I’m en route right now to the California Redwoods and the Oregon coast. Last year I spent a week here exploring, hiking, scouting and photographing this amazing area. I was struck by the beauty, both big and small, in this environment. I spent some days shooting along the coast, and Bandon beach was impressive. I Read More
Blog
The need for light
I’m getting ready to head out to the Redwoods to teach a workshop, and I am super excited. I spent a week out there last summer and created some of my favorite images from 2017. While the workshop is focused on landscapes, I’m bringing multiple speed lights. Why? Because I have some ideas I want Read More
Nikon Rebates
Have you been debating buying that new Nikon lens? Want a prime, or how about the legendary 14-24mm F2.8? Right now Nikon is having a summer sale on lenses, and it probably won’t last long. The popular 200-500mm is more than a hundred bucks off, as well as the new 8-15mm fisheye. Another lens is Read More
Carrying big telephotos on the airplane
I just returned from two weeks of assignment work in Alaska, and as usual had a ton of gear with me. Lights for interiors, prime lenses for portraits, travel zooms…and of course the big 600mm F4 for wildlife. While the other gear fits nicely into rollers and backpacks, the 600mm is a beast. But one Read More
Nikon 1.7x
When it comes to teleconverters, everyone thinks 1.4x and 2x. I have used the 1.4x on my 300mm F2.8 on many shoots, and honestly I can barely notice any difference in image quality. 1.4x on a 300mm F2.8 gives you 420mm F4 lens. Autofocus is still plenty fast even with one stop less light. Put Read More
Grip tape; get a grip.
I just returned from a week of shooting in Alaska on a workshop, and we had some rain on more than one occasion. Many of the participants had long telephoto lens like the Nikon 200-500mm. I was carrying a 300mm F2.8, also a hefty lens. When you are walking through the marsh hand carrying these Read More
Aerial Photography Tips
Each year I find myself going up in small planes and helicopters to photograph. Some of my most memorable shoots have been in the air. Many years ago I photographed an air service in Alaska. To get the shot, we took the doors off my plane for unobstructed shooting, and flew around Denali shadowing the Read More
Bad Weather/Lightning Photography
I just returned from teaching a photo workshop in the Badlands, and we experienced some of the wildest weather I have ever seen. We knew June would be good for newborn bison and bighorn sheep, green prairies and wildflowers. We hoped we might get some good thunderstorms, but we didn’t expect supercells moving through day Read More
Overwhelmed in a new place
I’m en route to Romania right now, and as with any new location, I’m shaking with excitement. Literally I start pacing on the plane as I get closer. Once I arrive at my hotel, I throw my suitcase in my room and head out the door to start shooting. Since the location is new, I Read More
Lightroom CC Update
It is hard to keep up with all the new features that get updated in Lightroom. I just keep hitting the update button when Adobe tells me to update. Sometimes there are noticeable changes, other times work is done on the back end and not so obvious. But this latest update added some terrific new Read More
Rain Covers
I was recently photographing burrowing owls in eastern Colorado during a rainy few days, so of course I put on my rain cover to protect my gear. Pro level lenses and bodies are well sealed against the elements, but they are not waterproof. I really like that Nikon has eliminated the popup flash on the Read More
Nikon AF-P 70-300mm F4.5-5.6E
I’m always on the lookout for new Nikon lenses. They just keep getting better, sharper and lighter, so updating our lenses happens on a regular basis. One lens that has been a hit with many Nikon shooters was the 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G, a low cost zoom with excellent performance. This lens was sharp, and costing around Read More