“Photographers seeking the ‘good light’, going where everybody goes, aiming for an ideal, miss everything else.” — Erin Babnik1 Shooting and processing panoramas was difficult in the early- and mid-00’s.2 Hardware tools were few. A process tool was introduced by Adobe in 2001, but merge failure was frequent, and computer power was a stumbling block. […]
In June, 2002, I was privileged to be aboard the charter yacht Ursa Major on her first sail to Lituya Bay, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. Our cruise started in Ketchikan. At the start I wasn’t aware of Lituya’s notorious reputation. Unlike much-travelled Glacier Bay—which opens to the Inside Passage—Lituya faces west toward the tempestuous […]
In the late 90’s, I seized on a tip from a Tim Fitzharris book,1 where he stated he used a 500mm f4 lens to photograph wildflowers. He reasoned this use would produce something different, so unlike the then-popular 4×5-inch large-format cameras. Different indeed. Different as well from a 100mm macro lens that grounded the passions […]
A new perspective after crossing Eagle Creek below Punchbowl. Ansel Adams once said, “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” A couple images illustrate. Note: The images here were all shot prior to the devastating 2017 Eagle Creek wildfire that burned many of the trees; the fire was followed by a consequential landslide that […]
One big kayak trip, no backpacking, much bird photography most often by kayak. A few pika shoots. I only sought landscapes a couple times, pretty dismal really. But I like what I got this year while staying pretty close to home. Washington State has so much to offer photographers. All images were shot with either […]
No kayak trips, a couple of backpack overnights, bird photography in May and June and bird photography by kayak in the Fall. A thin year, but one that yielded keepers none-the-less. Oh, and every image here was shot with the tiny Sony a6300, using Canon, Sony or Rokinon lenses. Light in the Forest. I called […]
Significantly for 2016, I purchased the cropped-frame Sony a6300 for backpacking, video and added reach in bird photography. I then discovered the image IQ was as good as my Canon 5D III at moderate ISO’s, so I used it preferentially for landscapes. The proof is below, where seven of eleven favorite images came from the […]
Early on, nature photographers are taught the necessity of using a tripod. The great teacher John Shaw calls the tripod a crucial, best single accessory. Pros use tripods. With a tripod you slow down, take control and become a better photographer. You can better fine tune compositions, pick and choose elements like line and shape, […]
I wasn’t thinking I had many favorites when I created a 2013_best_images Collection in Lightroom from the filtered three-star-or-better images of 2013. But I found many I was quite fond of, and in a couple short sessions whittled those to ten. Often it’s the field experience as much as the composition that yields a favorite, […]
Last year (2012/09 Photo Tip), I wrote about using Lightroom Development tools to create Pop and Mystery in a photo. The gist: darken skies, selectively increase color saturation and increase contrast. Ansel Adams famously said the negative is the score, the print the performance. The RAW file you create in camera is a digital negative; […]