Blue Pixel

I have mixed feelings about DSLR video. For one thing, I love still photos - that's where my heart is. However, video with our digital SLRs is part of the future of photography, and I want to stay current. So that's got me learning new things and trying new gear.
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For some time now I've looked at flash extenders as something I might want to add to my photo kit. They magnify the beam of light your flash puts out, giving it more "reach." So before leaving for the Galapagos, I bought one.
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I've just returned from a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands (and yes, it was fantastic). Due to strict limits on luggage amounts and weights, I decided to try a new strategy for my computing needs.
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I always tell people to try different settings on their cameras. Those menus are chock-full of interesting options, and if you don't explore them, you'll never know if they might help. And as my friend Bill Durrence likes to tell people, "there's no button on that camera that will make it explode."
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When I got started in photography, I was lucky enough to find a local photographer willing to take the time to teach me the basics and more. One of the most valuable things I learned from Kent was to try to figure out solutions on my own. He always said, "you just have to outsmart it." That's the best photography lesson I ever got.
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Last week I had a chance to use the new Nikon D3S. This camera can shoot at over 100,000 ISO (!!!). Just a few years ago I was saying that all I needed was a camera that gave me good quality 1600 and decent 3200. Now we've gone way beyond that.
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Last week I had an amazing inspirational experience. Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA.org) was running a massive event in Breckenridge, Colorado, the Ski Spectacular. Disabled people from around the world come to learn to ski, improve their skiing abilities and race. I was there to begin work on a project to document the Wounded Warriors program, which helps injured soldiers and sailors get back into outdoor activities. Over my life I've had the opportunity to see some pretty impressive things, but this one was at a whole new level.
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Over the years, Nikon's 200-400mm f/4 zoom has become a huge favorite among wildlife photographers. Its reasonable size, fast aperture and ability to zoom has made it a "must-have" lens for this group. It's never been very popular among sports photographers, though, as it wasn't quite fast enough for night sports. That's changing.
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After shooting the Kansas City Chiefs game against the San Diego Chargers recently, another photographer and I were discussing the differences between luck and skill. Those are two things every good photographer has experience with.
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You know by now I'm a big fan of using strobes. Good light is so important to good pictures that I love being able to create and/or add it whenever I want. And I've always been a fan of softboxes as a way of controlling and directing that light. Now there's a new softbox that I just can't say enough good things about. But I'll try :)
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