I can’t imagine how I survived before digital. The thought of not having my bright LCD showing my trusty histogram and composition sends chills up my spine. I used to live in Alaska, and shooting portraits back in the film era meant I would first shoot a Polaroid to check my exposure and lighting. Since it was generally cold out, this slowed down the develop time of the Polaroid film. By the time I got everything right, my model and I would be hypothermic. Instant feedback from my digital camera’s LCD solved this dilemma, but I still had one problem. Shooting on bright snow or sand made it almost impossible to see my LCD. Then I found the Hoodman Loupe.

The Hoodman Loupe is a simple loupe (remember hovering over your light table looking at slides) made from black rubber that eliminates any extraneous light from entering. This handy loupe is perfect for shooting in bright environments where it is difficult to see your LCD. And you can buy an accessory cinema strap that will attach the loupe over your LCD for use in video shooting. I recently photographed this fox on a bright day shooting in the snow and could barely see my LCD to check exposure. I just capped the LCD with my loupe and could see everything I needed with no outside light interference. If you are shooting in bright environments you may find this loupe a handy tool.