Gear Talk

I just returned from a grueling assignment in Alaska for a tourism bureau, over 10,000 images and a week of shooting…in a state where it never gets dark in the summer!  Really, I love this assignment, Alaska still feels like home even though we don’t live there anymore.  We had five cameras with us on Read More

I will continue with reviews of the Z system, and today I thought I would look at the Z7.  In simplest terms, the Z7 is a 45MP Z6.  There are other differences for sure, but if you want the short answer, I think the Z7 is a terrific camera, and love having that familiar (D850) Read More

On our last workshop we had three participants using the Z6.  Hmmm, must be something good about that camera.  And after using it on four continents in conditions from subzero winter blowing snow to rainforests in Tasmania, I can say there is a lot to like about this camera.  I’ll state right up front that Read More

I’ve waited to talk about the Nikon mirrorless cameras because I really wanted to try them out, and wait for firmware updates.  We have both the Z6 and Z7, and have used them across the globe over the last four months.  We photographed at 10 below zero in winter Alaska and in the giant rainy Read More

I just had a workshop participant ask about this one, and it comes up a lot.  Do you really need that annoying lens hood on your lens?  Yes, you do.  While many may think the lens hood is about eliminating light flare when you are pointing your camera towards the sun (which it does), I Read More

Nikon just announced firmware updates for the D5600, D7500 and D850.  On the D850 this includes improving autofocus performance on sensor points on the edge of the viewfinder…now that is something every D850 user will want.  Since I send my cameras in once a year for a cleaning at Nikon, the technicians will update any Read More

As much as I try to keep my gear in good shape, things just happen.  Lenses get dropped, soaked and cooked (in back of the car in Baja).  The first sign that you are really using your gear a lot is when the rubber grip starts to peel away, or gets loose on your lens. Read More

I’m headed to Fairbanks in a couple of days to photograph the northern lights.  Now if the weather will cooperate, like it did last year, we should have some fantastic photography.  Photographing the night sky involves capturing stars in your image, and that brings up the question of coma. Coma is an aberration of the Read More

I’m headed to Fairbanks this winter to teach a northern lights photography workshop.  I can’t wait; last year we had incredible aurora displays multiple nights in a row.  The snowy winter landscape is magical…and yes, cold.  But rather suffer through hours of subfreezing temperatures, I have learned to dress warm enough to stay toasty all Read More

This fall I was in Portugal on a fantastic workshop, and one of the participants asked if I would like to borrow his 105mm F1.4. I had shot the 105mm before, and knew it was really nice.  But I had the legendary 85mm F1.4, and have used it as my main portrait lens for years. Read More