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
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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
Live view composition
Here is a quick travel photography tip: you don’t have to look through the viewfinder to take a picture. How many times have you walked through a market browsing the goods and taken a few snapshots. And that is what they are, snapshots (I’m done it many times!). Instead, look at the objects on the Read More
Holiday gift ideas!
Hard to believe but this is the last weekend to holiday shop, or order online and still get your gift in time. I have been using some great new accessories that would make a perfect gift for the photographer on your list, so here are five photo gift ideas. Some inexpensive and others expensive. But Read More
Polaroid Revival; Lomo’Instant camera
The holiday season is here, and there is a great option for the travel photographer on your list; an updated version of the venerable instant Polariod camera. Why go retro? Have you ever seen how touching it is watching a remote villager see their own photo for the first time? Or how excited kids get Read More