Bird photography seems simple. You see a bird, you take its photo. But birds don’t just move - they can be in different environments and can have endless varieties of light shone upon them. All of a sudden, bird photography starts to get more complex. And in some ways, it...
About Jason Polak
Post Archive By Jason Polak
Small Adjustments Can Lead to Big Changes in a Photo
In photography, you compose shots by moving your camera to a physical position in space and time. That's obvious. But what isn't so obvious is that very slight changes in space and time can substantially alter a composition. As a wildlife photographer, I know it's tempting to take shots immediately...
“How Is AI Different From Autofocus?”
There was a time not long ago when I spent time on photography forums. I joined quite a few debates about artificial intelligence, and in these debates, some people compared new AI tools with other automated camera features. “How is AI any different from autofocus?” is a question I saw in various forms.
Improving Your Photography by Analyzing Your Year
Out of all the pursuits I've tried, I think wildlife photography has got to be one of the most difficult - and I'm including my doctorate in pure mathematics on that list. That's why I like to take some time at the end of the year and go through my...
Getting Closer in Wildlife Photography
Wildlife photography has a difficulty that most other genres lack: It's hard to get close to your subject. Animals are typically wary and will fly or run away if you just walk too close to them - that's why most wildlife photographers carry long lenses in the 400-800mm range and...
Using Panoramas for Wildlife Photography
If you use a prime lens for wildlife photography, the biggest problem is that you can’t zoom out to get the entire animal in the frame when you’re too close. But is there a solution to this problem that doesn’t involve using a different lens? One possibility is to use panoramas!
Sony FE 28-70mm f/2 GM Announced
Along with the a1 II announced earlier today, Sony also released a new FE 28-70mm f/2 GM lens! Although there are already a few 28-70mm lenses for Sony E mount, such as the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary, this will be the first with a very bright f/2 constant...
Sony a1 II Announced: The Evolution of a Beast
When it comes to top-of-the-line flagships, the Sony a1 of January 2021 was hard to beat with its 50MP sensor and amazing autofocus. Now, Sony has announced the Sony a1 II, the next step in the camera's evolution. The Sony a1 II improves upon its predecessor with and borrows some...
6 Tips for Wildlife Photography on a Sunny Day
If you asked me what my least favorite sort of light is for wildlife photography, it would be midday sun. When the sun is high in the sky, all sorts of problems occur. You get harsh shadows on the animals, harsh light in the background (translating to distracting bokeh), reduced...
The Current State of Nikon Z DX Cameras (2024)
Nikon has now released four Z-mount cameras with a DX sensor: the Z50, Zfc, Z30, and Z50 II. You may be wondering how all of them compare, especially with the new Z50 II shaking things up. In this article, I’ll show how all of these cameras stand side-by-side and explain some of the history behind them.