Looking Glass Photo

When you keep it local at Looking Glass, not only will you receive the promotions and sale prices you'd expect, you'll also receive up to $200 back on a Looking Glass gift card. It's our way of saying THANK YOU for supporting small businesses like Looking Glass, while giving you an excuse to come back soon. We all need your support now more than ever...

This is why we do what we do. Helping people with their creative vision and being part of their photography journey is not only fulfilling, it's so much fun.. Thank you so much Sita for sharing your experience.

We took some time recently to walk the store and found 20 gift ideas for the photography fanatic in your life (maybe that's you!?). Below, please find our "Top 20 for 2020" gift ideas; Many of these are items you likely wish you had known about sooner! Super useful and fun, show the photographer in your life how thoughtful you are with gift giving.

This Wednesday, November 11th, we have an entire day of fun and inspiring Nikon activities planned for you, It's all online, and it's all FREE. Enjoy photography classes, product demos, open Q&A sessions, and photo show & tells. The full schedule is outlined below. All you need to do is reserve your space. OH! And also, we've got a great deal coming to you that same day - Receive a Gift Card with Nikon purchase. See you Online this Wednesday!

Four Part Lightroom workshop - Online Live. World renowned photographer Ansel Adams said, You don’t take a photograph, you make it. Crafting exquisite images is fun and easy with the right tools. Taking a photograph is the first step, but like a musical score, a photograph is open to interpretation. This class series will teach you the tools and tricks that will have your images matching your creative vision.

And our final Staff Pick for cool and useful tripods is here. It’s a multi-purpose companion that can go wherever you go. I love the Promaster Hitchhiker. It fits in any bag and even my cargo pocket on my shorts. I use it for both my smartphone and camera. There are no parts to lose and it converts in seconds. I think it’s great as a stabilization tool for Zoom video chats, watching movies on an iPad, capturing long exposure images, video shoots, and table top product/food shots. It goes everywhere with me. -Tamara.

We’re mixing it up for our fourth of five tripod Staff Picks that we think you should know about. We’re throwing a monopod into the mix! Read on to find out how this monopod opens some cool doors for your photography. My choice is the Promaster MPV432+ Convertible monopod. It helps minimize both camera shake and gear load. The removable feet at the base of the monopod help increase camera stability, and at only at 1lb. 14oz., it weighs far less that most standard tripods. ...The reversible thread on top allows for direct installation of either a camera or an optional tripod head. And since I mention tripod heads, The Sirui L-10 Tilt head for monopods is an invaluable tool when shooting with larger telephoto lenses. Combined with a monopod with feet like the MPV432+ Convertible monopod this head allows for quick tilting for wildlife, bird or even sports photography, while the monopod itself allows for fast panning action. The head includes an arca-swiss style QR plate system, which is compatible with the collar mounts on professional telephoto lenses. -David. See more

How do you tripod? Here’s our third of five Staff Picks that we think you should know about: My favorite tripod is the Promaster Specialist SP532CK. It’s a full size tripod topping out at 80-inches which is a lot taller than I am. The maximum load on this tripod is twenty six pounds, so it will hold just about any camera securely. I use it with my 4x5 monorail camera and it is rock solid. My favorite part of the SP532CK is the ball head. It’s made from fully machined aluminum and is very smooth in its operation. Once you lock it down it will not move or shift as you tighten the locking knob. All this and it only weighs four pounds!!! That makes it light enough to carry all day, or as you can see in my photo, balance on the end of your foot. -Bill.

(Wo)man’s best friend: Dogs. Camera’s best friend: Tripods. Here’s the second of five Top Picks by our staff that we think you should know about.... There are dozens of options when it comes to good travel tripods, but the new Benro FSL09CN00 Carbon Fiber Tripod comes out on top for me. The first thing you'll notice is how this tripod converts to a tiny size for a full-sized tripod . It weighs in at just 2.4 pounds and when folded for travel or storing, measures only 14 long! (it measures 57.1 inches when fully extended). As a result, it is the perfect companion for hiking and travel, as when folded it easily fits in the water bottle pouch on your backpack. I personally use this tripod with a Fuji XE-1 camera, and have found that the legs are sturdy enough for most situations, but would not necessarily recommend it for a large DSLR with heavy lens attached. The included ball head is Arca-Swiss compatible, there’s a hook for applying counterweight if needed, and the adjustable legs allow for use on most any terrain. -Mark.

A good photograph is knowing where to stand. -Ansel Adams. Where do you stand? Wherever it may be, we have a tripod for that. Here's our first of five staff picks: Say Hello to the GorillaPod 3K Tripod Kit - your camera bag’s newest buddy. It has many camera mounting opportunities for you to explore and enjoy. What’s unique about GorillaPods is their strong yet flexible wrap around ball jointed legs with rubber rings. The options for where and how you position this tripod seem limitless, and it includes a compact ball head with a quick release plate. This beauty is 12 in height and can hold almost 6lbs. Whoa! Happy gear is usable gear, and this one takes the cake. It’s an addition to your camera support accessories that I’m sure you’ll enjoy and make good use of., wherever you find yourself in the moment. Cheers :-) -Cha

From cameras and lenses to flashes and tripods, having a good bag to safely carry and/or transport gear can be very important. With so many options available, it often comes down to personal taste. But we must not forgot about the utility of the bag as well. We need to ask ourselves what we want the bag to do for us, and where. Is it easy to operate? Will it protect our gear? Is it obviously a camera bag that will advertise I have a camera in here!? At Looking Glass, we offer one of the largest camera bag selections you’ll find.