This post was provided by Jeremy Cowart for the Better When You Tether Series: Inspired Tethered Photography Setup by professional photographers/videographers from all different styles, age groups and experience.
Tethering has changed my photography in many, many ways. I love being able to edit as I shoot. That way the client is seeing what I want the final image to look like on the spot. They’re not seeing bad RAW files. Also, the client knows when we have the shot if I’m tethering. That way I don’t have to keep over-shooting for safety. It can bring a lot of pressure too with that many people staring over your shoulder but I think there are a lot more positives to tethering than negatives. – Jeremy Cowart
Tethering has changed my photography in many, many ways. I love being able to edit as I shoot. That way the client is seeing what I want the final image to look like on the spot. They’re not seeing bad RAW files. Also, the client knows when we have the shot if I’m tethering. That way I don’t have to keep over-shooting for safety. It can bring a lot of pressure too with that many people staring over your shoulder but I think there are a lot more positives to tethering than negatives. – The Story
For this photo shoot, we were setup outdoors. The client was HarperCollins Publishers and the job was for a book cover.
I had a specific vision I was aiming for during the shoot and having the ability to tether allowed me to capture my vision. Without my tethered photography setup, I would not have had the ability to see all the images displayed to see how my vision was playing out. Shooting tethered has become an intricate piece of my photography workflow, not just for my clients, but for me as a photographer and artist.
The Gear
When I am traveling on-location for a photo shoot, it is extremely important for me to travel as efficient as possible. Having the most ideal, lightweight setup for a workstation saves me as well as my assistants time because we can all see what I’m looking for as well as the vision I am going for. Of course, this is even more ideal, because we are not hovering over my small camera back screen.
Also by having this setup, I enjoy editing my photos as the shoot goes. That way my subjects can see images that are very close to the finals.
I normally shoot with Canon 5D Mark III as well as a variety of lenses. Lenses vary from the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro and Canon EF 50mm f/1.2.
Table Setup:
- Hardware: Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8
- Software: Capture One Pro 7
- Cables: USB 2.0 Orange 15′ Cable, USB 2.0 16′ Extension Orange Cable
- Tether Table: Aero Traveler Black Table with Aero SecureStrap
- Accessories: StrapMoore (to hold laptop battery)
About Jeremy
Jeremy Cowart is a photographer from Nashville, TN. Mostly known for his work as a photographer of celebrities and musicians, he also spends a lot of time on entrepreneurial ideas and humanitarian projects. His first iPhone app, OKDOTHIS, recently launched and he also founded a global photography movement called Help-Portrait that just had it’s 5-year anniversary. Jeremy lives in Nashville with his wife and 2 children and soon-to-be 2 more adopted children from Haiti.
