I just returned from a trip to Yosemite with ANPW, and conditions were unlike anything I’ve seen. With a snowpack approaching 200 percent of normal, and hot sunny conditions in the Sierras, the Merced river was flooding the valley floor. While this prevented us from shooting in some popular spots, the flooding created beautiful reflection Read More
Blog
Nikon 70-200mm F2.8E FL ED VR
Ever since I starting shooting professionally I have used a F2.8 70-200mm (or 80-200mm way back when). Why? Because this lens is a ‘meat and potatoes’ workhorse. I can’t think of a workshop or assignment this lens wouldn’t be in my bag. On some travel workshops I bring my F4 version of this lens to Read More
Alien Skin Exposure X Layers
I have been using Alien Skin since it first came out. Their film presets are unmatched and extensive, and with each update they keep adding great features. If I want to do some creative work on a portrait, I go to Alien Skin. Black and white conversion, I go to Alien Skin. Add some cool flare Read More
When and how to use a monopod.
I just returned from shooting in Mexico, and much of my time was spent aboard a boat. Since I knew I would be photographing wildlife like dolphins, whales and birds, I brought along my 500mm F4. This lens is incredibly sharp, and I love how the background blurs at F4 with wildlife photos. But all Read More
Pro Media Gear cage
Awhile back I picked up a Pro Media Gear cage for my Elinchrom ELB400. Sometimes you get a new piece of gear, and you use it a few times. And then there is new equipment you use all the time. The Pro Media Gear cage for the ELB400 is something I use all the time. Read More
SB5000 Remote Direct Mode
Just returned from teaching a great lighting class with the Mentor Series in Austin Texas. Cowboys, barbecues and retro were the themes. I literally walked into my hotel room, saw the retro refrigerator, and started setting up my speed lights (see my instagram account for the final shot…’tombolphoto’). Also had a great time teaching with Read More
Nikon Prime Lenses
Zoom lenses are handy, no doubt about it. You can virtually stand in one place and blaze through a variety of compositions. My favorite trinity of zooms, the 14-24mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm are staples in my work. But don’t forget about primes. They offer a lot of advantages, and in some cases, bring out your Read More
Creating silky water effects with multiple exposure
I returned from a fantastic trip to Norway with the Mentor Series. We explored the Lofoten Islands, a dramatic fjord landscape along the north coast of Norway. Our main goal was to capture the dramatic, moody landscape of this remote area. Weather changes by the minute there, creating dramatic lighting and cloud formations. We even Read More
Landscape Pro
I’m always up for new software that opens up some new possibilities. But when I saw Landscape Pro being used on a recent workshop to Cuba, I was a little unsettled. This program just seemed to go over the top in what it could do, and things looked a little overdone in the final shot. Read More
What’s in my pack; traveling light.
On a recent workshop to Cuba, we spent a lot of hours on our feet walking the colorful streets or hiking through scenic valleys in the Vinales tobacco region. Add to that hiking up and down steps to our lodging and waiting hours in airports…just about the norm when you explore and photograph a new Read More
Angle of view
One question that recently came up on a trip to Cuba was how to deal with busy street scenes. Or, in other terms, how to clean up the shot. One simple answer to this question is change your angle of view. But what does that really mean? Imagine this scenario. You want to photograph part Read More
When to use Auto ISO
I know I have said this before, but new camera technology continues to give photographers more tools than ever to ‘getting the shot.’ I shot film bodies for years, and honestly, not much changed. Frame rates got better, metering slowly improved and films evolved. I mean it was a big deal when Fuji introduced Velvia Read More