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<\/p>\nA photo shoot can sometimes be a chaotic environment. Technology has made it much easier to get results of each shot you take – instantly – on the LCD screen on the back of your camera, however, can you really rely on such a small screen to review every detail of the image? Yes, you can zoom in and scroll around, however, that takes time – and time is money. Luckily, there is an easy solution! Shooting \u201ctethered\u201d can help you review details of each image in full resolution without the need for stalling to zoom and scroll to check an image for issues.<\/p>\n
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Shooting tethered to my iMac.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Image courtesy of W. Matthew Chamberlain<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u201d is Tethered Shooting?<\/b><\/p>\n To \u201ctether\u201d generally means tying or connecting one thing to another (usually to restrict the distance that one thing can travel from another\u2026) Think of the game \u201ctetherball\u201d from grade school, called such as a ball is tethered to a pole by use of a piece of rope.<\/span><\/p>\n Image courtesy of Google Images.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Tethering in terms of photography is basically connecting your camera to a computer, laptop, external storage drive or other device using a cord or by wireless means – for instant image transfer while shooting. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u201d Tether?<\/b><\/p>\n Tethered shooting, often referred to as \u201ctethering\u201d, has many benefits in photography. Some of those benefits include:<\/span><\/p>\n Reviewing images between shots.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Image courtesy of W. Matthew Chamberlain<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Tethered shooting makes it easier to share thoughts and suggestions w\/my creative team and clients.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Rating system in Lightroom. I use the star rating system, but colors and flags can also be used.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n I use my <\/span><\/i>LaCie 4TB Rugged RAID External Hard Drive<\/span><\/i><\/a> for image backup.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Various photo editing\/tethering software such as PK Tether, Camera RC, <\/span><\/i>Control My Nikon, Aperture, Capture One and Lightroom.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Some may argue that tethering can be inconvenient due to the additional equipment it involves, such as a computer or laptop, additional cables and something to stabilize your monitor. Good bags and cases go a long way in helping you transport this type of equipment to a set, some of which I recommend in my article: <\/span>Bags, Cases & Pouches: Picking a Means for Carrying and Storing Your Gear<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Others may find excuses such as that tethered shooting allows for everyone in the room to see what you are shooting without the benefit of post-production. When you have a client on set and you tether to a program such as Lightroom, it is very simple to stop every once in a while and make a few adjustments to an image in Lightroom (hey, you\u2019re may be tethering using Lightroom anyway!) to communicate your result you are going for during a shoot. <\/span><\/p>\n When it comes down to it, tethered shooting has very few drawbacks compared to the numerous benefits it has for photographers of any level. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWho\u201d Tethering Would Benefit the Most<\/b><\/p>\n Tethering can be a great tool to use – if you are new to shooting in a studio or on location – as you can fix issues that may arise upfront and make necessary camera, lighting or composition adjustments as needed. Tethering is also a useful tool for advanced photographers to better direct their creative team and to allow clients the ability to view the results of each shot as you shoot so that they can say \u201cStop! That\u2019s the one!\u201d In general, tethered shooting is perfect for:<\/span><\/p>\n Required Gear for Tethering<\/b><\/p>\n All you need is a display device, a camera, a tether cable and tethering software.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n While you can go crazy and set up your own tethering station with all the choices that there are out there from tables to pads to cups holders, all you need to start shooting tethered are the following:<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s that simple. I\u2019ll go into more on required gear and additional options later.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow\u201d to Tether<\/b><\/p>\n Starting a tethered session is very simple in a matter of only a few steps. To keep things a bit more simple to explain, I am using one of more popular tools to tethering and photo editing – Lightroom CC – as one example of how to get started with tethering. If you use another program, check out the manufacturer\u2019s guide or website for details how to tether.<\/span><\/p>\n Here, I connect one end of my TetherPro USB 2.0 A Male to Mini-B 8 Pin <\/span><\/i>Cable for Nikon D750\u2019s to my camera.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Image courtesy of Yann Bizeul<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n When in the main area of my home studio, I connect the other <\/span><\/i>end of the cable to my <\/span><\/i>27\u201d iMac w\/ Retina 5K Display<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n I use a current version of <\/span><\/i>Lightroom<\/span><\/i><\/a> for my tethering and initial photo editing.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Start tether capture to begin your tether session.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Name your session.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Select a naming template.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n I usually use a start number of 100 if I anticipate shooting less than 1,000 images per shoot.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Select a location to store all the images you capture during your tethered session.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n If you have a preset for metadata saved, select the respective preset metadata.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Add keywords that describe your shoot so that you can easily search to find an image later.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Turn your camera on.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Image by W. Matthew Chamberlain<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n The camera toolbar shows the D750 (my camera) – which means I\u2019m connected.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Begin shooting!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Image by Yann Bizeul<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Gear Guide for Tethering & \u201cWhere\u201d to Buy It<\/b><\/p>\n Beginning to shoot tethered does not have to cost an arm and a leg. You can start with as little as a cable between your camera and laptop and advance it to a complete tether workstation. For all recommended options below, you will need a display device such as a laptop or a desktop and a camera that has tethering capabilities (most modern digital cameras have this ability – check your camera\u2019s manual or manufacturer\u2019s website for details\u2026)<\/span><\/p>\n The Very Basic Gear<\/b><\/p>\n Belkin 16\u2019 USB Extension Cord<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n Image courtesy of Adorama<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n If you are really strapped for cash and are ok with slower speed transmission or the occasional two-cable connection disconnect because you\u2019ve accidentally stepped on the cord while you move around, you can start with something as basic as your camera\u2019s USB cord and connect it to a <\/span>Belkin 16\u2019 USB extension cord<\/span><\/a> for a decent tether length. This is the way I started, however, I found that as I really got into my shoot, I constantly stepped on the cable at the camera-end and the two cables became disconnected or the connection just wasn\u2019t that reliable. You can spend a few extra dollars and secure the two cables together by using the <\/span>Tether Tools Jerkstopper In-Line Cable Management Ties<\/span><\/a> or a <\/span>Tether Tools Jerkstopper Extension Lock<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Recommended Basic Gear<\/b><\/p>\n After tiring of the poor connectivity and constant disconnect between my two cables, I invested in a <\/span>![\"02-What-Is-Tethered-Shooting\"](\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/02-What-Is-Tethered-Shooting.jpg\")
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