Gear Talk

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

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

I just returned from teaching a lighting class in Las Vegas, and I was able to get my hands on the ELB 500 for the class.  I think Elinchrom makes the best strobes in the business; their packs shine in all conditions and withstand years of hard use and abuse.  They stand above in a Read More

Since both my wife and I are photographers, we have a lot of lenses.  We tried the idea of ‘sharing lenses’ until we both saw the same incredible eagle photo and we only had one long telephoto lens.  So we have doubles of a few of our favorite lenses, including the venerable 300mm.  This focal Read More

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

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

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

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

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

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