One of my pet peeves is the way so-called mainstream publications release their holiday gift guides mere weeks before, say, Christmas or Hanukkah. Now, publishing a list of recommended products would seem to be a convenience, right? An easy way for readers to lessen the anxiety of pulling a harried salesclerk aside for last minute help. In reality, holiday shopping is a nightmare: these gift guides, while highlighting any number of truly wonderful goods and services, create a mad rush (which is a boon for retailers) to purchase the very same merchandise that catches my eye. That’s the point, I suppose, of these lists in the first place. I have a better solution, one that may set a new precedent in comfort and intelligent observation: I plan to post my list of recommended holiday gifts — now!
The first product in this series is the Lightscoop (www.lightscoop.com), which I have written about previously, a wonderful – and wonderfully affordable – item that transforms the way people take pictures. Created by Ken Kobre, an award-winning photojournalist and acclaimed professor, the Lightscoop eliminates the crude lighting and mediocre images caused by the sort of pop-up flash that ruins an otherwise good camera. Trust me: I’ve tested the Lightscoop — and it is a stellar union between form and function.
Professor Kobre’s has an intuitive sense of the needs of amateur photographers like myself – he relates to his consumers in a way few entrepreneurs can rival – while having a genuine interest in popularizing the fun that years of photography can offer. The Lightscoop is a perfect stocking stuffer. Get it. Use it. Keep it. Thank Ken Kobre for this amazing invention.
