Fine art travel photographer David Lazar first became fascinated with Bhutan after winning a photography contest in 2010, and then enjoying the fruits of his first prize – a free trip to the mysterious, “Land of the Thunder Dragon”. When he had the chance to return earlier this year, he...
Exploring New Zealand Tip-to-Tip
New Zealand has long been a ‘bucket list’ destination for photographers around the world. It has often been described as one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, scoring in the ‘Top 10’ on many travel and photography websites. My wife and I have been very fortunate to be able...
Colorado Mountains with the Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct
Now that Nikon is releasing a 58mm f/0.95 Noct for their Z system, it’s worth taking a look back at their older Noct lens - the 58mm f/1.2 - if only for curiosity's sake. This is one of Nikon’s most famous lenses, especially for portraiture and nighttime photography, where its...
Fujifilm X-T3 First Impressions
Until the release of the Fujifilm X-T3 I would have told you that my Fuji camera lineup was complete for a while. The release of the X-T2 two years ago wasn't enough to make me part with my X-Pro2 and I've since picked up the X-H1 as well. But when...
When Photographing Birds at 60 FPS Becomes the New Norm
As many owners of mirrorless cameras can attest, it can take some time to get used to some of the different shooting capabilities that our mirrorless camera gear provides. One of the things that seems odd to use to photograph birds in motion, is a frame rate of 60 frames-per-second....
Nikon 45mm f/2.8D PC-E Review
This is an in-depth review of the Nikon 45mm f/2.8D PC-E, also known as PC-E Micro Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED, a special purpose normal-angle lens designed for architecture, commercial, macro, and nature photography. “PC” stands for “Perspective Control”, but I will refer to this type of lens as “tilt-shift” in...
Photographing Scale Model Cars
“It’s not photography; you’re just playing with toys. And Photoshop.” Well, it sure does look that way. This will either invite complete ridicule or slightly less than complete ridicule but it has been such a ton of fun to do that I could in fact not care less. And now...
Comparing 5 Top Wide-Angle Astrophotography Lenses
If you want to shoot sharp photos of stars, it helps to have the right lens for the job. After all, a good lens during the day might be a dud for resolving pinpoint stars in a photo’s corners at night. Here, I’ve tested five popular wide-angle lenses for astrophotography:...
The Refining Process: How to Visualize Your Composition
I suspect that many photographers have realized their best photos frequently come after several “getting there” images - scenes where something interesting stands out, and you gradually improve upon your early attempts, creating a composition that looks more and more refined by the end. The trend has been so clear...
7 Things All Photographers Need to Know About Copyright
Did you know that you are a copyright owner? If you've taken a photograph, then under US copyright law you own the copyright to that image. Copyright law is something that affects every photographer, not just those who are in business making money from their images. With the ease of...