Sony’s A6300 – A Pocket Monster

This is an exciting week for photographers who love shooting fast-moving subjects. Canon dropped the details of their new flagship camera with up to 16 frames per second, 4K video and screaming-fast processing power. At $6,000 US for the hulking body many speed shooters will drool over the EOS-1 D X Mark II, but only […]

Canon’s New EOS-1 D X Mark II Brings Some Surprises

When Nikon showed off the D5 at CES last month, Canon devotees muttered, “Just wait!” Now the wait is over and Canon has announced their forthcoming flagship DSLR, the EOS-1 D X Mark II. While the blazing 14 FPS frame rate and shiny new autofocus technology will deservedly garner much of the attention over the […]

Being a Weather-Savvy Photographer Part 3 – Going Mobile

In my past two articles I took a look behind the scenes at the National Weather Service with an introduction to the Forecast Discussion and severe weather alert products. The NWS web page is a buffet of weather information that should fill you up when you are planning to photograph outdoors in dynamic weather, but when […]

Being a Weather-Savvy Photographer Part 2 – Warnings, Watches and Advisories

In my previous article about the National Weather Service’s Forecast Discussions I touched briefly on another set of products the NWS releases: outlooks, advisories, watches and warnings. These alerts are designed to help those planning on being out in the elements prepare for forecasted severe weather. Outdoor photographers can use these alerts to determine the […]

Being a Weather-Savvy Photographer

The Pacific Northwest is a veritable playground for outdoor photographers. In any given day I can photograph alpine landscapes, arid desert scablands, lush temperate rainforests and rugged ocean shorelines. One constant in our diverse region is the complex weather. As a native Northwesterner, I have always had a fascination with meteorology and with today’s wealth […]

Beat the Bracket Racket – Shooting HDR Base Images the Right Way

Photographers have struggled with limited dynamic range for as long as there have been photographers. Expose for the highlights in most scenes, and you will end up with crushed shadows where no details can be extracted from the inky blackness. Conversely, if you expose for the shadows, the highlights will blow out, leaving nothing but […]

Check It Twice. Photography Gift Ideas for less that $100

Every holiday season I face the same issue that many other photographers face: my loved ones want to get me photography-oriented presents but they have no idea what to get me. This problem is compounded by the fact that anything affordable that I can use in my photography I bought long ago, leaving only the […]

Save Your Neck and Lose That Strap

You know that neck strap that came with your camera? Yes, the one that has the big Nikon/Canon/Sony/Fuji/Panasonic/Olympus logo on it. That thing should stay tightly locked in the box your camera came in. Neck straps, especially the stock ones, are much more trouble than they are worth. Lose the strap and not only will […]

Make Your Own Stand-Up Desk

Humans were never meant to sit around all day. Our structure is made for walking. When I injured my right knee a couple of summers ago, I emerged from the ordeal with a perpetually stiff knee that makes creepy creaking noises when I go down stairs. The bum knee has also changed my body mechanics […]