Cree and I just walked in the door from a week of arctic photography, an incredible trip. As expected temps hit -40F and colder, today the high is -45F at the lodge we stayed at along the Yukon river…brrrr! After numerous posts of cold weather clothing, here are some tips for actually shooting in these Read More
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2024 Warmest socks for photography
A few years back I did a blog on the warmest socks you can find, and there are some new additions to that list and some returning favorites. I have to admit wearing my new Bunny Boots makes me less worried about my feet at -30F this winter, but warm socks are still key to Read More
Photography; reduce glasses fogging
Have you ever gone out in cold environments to photograph and had your glasses fog up? This happens to me frequently, especially night aurora sessions in subzero temps. I try to wear my contacts when I can so I don’t have to worry about this. But I still shoot a lot wearing glasses, and foggy Read More
Warmest Gloves and Mittens for photography 2024
Every time I go out in subzero temps the great race begins once again. What will freeze first, my toes or fingers? Thankfully my new bunny boots are keeping my feet nice and toasty warm this winter. But let’s face it, if your fingers go numb you can’t work your camera….everyone can walk around with Read More
Warmest parka for winter photography
We talked about boots in the last post, now let’s dive into parkas. I find my photography ability and creativity decreases as my body temperature goes down. Some photographers find they get their best images the more they suffer to take the shot, and there are some remarkable images out there of sufferfests (is this Read More
The warmest boots for winter photography
Cree and I were driving across interior Alaska the other day in total awe of the winter landscape. Beautiful pink light, spruce trees buried in snow, and stunning mountain peaks were the norm. Roads were mostly ice with a little snow on top, but we have studded snow tires that kept us on the road. Read More
Photographing the northern lights with a full moon
Cree and I just returned from Haines, AK. We spent a week photographing eagles at the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, and there were tons of eagles this year (more on that soon). On the way home we drove through interior Alaska and Yukon with clear skies and good aurora forecasts. But we also had an Read More
The best light painting flashlight
Winter is here, and that means more night shooting for me. In addition to speedlight photography (image above), I also love to light paint subjects. Just a simple little burst from a flashlight can really transform an image. Light painting can range from small still life setups to larger scenes like cars, building and trees. Read More
Harmonious design for better images
A lot of what we teach on workshops is related to creativity. You know, those intangible ideas and ‘feelings’ that seem hard to articulate. While many people can figure out what mode to use and button to push on the camera, mastering creativity seems much more esoteric. You’ve heard the saying….’you are either born with Read More
What is the trinity of primes?
I had someone recently ask me what was ‘the holy trinity of primes’ (or zooms)? Are these some kind of special lenses? Who makes them? Where can you buy them? Are their unholy versions? Yes, where did that term come from? I’m not exactly sure, probably created by a camera company hoping to sell more Read More
Photographing the northern lights
Last night we had a G4 magnetic storm, which translates to KP8 on the aurora forecast. What that means is most of the lower 48 could see the aurora last night, and for many folks it was the first time they have seen the aurora borealis. This spring we had a G5 storm and photographers Read More
Where to crop that photo?
With today’s high resolution cameras, cropping has become the norm for many photographers. You start with a 45MP file, crop down to about 20MP for a tight head shot on wildlife, and you still have a large file ready to print or send off to publication. I just had a 4 x 6 foot metal Read More