While some people might consider cell phone photography inferior to using a "real" camera, there are many who strongly believe that, as Chase Jarvis says, the best camera is the one that you have with you. These days, that camera is typically going to be a phone. With that in...
Memories of Cuba
My wife and I recently returned from a quick one-week vacation in Cuba at an all-inclusive resort in the Rafael Freyre area that we've been to a number of times in the past. While we enjoy vastly different things while on holiday, memories for both of us are found in...
Beginner’s Guide to Nikon Creative Lighting System
So you want to get your flash off camera? If you want to improve your flash lit portraits you need to get your flash off the camera. A great way to start is to use Nikon’s own CLS (Creative Lighting System). Since a lot of people will own one of...
How Was This Picture Made #04: The Answer
This article is the answer to my “How was this picture made?” post from a couple weeks ago. First, an apology – I intended to have this article published several days ago, but my winter classes already have taken their toll on my spare time (and sleep). That said, I...
How to Take Really Long Exposures with a DSLR
In my photography classes I often get asked, “What is a long exposure?” Many beginning photographers want me to give them a definitive shutter speed with my explanation. However, long exposures are not only subject driven, they are largely based on the artistic vision you have for your photograph. Panning,...
Zabriskie Point – My Old Enemy
I love Death Valley. Despite its name, it is one of the most stunning places on this planet to visit, enjoy and photograph. While I have been to many areas of the park, every time I visit, I find something new to explore. Since my first visit to Death Valley...
Making The Familiar Unfamiliar
So while new gear is released and debated and salivated over this month I humbly submit that it may be worth a reminder as to why it means anything to us at all. Something to do with taking photos, I think, I’m not really sure. But while a newer sensor...
11 Things You Need to Know About the New Nikon D500
The new Nikon D500 surely looks amazing and very promising - much more exciting than the new Nikon D5 in my opinion, which is surely impressive, especially for those who need such a high-end tool. While we have written about the standard specifications of the D500 and its amazing features,...
Nikon D500 Announcement
Without a doubt, the biggest surprise today is the announcement of the Nikon D500. Just like Nikon did it back in the day with the D3 and the D300, Nikon decided to release both the top-of-the-line D5 and the smaller DX version, the Nikon D500 on the same day. While...
How Was This Picture Made #04?
To continue our "How was this picture taken?" series, I would like to invite our readers to analyze this photograph and try to figure out how it was made. It may not seem out-of-the-ordinary at first glance, but this was one of the most technically-difficult photographs I have ever taken. In...