In July, Sea Kayaker Magazine published a second volume to Deep Trouble, which was a treasure trove of sea kayaking accidents and lessons learned by authors Matt Broze, George Gronseth and Sea Kayaker editor Chris Cunningham, still timely today. Sixteen years later, More Deep Trouble is now available at Sea Kayaker Magazine or at Amazon. […]
Photo Tip: Road Less Traveled ____ 2013/04
A good route to success in outdoor photography is finding a niche that you love. Find your passion; focus like a laser. Be a big fish in a small pond. My particular niche is sea kayaking. As a vehicle, the sea kayak transports a photographer to unique photo ops, sometimes just a stone’s throw out […]
Backpacking Photography Gear 2013/01
I’ve written thrice about backpacking (Ultralight Backpacking and Photography, Backpacking and Photography Re-visit, Light-Weight Backpacking and Photography), all pointed at ultra-lightening the backpack gear. The goal is to safely reduce pack weight to ease the burden of carrying a dSLR, lenses and tripod. And it works. Ultralight backpacking is a photographer’s godsend. Ultralighting gets us […]
2012 Favorite Images Critique ____ 2012/12
At the start of 2012 I added three new cameras: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon G1 X w/housing, GoPro Hero2. I also added a new lens, a Rokinon 24mm f/1.4. The 5D III’s improved autofocus gave me more bird photography keepers; the G1 X, a magazine cover shot (Sea Kayaker, Dec. 2012). The GoPro—a POV […]
Photo Tip: Suction Cup Mount ____ 2012/10
I biked to the local Ace Hardware last week and picked up a pair of suction cup mounts. Ace sells USA Progrip® Suction Cups online for $4.79/pair; free shipping if you pick it up at a local store. The rubber cup diameter is 3”. They have a ¼-20 female thread, so to mount a ball […]
Photo Tip: Milky Way Photography 101 ____ 2012/02
Last April in Baja I didn’t get it right photographing the heart of the Milky Way, located near the constellation Sagittarius. Baja is great dark sky country—dry and clear, with little light pollution. Through research I discovered Sagittarius would be in the SSE night sky in the morning just before dawn. I rose in darkness […]
Expedition Critique
“Old wisdom says, ‘Find out what you did wrong and never do it again.‘ New wisdom says, ‘Find out what you did right, so you can be sure to do it again.‘ The old way suggests moving ahead while looking back over your shoulder. The new way suggests moving forward by finding safe footholds and […]
Expedition Trip Photography Plan, Part II—the Photo Plan ___ 2011/04
Some photographers travel to shoots without researching the site. The idea is to have “no preconceptions”, I suppose, or to look at scenes as they unfold with “fresh eyes”. I like the idea of “no preconceptions”, but I think the more you know about a place the better prepared you are, and the better you […]
Expedition Trip Photography Plan, Part I—the Gear ___ 2011/03
Two years ago, I wrote about photography on a longish kayak trip (Ten-day Power Trip, 06/2009) in Baja, a trip without the ability to charge batteries. My solution then was extra batteries and plenty of flash memory, coupled with judicious use of those resources. A solar charger didn’t make sense—the trip wasn’t long enough—and a […]
2010 Favorite Images Critique ___ 2011/01
I thought it would be instructive to look at some of my favorite 2010 images, with a story and critique about the shot. I worked the birds by kayak pretty well early in the year, and then got in some hikes and backpacks to scenic places in the summer and fall. Although I also did […]