After an amazing trip to Portland, ME, I was lucky enough to capture stunning sunrise after days of overcast weather. I’m thrilled with how this image turned out and it’s now available as a fine art print in the shop!
Fuji 18mm f1.4 Review
Today I review the Fujifilm 18mm f1.4 lens, after 18 months of use. I tell you why I picked this one over the f2 version and discuss my experience. Enjoy and let me know what your favorite Fuji lens is and why!
New YouTube Video: Peak Design Capture Camera Clip v3 Review
Today I give my quick review of the Peak Design Capture Camera Clip v3, tested with the Fuji XT3 and a few different types of backpacks. Is it the best way to carry your camera along for hiking and other adventures?
New YouTube Video: Nikon F3 Review
Today I give my long-term review of the Nikon F3 and tell you why I've never met its equal.
New YouTube Video: Yashica Mat 124G Review
Today I review the Yashica Mat 124G medium format TLR camera. It's a stunning alternative to the more expensive Rolleiflex and I'll go through my impressions about build quality, the lens, and how I've adjusted to shooting square format.
NEW VIDEO! Capturing The World's Most Famous Barn at Sunrise!
This time, I spend a beautiful morning exploring one of the world's best-known examples of rural decay, the TA Moulton barn in the Mormon Row District just outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. I then show you how I processed an image from start to finish in Capture One Pro, though the same principles will apply in Photoshop or Lightroom. I also discuss a little about my transition to Fujifilm cameras and lenses, coming from a Nikon DSLR system. Enjoy!
NEW VIDEO! Film Lab Scans vs Scanning Film at Home
This week, I discuss why I began scanning my own film negatives instead of having them scanned at a lab and the amazing results you can achieve by doing it yourself! I'll show you the scanning and processing of 3 images using my Epson V800 flatbed scanner, Silverfast, and Adobe Lightroom. These techniques will be useful no matter which scanning and image editing applications you may be using. Check it out!
NEW VIDEO! Developing Black and White Film at Home - Fuji Acros
This week, I discuss and show my process of developing black and white film at home, starting with my first roll of Fuji Acros 100 medium format film. I hope you enjoy this video and please leave me a comment below as to what you'd like to see next!
NEW VIDEO! Capturing Magical Light at Antelope Canyon
This week, I discuss the amazing light that can be found in slot canyons like Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona. I walk you through processing a couple of photos using HDR and basic adjustments to bring out the colors and tones unique to environments like these. I hope you enjoy and please be sure to like, subscribe, and leave me a comment to help me get this channel off the ground!
NEW VIDEO! The Milky Way and Mars - Astrophotography Tutorial
This week, I walk you through shooting an image of the Milky Way and Mars and processing it in Lightroom from start to finish. I also discuss some great Astrophotography tips that will hopefully help you capture the wonder of the night sky. No special gear needed, beyond an interchangeable lens camera and a wide-angle lens. Let me know what you think in the comments and if you'd like to see more videos like this!
NEW VIDEO! Beauty in Decay - Photographing a Ghost Town
This week, I discuss beauty in the urban decay of abandoned buildings and places, specifically in the Nevada ghost town of Goodsprings (extra points if you remember this town from Fallout: New Vegas!). I take you on a brief photographic tour of the town and process an image from start to finish in Adobe Lightroom. I hope you enjoy the journey and let me know what you think in the comments!
New Video! How to Photograph the Sun
This week, I discuss some of the problems photographers face when shooting into the sun. I then show you how to overcome those challenges by using Photoshop and Lightroom to composite photos I took at Death Valley National Park. I hope this proves helpful to you all and please leave me any feedback in the comments!
Relaunch of My Youtube Channel!
Hi folks! Big news today, I’ve just relaunched my YouTube channel! On this channel, I’ll post photography and post-processing tutorials, reviews, and discussions. Please check it out, like, and subscribe! Here is the first new video below:
Join me as I scan and post-process an image shot on slide film (Fuji Velvia 50) on an Epson V800 flatbed scanner and compare it to the same photo taken on a digital SLR. I'll discuss some of the unique characteristics of each and walk you through my slide film and digital workflow from start to finish. I use SilverFast SE for scanning and Photoshop CC and Lightroom Classic for post-processing.
Film v Digital - Navajo Tree (UPDATED)
Update 2/9/21:
I decided to take a second crack at scanning this slide, after learning a lot more about the capabilities of my Epson V800 flatbed scanner and SilverFast scanning software. The sky was indeed NOT overexposed and was able to be recovered. I’ll be posting a video about the whole process later today! Here’s the new scan, let me know what you think!
Original Post 1/23/21:
I took this image a few years ago along the Navajo Loop trail at Bryce Canyon. I was just starting to rediscover film and decided to take the shot on both digital and film. This is a great example of some of the stark differences between the two mediums. The digital has been processed to taste in Lightroom, whereas the film shot is pretty much directly from my scan (from 2016) of the slide. You can see a narrower dynamic range where the sky is blown out on the film image, but the famous Fuji color saturation is in full effect with no real additional work. Which do you all prefer in this case? Let me know in the comments!
Made to Order Prints!
Happy New Year, lovely people! I’ve just added a new section to my shop for made-to-order prints in 3 different sizes! As always, if there’s an image in my gallery you love that isn’t yet in the shop, use the contact form to let me know and I’ll make it for you!
Head to the new shop HERE
New Items in My Shop!
Good Morning, everyone! I’ve just added 14 new products to my shop, ready to ship immediately! They are 8x10 Artist Proof prints. They’re signed and include a certificate of authenticity! These make great gifts! Check out the shop HERE.
America's Best Idea
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the beauty of our public lands. The National Parks are considered “America’s Best Idea” and I couldn’t agree more. To that end, as we ensure that all of the legal votes for our leader are counted, I support the candidate who sees the beauty of our natural world as something to cherish and protect, and not to be traded for the interests of a dying energy industry. One who believes in science and its capacity to protect our home and our people.
Here’s some of my work from U.S. National Parks over the years…
A Spooky Romp Through New Orleans
Happy Halloween everyone! In honor of this spooky holiday, I’d like to share a few photos I took while exploring New Orleans in December of 2016. The history of this beautiful city, with areas nearly untouched since the late 1800’s, allowed my girlfriend (now wife!) and I to take a step back in time. Enjoy!
It's Great to Be Back
Hi lovely people! This has been a long time coming, but my new shop is now online! You may purchase beautiful archival prints of my work directly through my webpage! To celebrate the grand opening of my store, I’m offering matted, ready-to-frame legacy prints at a huge discount! Click HERE to go directly there!
This is the first phase of the grand re-re-re-opening of my website. I’m also working on brand new tutorial and photographic exploration videos for my YouTube channel HERE
Keep watching this space for new weekly posts and don’t forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM!
Sequoia and King's Canyon - A Walk Among the Grove of Giants
This past October, I spent a rainy, foggy weekend exploring Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks for the first time. Nothing prepared me for the sheer size and scale of the sequoias that thrust impossibly toward the sky. With names like General Sherman and Grant, these ancient stoic beasts gaze down with indifference as the tiny mammals (yours truly included) scurry across the forest floor in awe.
This trip ended up being the last hurrah for my Nikon D7100 and Tokina 12-24 lens, as I sold them to make the move to a full-frame camera at last! This combo has served me well for so long and helped me produce some of my favorite images.
After an hour ascending the sickeningly long, windy road leading into the Giant Forest, the sun finally broke through enough to allow the rich colors to make themselves known.
Here we are ascending the popular Moro Rock Trail at Sequoia. The short but steep hike concludes with a sweeping panorama of the Sierra Nevadas all around.
Sometimes I find that, when hiking to a certain spot for one shot, other scenes catch my eye and inspire me to capture them. I try to remember to keep my eyes open and look around, for the best shot may be right behind me. The image below of a fallen tree framing the distant mountain range drew me in.
We then made our way to the understated beauty that is King's Canyon National Park. Though not as famous as its nearby sibling, the variety and grandeur of the landscape should not be missed! We arrived on a cold, rainy, dreary day. However, the path to General Grant, the second-largest Sequoia in these parks, achieved an eerie beauty in the gloom. I did, unfortunately, fail to clean my lens from the constant mist and rain.
After visiting the General, we made our way onto the scenic drive through the canyon. Low-lying clouds and fog enveloped the mountain peaks and lent a magical air to the place.
All in all a truly unique experience. I look forward to returning to explore these expansive, lesser-visited parks and get to know them a little better. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!