The term "decisive moments" is usually associated with the famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. His domain was photographing the everyday life of the French streets with his Leica and 50mm lens. An all-manual film camera is not exactly suited to action photography. To capture the decisive moment required anticipation, practice, and a...
Pergear 14mm f/2.8 Review
Pergear’s 14mm f/2.8, full-frame lens is a very interesting option for Sony, Nikon, Canon, and Leica mirrorless photographers. After all, it reaches wide and bright, yet costs under $300. But can it really deliver? I tested this budget ultra-wide in the field, and here’s what I found.
Photography News: New Z9 Firmware, Lots of Lens Sales
I'm filling in for Libor for this week's Photography News while he travels in South America in search of wildlife. He's sent me some behind-the-scenes photos already, and let me say, you're in for a treat once he returns. For now, I hope you're enjoying atmospheric sunrises and good light...
From Idea to Print: The Darkroom Process
Last week, I talked about the process of visualizing and composing with large format film during my trip to Yosemite in the fall. I’ve been working in the darkroom to print those photos, and today I finally have some results to publish and discuss!
What to Take on a Wildlife Photography Trip
One time when I was packing for a wildlife photography trip, I wrote a list of my equipment on a piece of paper - complete with lenses, batteries, clothing, and so on. I wanted to have a useful reference for the next trip, but then the "next trip" came along...
Nicholas Hess: What I’ve Been up to in 2023
We're only two months into 2023, and I've already had many "firsts" in my photography life. For the first time, I traveled to the Amazon for the unique wildlife opportunities, used the OM-1 (the best Micro Four Thirds camera today), took my Panasonic G9 underwater at my favorite spring, and...
Lightroom is Acting Slow? Here Are 11 Ways to Speed It Up
Lightroom is a key program for many photographers, and it has been for many years. Since almost the beginning, however, it’s been haunted by performance issues. If you’re looking to speed up Lightroom, or just want to know how to improve Lightroom performance in general, I’ll dive into a number...
Sigma Joins the Nikon Z System with Three DX Lenses
Sigma just announced that three of their existing APS-C lenses – the 16mm f/1.4, 30mm f/1.4, and 56mm f/1.4 – are launching for the Nikon Z system later this year! I’ve been a fan of Sigma lenses for years, and it’s exciting to see them finally add some Z mount options.
From Idea to Print: 12×20 Film in the Field
It’s a snowy day here in Colorado, which puts a damper on my plans to visit our studio and test more lenses in the lab. (I do, however, have the Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 and both teleconverters in hand for testing once the roads clear.) Instead, I’ve spent the day developing film.
How to Set Up Your Mirrorless Camera for Video
These days, it’s more important than ever for photographers to know how to capture high-quality videos. Cameras have gained a ton of video features in recent years, which I can hardly complain about, but it also means there's more that you need to know about! In today's guide, I’ll cover...