This post was provided by Mike Isler for the Better When You Tether Series: Inspired Tethered Photography Setup by professional photographers/videographers.
Background of the shoot
“This shoot was for a German department store, Appelrath-Cüpper. The project was creating a “Fashion in New York” story for their Christmas promotions. Our locations were mostly on the streets of New York City. This image was from the Meatpacking area of NYC. Clients on the shoot requested printouts as we went, so I brought my Canon printer for instant 4×6 prints. We spent two 12hr days on the street, almost entirely away from AC power but extended batteries kept the laptop going the whole shoot.”
How did your set up impact this shoot?
As a Digital Technician, tethered photography not only allows me to provide instant previews and feedback to the photographer, but also shape the final image with accuracy not available when shooting solely to a card. Through the use of image controls and raw adjustments, clients on set see images closer to “final” than ever before. Shoots run more efficiently, image quality is improved, and clients are happier. – Mike Isler
The Gear
My tethered setup has a Manfrotto 131DDB all mounted on Gitzo G1348 Mk2 tripod (discontinued but replaced by Gitzo GT3541LS).
Left Side:
- Hardware: MacBookPro 15″ Retina, Lexar FW800 or USB 3.0 Card Reader (mounted via velcro to the bottom of the Aero Table), Satechi 4-Port USB 3.0 (mounted via velcro underneath Aero Table) and LaCie Rugged Hard Drive.
- Software: Capture One Pro 7, ChronoSync, A Better Finder Rename, Adobe Creative Suite and ShotPut Pro
- Cables: TetherPro USB 3.0 Cable
- Tether Table: Aero Macbook 15″
- Accessories: Aero XDC, Aero Hooks and thinkTank Sunscreen 2.0
Right Side:
- Tether Table: Aero Macbook 15″
- Hardware: Canon Selphy CP800 4×6 Printer, HyperJuice 220 Watt Hour Extended Battery
- Accessories: Aero ProPad 15″
About Mike
I’m a New York City based Digital Technician. For the past 7 years I’ve worked with numerous high end editorial commercial and editorial photographers, helping them capture their vision. The type of projects I regularly work on range from fashion to architecture, beauty to still life, aerial to cosmetics, and everything in between. Having an efficient tethering computer station is essential to my productivity. The equipment I work with goes with me to both luxury studios as well as remote locations well away from AC power. My projects spread well beyond NYC, and in the past year I’ve worked in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Orlando, Omaha, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Richmond.
My experience also extends to helicopter-based shoots, and I do a significant bit of technical consulting for those productions. I hold a pilot’s certificate for fixed-wing aircraft, and also spend a considerable time in the back of helicopters orchestrating those shoots. In addition to working as a digital technician, I work as a 1st AC (Assistant Camera) and media manager on film productions.
