo & video editor is one of the most popular apps in its field, and for good reason. You can use the app to quickly and easily cut objects out of the background, remove unwanted objects in a photo, change colors of objects in the photo, create collages, add text, and so much more, and that’s just on the photo side. The video editor includes a number of useful features like cropping and editing videos, adding music,  applying filters like glitch effects, creating slideshows, and more. After you realize how useful this app is for creating top trending TikTok and Instagram-worthy content, you’ll wonder how you got along without it.

Mextures

($1.99 with in-app purchase options – iOS)

The app gives users access to a library of over 150 texture presets, authentic film filters, and professional-grade adjustments make it easy to find your own look.” You can also apply custom presets and share your editing style with other users. Other features include the ability to add blendable layers (with up to 12 blending modes) for using gradients, textures, light leaks, grain, and more. Each layer can also be isolated and edited for texture, blend mode or rotation.

Basic Photo Sharing Apps

The apps in this section need no introduction, but they play an integral part in not only sharing photos but also helping build (and, in one instance, run) a photography business.

Pinterest

(Free – Android & iOS)

Photographers have long used Pinterest to share photos, create moodboards with clients, and grow their clientele. In essence, Pinterest serves as a massive search engine and offers photographers a great platform for expanding their reach and promoting/building their brand. The app is pretty user friendly, so you can easily share your photos to a variety of boards based on genre, style, subject, location, and more.

Instagram

(Free – Android & iOS)

Most photographers (and businesses in general) already use Instagram as part of their marketing efforts. While photographers often refer to other premium photography editing tools to adjust photos before uploading them to Instagram, the built-in filters are widely copied in professional presets and do a nice job of enhancing well-captured photos. This powerhouse app also links into social networks better than most other photo apps, which helps keep an efficient workflow.

GramSpacer

(Free – Android & iOS)

The GramSpacer app allows users to easily add line breaks for comments, captions, and bios on Instagram and TikTok. While this app has little to do with capturing your images, using it shows that you value aesthetics when presenting your work and it serves as a great asset for distributing your photos and videos on Instagram or TikTok.

Conclusion

We hope you found this list of photography apps for pros on the go helpful. There’s no shortage of apps to choose from, but a select number of them can legitimately help streamline your workflow and make your life as a photographer a little better.

If you have the time, here’s a look back at some previous favorites that are no longer on the list that might still be worth checking out:

• Pixlr Express
• Photo Grid
• Pics Play
• Awesome Miniature
• Paper Camera
• Color Splash

What are some other apps you use regularly as part of your photography workflow?