What’s Going On with Pentax?

Shaka a Laka O Magic 8 Ball, what does Pentax cameras' future look like? My money is on one of these two responses: Cannot predict now Outlook not so good The Recap I have mused/speculated and even ranted about Pentax a few times (see: Is Dark Horse Pentax Fizzing Out? and The new Pentax K1 Mark II). Pentax's business decisions like retiring the flagship aps-c K3ii without introducing a new replacement are concerning. Their 2017 Annual Report came out a…

A Reminder: Photography Is Imperfect

Perfect photographs do not exist. Art is subjective. People have different tastes. Tastes evolve. Skills improve. Whether you're a beginner or an old fart that's been around the block, it's hard to avoid comparing yourselves to other people's photographs. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I know I have room for improvement. Like many photographers and artists, I look at other people's pictures and think: "I'll never be that good." I frequently start to doubt myself and back…

A Lofty Introduction to Drone Photography

Up until about 5 years ago, the only way to get aerial photographs was to charter a plane or helicopter, a major expense for an average hobby photographer. New technologies, new, more powerful batteries, and new drone companies have made aerial photography far more affordable, within the reach of a hobby photographer. Drone photography is a sector I've yet to explore, but am intensely interested in. It offers a different perspective of our world. Seeing our world from this perspective…

Are You a Photo Thief?

Have you ever gone on Google or Duck Duck Go and searched for an image and upon finding The Perfect Image, right-clicked save-as and uploaded to your site, blog, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter? If you have, you might be a photo thief! On several photography forums I frequent, the question of whether it's okay or not to grab random images off the internet. Invariably, the participants divide into two camps: for and against. It seems most of the "for" group…

Why won’t photographers give me the RAW images?

Every so often, magazines run these Cosmo-quality articles advising readers on what to look for in their photographers and lists questions to ask. Among some of the ridiculous, unrealistic questions like what cameras they use (would you ask your doctor what brand scalpels they use?), they often suggest asking for RAW files. Some go as far as to say that you should reject a photographer if they balk at providing RAW files. So, the blushing brides, caring moms, and eager…

Flying with your Camera Gear

Summer is just a few weeks away, which means vacations. Which means traveling with your camera gear. Last year, 2.9 million American flew somewhere for the Memorial Day weekend. Here are a few tips for you to consider before hitting the Wild Blue Yonder. I'll cover tips for auto travel later; it's a topic I'm more familiar with. Carryon vs Check I'm not going to even debate the pros of cons. If you plan to check your suitcase into the…

Seek Weather for Better Landscapes

A well-lit landscape doesn’t necessarily mean it’s interesting to look at. I remember going on hikes, taking a bunch of pictures, coming home and tossing most out because they were so bland and boring. I couldn’t figure out why and how other people were taking fantastic pictures at similar locations when my stuff was so blah. Was it the camera? Was it me?

Little Bunny Foo Foo

All images need a little TLC and massaging (aka post processing). If you shoot in jpeg, which most cameras do, they are already post-processed in-camera by default, and in most cases, all you need to do is give it a little extra oomph to get it to look how you like. I shoot in RAW format, which is an unedited, uncompressed, unaltered file format. It comes out looking very flat and blah-looking. The main advantage to shooting in RAW is…

Tips on Optimizing Your Photography Hike

Going on a hike? You're taking your camera, right? Of course you are! The trouble is: you have to consider weight. After loading up your backpack or fanny pack with water, food, a first aid kit, a knife, a sweatshirt and a couple other essentials, that 20-lbs pack will feel like hundreds of pounds after you've covered 10 miles in rough terrain. A camera, extra lens, and all the accessories add to that load (obviously). After you've hiked 10 miles,…

Hand Over Your Social Media!

I've been thinking a lot about the future of social media privacy. To quote Han Solo: "I have a bad feeling about this."