Many Nikon cameras have the ability to connect to their phone and instantly download photos using Snapbridge. In this era of social media and immediate content, this is a handy feature. I was thrilled when Nikon created Snapbridge, but a little put out when I found the app hard to use and glitchy. Nikon listened Read More
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Keep your feet warm
It is the heart of winter here in Colorado, and the mountains are getting lots of new snow. This time of year I travel into the mountains to photograph winter sports, landscapes and wildlife. Star photography is also great this time of year. But the one thing that can dampen any photographer’s enthusiasm for winter Read More
LensCoat
If you have ever watched wildlife photographers lining up on a bear in Yellowstone, chances are most of the big lenses were in camo. What is this, and why do I want it? LensCoat makes terrific custom-fitted neoprene covers, and if you use your big glass a lot for wildlife, then you want one. The Read More
D850 Silent Mode Shooting
I’ve continued to try out new features on the D850, and one feature that was new to DSLR shooting was the ‘mirrorless’ Silent Mode Shooting. This mode works similar to mirrorless cameras in that the mirror is locked up so only the shutter is moving. In practical terms, you are shooting images and there is Read More
Best Wildlife Telephoto Lens
An age-old question amongst photographers is what lens is best for wildlife photography. Go to any photography trade show or workshop, and it is almost certain this question will come up. Combine the popularity of the topic with new lens choices being introduced (did anybody see the new Nikon F4 180-400mm with 1.4x just announced Read More
Best autofocus pattern for birds in flight
I just returned from another trip to Bosque Del Apache, and as one would expect the bird photography was fabulous. With thousands of cranes and snow geese flying overhead, I decided to run another test of the autofocus patterns using the D850. I do this test with every new Nikon camera I get since technology, Read More
Rating photos in the camera
On many shoots and workshops, the photography can be intense and heavy with gaps of down time in-between. Imagine photographing two grizzly bears wrestling for 30 minutes. You might shoot 500 images in that time. Then the bears get tired, and head off into the tall grass to sleep. Which leaves you sitting there for Read More
D850 Auto AF fine tuning
What happens when you use a 45MP camera with a 500mm F4? Any lapse in your technique shows up as slightly soft images! Honestly, this is user error more than anything. My 500mm F4 is razor sharp, and the D850 continues to amaze me on many levels including resolution. But one way to improve performance Read More
2017 Holiday Gift Guide
It is that time of the year, two weeks until holiday gifts are opened. Each year I give suggestions from inexpensive to expensive on some gift ideas for the photographer on your list. Many of my ideas come from experiences on workshops, seeing what lenses really work and what little gadgets help photographers in the Read More
Nikon D850
I have owned about every top DSLR Nikon has ever put out. Some models have performance bumps, other models are ground-breaking. Anybody remember when the D3 came out? And the disbelief at image quality at ISO3200, 6400 and beyond. This camera ushered in the ‘ISO revolution’. Specs have continued to improve, and I have really Read More
Elinchrom ELB1200
If you are a location photographer, or anyone who wants power to spare shooting portraits in bright conditions, your day has come. I have been working with the new Elinchrom ELB1200 for awhile now, and it is just plain incredible. Much for my earlier career was hinged on using the venerable Ranger pack, the earlier Read More
Aurora HDR 2018
I’m getting ready to go to Old Car City this weekend to teach a sold out workshop. We are going to photograph the old cars in this amazing location, as well as use speedlights and photograph models. The last time I visited Old Car City I had some constanty light, so I decided to create Read More