Most photographers are familiar with the work of Ansel Adams. He was one of the those iconic landscape photographers that would travel to various places in the US to capture, at the time, were untouched pristine wilderness, capture an image and his techniques, still used to this day, are famous and foundation for many photographers. Ansel Adams was not just …
Nature will reward you
One thing that photographers are often willing to sacrifice is lack of sleep. This holds true for landscape photographers who often want to get the best light in the morning and the beautiful light in the evening. This definitely goes for wildlife photographers that often get up early or stay up late to catch specific behaviors. When traveling somewhere beautiful, …
What wildlife photography taught me
Photographing wildlife from birds to bears has been a humbling experience. Wildlife photography is one genre where just showing up is only a fraction of a successful photograph. Of course, like other niches, there is planning, but wildlife requires specialized gear (read: expensive) and more than just getting the subject in the frame. I have learned, after many mistakes and …
Change your perspective
One sure fire way to improve your photography is to change your perspective. Not just with your eyes, but with your actual camera. There are many well known photography evangelists that preach this in their seminars and practice what they preach. They often say that if you want shots that look the same as everyone else’s photo, just stand and …
Adjust your diopter
What the heck is the diopter you ask? Great question and it is often overlooked on the camera but it is a valuable tool for helping to see things clearly in the viewfinder. I know many photographers that have never touched or turned this dial. once I bring it to their attention, they are amazed at the difference it makes …
Redundancy is the key
I cannot tell you how many stories I have heard from other photographers that have had bad things happen. A failed hard drive, water damage, fire and all those images, often, a life’s work or a once in a lifetime trip, gone in an instant and totally preventable with a backup strategy. Doing something over and over becomes a habit. …
Custom Shooting Display
This overview is specific to Nikon brand cameras, but I know that other manufacturers like Canon and Sony, have similar functionality as well. By default, the monitor and viewfinder information presented can be overwhelming. The default is not only cluttered but also very distracting to the image. Most importantly, it is highly customizable. Personally, I want the bare minimum that …
Faster Editing
I consider these workflow presets for the Develop module simply because they allow me to step through edits in a consistent and methodical manner. I named them with a leading number so that they sort alphanumerically within a preset group (you can do that with any of your own custom presets as well). I hope you find them useful or …
So many camera bags
As camera bags go, I know that I probably have to many. Some of which I have bought, and others that have been sent to me to trial. Each in their own right serves a purpose for different trips and situations. I have, over the years had many more that have come and gone, only to be sold to someone …
Gear Review: Nikon Z 24-70 f/2.8 S II
To begin with, this was a bold move by Nikon to introduce a successor to arguably one of the most popular and sharpest lenses in their lineup. I am sure this did not come without some reservations on their part. Having shot with the F-mount 24-70 f/2.8, the mirrorless version Z 24-70 f/2.8 S lens, version one, this lens was …
Color grading to improve photos
With all the editing tools available to us from software to plug-ins, the one nuance that is often overlooked is how do we target the area where most of our photographs live. If you look at your histogram in your editing software, from left to right you have shadows, midtones and highlights. Hovering over any point on your histogram will …
Has your photography evolved
As I look back through my images over the years, I realize that I am not the same photographer I once was. My craft has improved and the images are more visually interesting compositionally and have changed for the better. Hopefully the same is true for your photography. Perhaps, over time, the camera feels a bit more natural in your …