What makes a great landscape image? We probably all know many compositional rules and graphic design qualities to look for in our images. But how are you going to distinguish yourself from the other landscape photographers standing right beside you photographing the same scene? What is interesting to me is how many photographers get so Read More
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Nikon 20mm F1.8 Z review
The 20mm F1.8 has been one of my go-to lenses for landscape photography. Just a little wider than a 24mm, but not over the top like a 16mm…it just looks good to me when I frame up my landscape images. I knew this was a lens I wanted for my Nikon Z system, and I Read More
Cropping versus using a teleconverter
Recently I had someone send me a note and ask why I even bother bringing a long telephoto lens for wildlife when you can just crop down from the original file. And wouldn’t the image look better if they cropped down instead of using a teleconverter to produce the same subject size. This photographer had Read More
Goal Zero Portable Power
I have received some great emails from photographers asking about suggestions on road trip destinations this summer. So great to see people out traveling again and enjoying the national parks and seashores. One photographer is car camping, and asked about how I power my camera gear on the road or in the backcountry. Great question! Read More
Nikon MB-N11 vertical grip
I had one major concern getting into mirrorless cameras. While many photographers liked the small size, I was actually concerned about it. Having a smaller camera would be great for hiking into the backcountry, or maybe wandering the streets of a European city. But for most of my photography I like a larger grip, and Read More
How to find the Galactic Core
Photographing the Milky Way and stars at night has become very popular. New cameras make it easier than ever to photograph at night. And improved ISO performance and long exposure noise reduction result in clean images that are sharp. With some of the technical camera craft issues out of the way, the real question becomes Read More
One Hour Single Frame Star Trails
I just returned from spending three fantastic days camping in the desert. Nothing beats sleeping under the stars…and photographing them at night! I was excited to get a chance to try out my Z6II with the Z 14-24mm F2.8. The results were fantastic. First question, one frame or stacked images for the star trail shot? Read More
Light and Shadow Magazine
We recently wrapped up three online classes on Travel Photography, one of our most popular online classes. During the class we talked about putting images together in a final narrative, and focused on the importance of an establishing shot. I just received a copy of Light and Shadow, issue 4, a quarterly magazine Really Right Read More
Creative reflections
Okay, here is a quick tip to liven up your travel photography. Say you find a beautiful castle in the Czech Republic bathed in warm light. The castle is surrounded by water, so the reflection photography is incredible. You blaze away just giddy with how nice the images are coming out. A few fall leaves Read More
Warmest Socks Out There
Right now most of the country is enduring a cold snap. We were out in our backyard bird blinds this morning in sub zero temps, and part of enjoying photography in cold weather is staying warm. The first thing that gets cold for me is my feet. For boots I use my Sorel Glaciers, I’ve Read More