Posts | Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography Blog

Get My Photography On The Brain Lesson 1-10 Bundle

Starting this month, you can now purchase the entire first 10 lessons in my Photography On The Brain Course as a complete collection.

I’m offering the Lesson 1-10 Bundle at a special price, which means you’ll be able to download and binge watch them right away. The tradeoff is that you’ll only get these ten lessons. If you want to watch future lessons in my ongoing course, you’ll have to wait until the next lesson bundle is released, or sign up for the monthly membership.

I’m offering the bundle because I know that not everyone wants another monthly subscription in their life. This option gives you access to the first 10 lessons, which is all of the lessons that have been released up to this point.

The bundle contains over two hours of content that cover a wide variety of topics, and include a wealth of ideas and insight that stem from my extensive experience. At the end of each lesson, I give you an assignment; a specific challenge that will encourage you to try and apply these ideas in your own image making.

Launched last year, my Photography On The Brain course features a series of monthly lessons that are designed to challenge you to think about photography and your own creativity in new ways.

The course is based around a concise 10 minute video lesson that’s delivered to you each month. With each lesson, I go beyond simple tips and techniques, and explore each topic with a mix of intelligence, curiosity and enthusiasm, and inspire you to try to apply these ideas to your own image making. You can watch the lessons on any device, at any time, or download them.

My goal with the course is to fill your brain with seeds that will develop in conjunction with your own creative and technical growth as a photographer. As you progress, these seeds will begin to bloom and give you an increased level of confidence and proficiency with the camera.

The content is unique, because it’s built on the very concepts that continue to excite and intrigue me on a personal level. They’re the ideas and techniques that have propelled and inspired my own journey with photography during the past three decades.

During the past year, students have found the course to be engaging and inspiring. It’s helped them remove their own perceived limitations with creativity and has motivated them to explore their craft in entirely new ways.

(Watch this tutorial to see an example of my video teaching style.)

Two Ways to Enroll

Originally, Photography On The Brain was designed as a monthly membership series, with three tiers: Basic, Workshop Level and Full Year Workshop.

Workshop Level allows you access to our private Flickr Group, where you can join in the conversation, contribute your own ideas about topics we cover further explore these topics with other members and share your own images with the group for comments and critique. (Full Year Workshop is simply paying for a year membership in the Workshop Level tier up front.)

With the new Lesson 1-10 bundle, You don’t have to wait for a new lesson each month, and there’s no subscription required.

The advantage of signing up for the monthly option, however, is that you’ll continue to receive new lessons for as long as you remain a member. And it costs less up front. Also, if you’re in the Workshop Level tier, you’ll have access to the Flickr Group.

Either way, there’s a ton of great material in these first 10 lessons.

With either option, my goal is to get you thinking more deeply about photography and creativity. You may find that it takes some careful thought to figure how to incorporate these ideas into your own particular style, but that’s exactly the point of Photography On The Brain.

However, if you do take the time and apply a certain amount of mental effort, I promise you, you will begin to unlock ideas and creative approaches that will push your photography skills to new heights.

Feed Your Own Photography Brain

So take advantage of my expertise and my engaging teaching style and check out my Photography On The Brain course. Whether you choose to join as a monthly member, or if you decide to purchase the Lesson 1-10 Bundle, I’m confident that you’ll enjoy the fresh, inspirational approach that this course offers. I’ll even give you 100% money back guarantee.

Download the first lesson today. You can sign up for the monthly option here, or you can purchase the lesson bundle here.

You can't really be a follower without being enthused by your enthusiasm for photography

For me it's helped me just get out and do it, no matter what the weather.

I recently sent an email regarding tips in using wide angle lenses and must admit quick surprise it was actually YOU responding and not perhaps a staff assistant. This has spurred me "onward" to enjoy, learn, do my best and enjoy, enjoy and again enjoy while I am able.

Mark Tozer

What a great opportunity to learn

After leaving film photography 25 years ago, Dan has brought me into digital photography and has always encouraged me. He will ask what I am shooting, make a positive comment and then a suggestion that I might try.

Patrick McGownd

I would like to thank you taking the time to look at and comment on my two recent photo submissions to photography on the brain group on Flickr.

I am really liking those comments! They have helped fuel my excitement for photography.

Daren Wilz

I would recommend this course to anybody who wants to gain further insights into photography.

Not just another course on photography, "Photography on the Brain" gives insights into why we should try different approaches in order to become better photographers. For example rather than simply describe what a wide angle lens is, Dan talks about how it can affect you compositional style and how you can use it to your advantage in certain situations.

Scott Anderson

I look at your web site at least every week.

You are in my top 4 camera web sites. I have recommended you to friends who have enjoyed your blog even more than me.

Composition is not a natural gift of mine, but your work has challenged and inspired me, and I think I'm getting better. Crazy inspiration! Sound practical advice. Objective analysis. Helpful.

Andrew Leask

Your stuff on the web is really inspiring.

You have this great ability to make things easy to understand. Especially your brilliant e-book "X-series unlimited" have been very useful and motivating in understanding, exploring and be able to get the most out of my XT-2.

I see you as a Giver, and it is very inspiring to have the possibility to learn the best tips and tricks from an outstanding photographer. Keep up the good work!

Morten Larsen

Dan Bailey’s knowledge of outdoor photography is as good as it gets!

His enthusiasm and passion for making images is unparalleled. He simplifies what could be complex, and imparts a vision that inspires one to get out and shoot. Dan is approachable and responsive to any questions one might have. I have had the pleasure of attending workshops and presentations with Dan, and he personifies talent, integrity and expertise and caring. Plus, he is FUN!

Janel Brown

Dan’s passion for photography is infectious and motivational

Dan's dynamic teaching approach is based on liberating people from the hugely technical side, instead emphasising the ‘get out there and give it a go’ method. He has remarkable ability to break down analysis and learning into bite-size chunks that give you the confidence to try.

Many would-be teachers get bogged down in what they regard as essential details before suggesting taking a photo, by which time the student’s mind is not on the photo, but the camera.

Obviously with Dan’s experiential learning approach, every student is allowed to start at their own beginning.

Dan is very generous not only with his time but his knowledge and experiences. He is not a pixel-peeper, he views cameras as tools, not subjects for constant comparison, and his primary aim is to get the highest quality picture in the simplest way and to share his knowledge with everyone who is interested.

Roger Sinclair

I have signed up and viewed the first lesson and found it helpful!

Kathryn

Dan is a wonderful teacher who sincerely enjoys helping others

He uses a direct but kind approach and caters his lessons to your skill level. His lessons and inspirational words help keep me motivated on tough days! I recommend this course for all photographers, regardless of skill level, as his experience and guidance is applicable to all who seek to improve their work.

Jean Lua

Dan wants his photography to allow the viewer "to become immersed in the action".

I have found his teaching style to do the same. He is able to share his knowledge of photography in a clear and uncomplicated way that is both inspiring and enjoyable.

Joni

I’m sure that experiencing Dan’s energy and enthusiasm in this medium will add another dimension to the learning, encouraging one’s creative breakthroughs. I’ll certainly be joining that subscriber list.

Dan is a professional shooter, teacher and blogger with a passion for sharing his experience and insights with others. He has an easy, relaxed style of communication, making it enjoyable to read or listen to his insight.

I recently listened to an hour-long podcast interview with Dan. I was so taken with his knowledge and passion for photography that I wrote to tell him how inspiring I found it. He wrote back immediately thanking me and told me he is planning a monthly video-style blog series for subscribers that will provide personal instruction and inspiration.

Michael Fisher

Your advice has inspired me to try new things

I consider myself an advanced amateur and my interests range from macro/close-up of flowers and plants, to landscapes. Dan Bailey provides great advice that will help you get to the next level.

Nicolaas Strik

February 13, 2020

Get My Photography On The Brain Lesson 1-10 Bundle

Media

Listen to the Soundtrack for my Film AERIAL ADVENTURE

I’ve got a special treat for you today – A link where you can listen to the isolated soundtrack from my recent video, AERIAL ADVENTURE – Winter Flying in Alaska. I posted the song on my Patreon page, and it’s up there for anyone to hear.

If you haven’t seen AERIAL ADVENTURE, it’s an inspiring short film with original music, documenting my experiences flying around the mountains and shooting aerial photos out the open window of my 1947 Cessna 120, in the middle of winter.

I’m really excited about how it came out, especially the music. Even without the video, it’s a pretty cool soundtrack, and it’s one of those inspiring pieces you can listen to over and over again. It’s the perfect song to get you through a workday or a frustrating commute, or to accompany you on your next run or workout.

Although I’m a longtime musician and a trained recording engineer/producer, I often struggle with my own creativity in this realm, and so it feels awesome to dig in and produce an original, inspiring piece of music that I truly love, especially when I see it set to my own aerial footage.

Whether its photography or music, it all falls under the realm of creativity. We all struggle with certain types of creativity, but practicing and putting in the hard work breeds success, and with that success comes added confidence. It’s the same for everyone, no matter if you’re trying to shoot a compelling photo, write a song, draw a picture or bake bread.

Anyway, I hope that you’re as inspired by this piece as I am. Feel free to bookmark the link and listen to the song as often as you wish. (If you’re one of my patrons, you can actually download the actual song file to take with you and install on your mp3 player.)

Take care and have a great week!

February 10, 2020

Listen to the Soundtrack for my Film AERIAL ADVENTURE

Personal and Pro Insight

You Don’t Have To Buy Every New Camera That Comes Along

It’s time for another Public Service Announcement. Are you ready? Ok, here goes: Buying a new camera won’t make you a better photographer.

A new camera might give you some better tools that can help you maximize the skills that you already have, but it’s not going to make a huge difference in your photography. You know what will? Being a better photographer.

Getting a new camera is a lot like buying a really expensive paintbrush. If you don’t have much skill with watercolors, then that $723 da Vinci Series #10 Kolinsky Red Sable Brush isn’t going to do much for you. It’s not going to suddenly lead to better paintings.

However, if you’ve been painting for a few years and you’ve mastered your brush technique, then yes, those super high quality sable bristles will allow to translate those highly proficient skills into some very awesome paintings.

In our fast moving, constantly upgrading high technology society, we’re often led to believe that we’re nobody if we don’t always get the latest, greatest thing. Grownups are a little more immune to this attitude than say teenagers, but it’s still a purveying notion, especially for people who spend time on camera forums and reading blogs.

The mindset is that if you don’t have the newest camera, then you’re obviously not serious about your craft, and you clearly won’t be able to make any good pictures.

Well, I’m here to remind of the ridiculous nature of that argument.

One of the most popular trends when it comes to acquiring electronic things, is to put off buying a particular device, because you’ve read rumors that the next one is coming out soon, and it will be so much better. Why waste your money, when you can wait and get the new one, whenever it’s finally announced in two or three months, and then when it’s finally released to the market in yet another month or two?

But where does that get you? If you don’t have a camera yet, it means that you just put off that magical moment when you can start taking pictures and enjoying photography, until… um… later.

If you DO have a camera, it means that you relegated your camera to being an obsolete item, andante again, delayed some awesome picture taking experiences until you finally get that new one in in your hands… whenever that ends up being.

I can totally understand the excitement that surrounds getting new gear. As someone who places high value on my own imagination and the notion of being curious about what lies around the next bend, it’s fun to ponder all the great images that you’ll shoot with that new camera you’re thinking of buying.

However, I think that we all go a little overboard with the whole thing. New cameras are cool, but they’re not necessary, and you should never think that you have to upgrade each time a new model is introduced.

Our modern lives are filled with devices that keep getting improved with new models on a regular basis, but in almost every single case, our current devices are still very capable and powerful tools. The camera you bought last year, even two years ago, is still a great camera. It’s still capable of producing extremely high quality imagery and driving your creativity with a set of amazing tools.

We don’t have to get sucked into that, though. As a Fujifilm ambassador and a blogger, I try to walk the line between promoting new gear that I think is great, and reminding people that they can still make great photos with their current gear. That will always push your creativity more than buying a new camera.

I can’t speak for any other company, but I’m pretty sure that for the most part, Fujifilm would agree with me on this. If you still enjoy using your older camera, then they would support you sticking with what you have. That’s the whole Kaizen mentality, and that’s why they push firmware toward the older models. They want people to buy cameras and then love them for more than just one product run.

The reality of our modern world, whether it’s with cameras, cars, guitars or paint brushes, is that every company has to keep making better models and chasing each other with technology, because that’s just how capitalism works.

You don’t have to fall prey to this, though. I’ll never chastise you for buying the latest gizmo, if that’s what you really want to do, especially if you have the skills to take advantage of the upgraded toolset. However, I do feel strongly about the notion that you should not place all of your creative eggs in the basket of some new device that isn’t even announced yet.

My advice is to use what you have and have fun with it. Whatever camera you have is awesome, and it will let you take wonderful, creative pictures that represent the world in accordance to your own personal ideas. And if you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket, spend it on a trip. Go explore somewhere new and practice your creativity in a new place.

And if at some point, you find that your current camera is not getting the job done, or if there’s a specific issue that you feel is holding you back, then that’s when you should think about upgrading.

February 6, 2020

You Don’t Have To Buy Every New Camera That Comes Along

Camera Gear, Reviews and Recommendations

First Look at the Brand New Fujifilm X100V

Nine years ago, in February 2011, Fujifilm released the first generation X100. Being a brand new camera that was designed from the ground up in nearly every single way, the X100 was the very first model of the newly launched X Series.

With a retro-style rangefinder style body that used an hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, an APS-C sized sensor and a fixed 23mm f/2 lens and a working, numbered aperture ring, the X100 also introduced a number of other innovative technologies, like the Fuji film simulations.

The X100 won numerous awards and quickly became a favorite for shooters around the world. Photographers praised its elegant, classic design, intuitive controls, high quality image quality and the timeless creativity it fosters. In just a few years, X100 has become one of the iconic cameras of our time.

Now, nine years later, Fujifilm has announced the latest model in the series, the X100V. Continuing to build on the capabilities of the previous X100F, the new 100V contains a number of new features that make this classic camera an even more powerful model.

New Specs and Design Changes

Along with a new 26MP BSI X-Trans sensor and the X-Processor Pro chip, the X100V has an updated, second generation version of the 23mm f/2 lens that’s been optimized with a second aspherical element, which allows it to resolve higher resolution imagery with excellent low light performance. (The original X100 only had a 12MP sensor.)

In addition, the X100V has a two-way tilting, higher resolution LCD screen with touch capabilities, 4K video, improved battery life, two new Film Simulations, (ETERNA and CLASSIC NEG), Electronic Shutter with a max frame rate of 20fps, and a number of other creative settings that bring it to the same feature set as the X-PRO 3.

It also follows the cleaner design trend that Fujifilm has been applying to many of the other models in the lineup. Like the X-E3, X-T30 and X-Pro 3, the X100V does away with the 4 Thumb-Pad buttons on the back and instead brings those Fn button operability to the touch screen LCD instead. You can also opt to use the Q button as a Fn button, which give she X100V a total of 10 Fn options.

As with pretty much every change that Fuji, and every other company do for that matter, some people will love the new design of the X100V and some won’t. Either way, the X100V does add some powerful capabilities that bring it into the next generation.

New Creative Features

The X100V contains a number of new creative features and camera settings that were first introduced in the X-Pro 3. Here’s a look at a some of them:

New CLASSIC Neg. Film Simulation

The new CLASSIC Neg. film sim looks awesome. Built to replicate the look of the old FUJICOLOR SUPERIA color print film introduced in the late 1990s, it’s designed to give you the look of consumer color negative film that was so prevalent in the days and decades before digital photography took over.

In a sense, it’s designed to look like snapshots of old.

With CLASSIC Neg., Fujifilm digs into its 85 year history with film and color, and gives us a unique, but familiar look. This new film sim taps into our color memories with a bold and unique expression that plays nicely with the already rich set of color choices we have on the X Series.

The color palette of CLASSIC Neg. is interesting. It has a similar, strong tonality to CLASSIC CHROME, but with slightly richer “Fuji-style” colors that you see in the PRO Neg. film sims. The effect is a slightly muted, but high contrast look that, again, is reminiscent of the matte finish prints that so many of us grew up on.

This gives it a very representational look, and I find it to be a highly versatile film sim. It seems to work with just about every kind of subject and it produces a very cool and timeless look that holds a great deal of style. CLASSIC Neg. is a great addition to the X100 series, and I’m sure that it will quickly become a favorite for many shooters.

I absolutely love CLASSIC Neg., and it’s already one of my own favorite film sims. In my mind, the addition of CLASSIC Neg. might just be the strongest reason to upgrade.

MONOCHROMATIC COLOR

This setting builds on the awesome WARM/COOL B&W ADJ setting that first appeared in the X-T3. When shooting in one of the Monochrome film simulations, you can not only push the image towards the warm and cool side, you can also push it towards the green or magenta side as well.

Instead of a single slider, you now have a full “white balance” graph that allows you to adjust the X-Axis (warm/cool) and Y-Axis (magenta/green) in any combination you want. This allows you to further customize your monochrome images in a much wider array of tones and color shifts.

When you see two examples together, like the shots below, the color shift stands out like a sore thumb. However, when you view a shifted image on its own, the effect appears much more subtle and intriguing. See the end of this post for another standalone example to see what I mean.

COLOR CHROME FX BLUE

This adds a different take on Fuji’s existing COLOR CHROME EFFECT, which boosts the tones in your images to produce deeper colors and gradation in subjects that already have a high degree of saturation.

COLOR CHROME FX BLUE only boosts the blue colors of your scene. The effect is like using a polarizing filter on skies, and it also deepens shadows as well. I find that it adds a really nice touch to certain imagery, and I especially love using it with the CLASSIC Neg. sim. It’s subtle, but it’s there. With the two shots below, you can see the slight difference between the effect being on and off.

• Built-in 4 Stop ND Filter

Where the original X100 had a 2 stop ND filter, the X100F had 3tops. The new X100V has upped that one more to 4 stops. This definitely opens up your shooing options. With today’s camera performance, the reality is that if you need an ND filter, that extra stop can make a big difference.

• 11FPS Continusou Shooting and Electronic Shutter

Adding to its mechanical leaf shutter, which now fires at a max frame rate 11 fps, the X100V has an ES option that allows you to shoot at up to 20 fps, and 30 fps in the 1.25X crop “Sports Finder Mode.”

• Improved Focus Bracketing

Like the X-Pro 3, the X100V has an additional AUTO shooting mode that lets you adjust with only one setting (INTERVAL), instead of three. (FRAMES, STEP & INTERVAL).

• 4K Video Shooting with Dedicated Movie Settings Menu

The X100V allows you to shoot video either Full HD or 4K at up to 200Mb/s, in either 16:9 or 17:9 DCI 4K aspect ratio. It also has a full, dedicated Move Settings Menu, and offers Full HD High Speed Recording and a host of creative video shooting options, including Monochromatic Color, the Highlight/Shadow Tone Curves and F-Log Recording, Zebra Setting, Time Code, Move Silent Control and others.

You can also set your dedicated output options and send either 4K or HDMI video signal to HDMI and/or the SD card.

• HDR MODE

The X100V features a new HDR Shooting mode, with dynamic range options of AUTO, 200%, 400%, 800% and HDR PLUS, which gives you maximum variation in the dynamic range of your capture.

• Native ISO 160-12,800

The X100V has the same 26.1 Back Side Illuminated X-Trans sensor as the X-T3 and X-Pro 3, so it also has the same native ISO range of 160-12,800.

• Advanced Multiple Exposure

The X100V allows you to layer 9 images and combine them using Additive, Average, Comparative Bright/Dark modes to produce different looks. You can also use apply other creative settings to each layer, like using different film simulations for each one.

Overall Thoughts

As an X-T guy, the X100 is not my usual tool, but I got a chance to try out the new “V” and found it to be a very fun camera. I embraced the sense of liberation that it offers. Body shape aside, it’s Fuji DNA inside and out, all the way through. And as a fan of prime lenses, I certainly liked the fast, fixed 23mm f/2 lens.

Given that all of the settings on the X Series are common between the models, it was a seamless transition to go from the X-T3 to the X100V, and I had a ton of fun shooting photos around my neighborhood during the coldest months of January. It was the closest thing I have to street shooting near my house.

I even took it only an all day snow bike ride, just popping the camera in my frame bag for easy and unencumbering access. When I explored on foot last week, I just stuck it in my jacket pocket.

I did find it a bit hard to navigate with thick, bulky gloves, but to be fair, each time I took the camera out, it was around 10 below zero. Any camera is difficult to use in these kinds of conditions. That said, the aperture ring was quite easy to use, even with gloves, since it has two “handles” that assist with operation.

Having been spoiled by the X-T series, I welcomed having a flip screen, and I found myself using it quite often. In very cold weather, it’s just easier to deal with a screen than pressing your face against the cold metal camera and fogging up the screen. I’m sure that in any other situation when it wasn’t below zero, I would end up using the hybrid OVF/EVF a whole lot more.

I’m sure that some people will grumble at the few ways that Fujifilm has changed the X100V, and some folks will balk at the increased price tag, but even with a few small modifications, the X100 is and always has been an amazing camera.

I’ve been using cameras long enough to know that nothing ever stays the same with any model or series. Stuff always changes, and even if you think you won’t be able to tolerate the mods, in most cases, your fingers will learn to fall in line pretty quickly.

Regardless of what a few people say on social media about stuff like this, in reality, there are very few things that end up being deal breakers. For me, a major performance issue or a lack of some vital settings might seal it as a no-go, but if it’s a case of getting used to a new button/dial map on the body, that’s no biggie. I’m smart. I’m an adaptable human that can learn new tricks.

Despite a couple of body changes, the new X100V has all the goods inside: New sensor, new film sim, faster autofocus, electronic shutter, 4K, and a host of other settings that can make a real difference in your fun creative photography process.

Given that the X100F is over three years old, the new V is a welcome upgrade. If you’re using one of the older X100 models, than this one is definitely worth looking at. If you’ve been lusting after an X100 for awhile, then this one brings it with some incredible performance and a gorgeous new film simulation that I’m pretty sure you’re going to love.

Being the very first X Series model and the camera that launched the entire modern Fujifilm revolution, the X100 is indeed a very beautiful and iconic item. Over the years, it’s won so many design awards and endless accolades from users, and in a time when every manufacturer has diversified their factory locations, the X100 is still made in Japan.

It pretty much boils down to this: If you want an X100, then there’s not much that’s going to sway you against it. As far as cameras go, it’s the real deal.

If you’ve been waiting for the newest version, then here it is. If you know you’re not an X100 person, then I’m not going to try and talk you into it.

Either way, the X100V will start shipping on February 27. You can preorder the camera here.

NOTE: I’ll be updating my X SERIES UNLIMITED eBook soon to included all of the new settings found in the X100V and X-Pro 3.

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February 4, 2020

First Look at the Brand New Fujifilm X100V

Personal and Pro Insight

Celebrating My 30 Years as a Photographer

Thirty years ago this week, on February 2, 1990, I walked into Bromfield Camera in downtown Boston and bought my first real camera: a chrome body Nikon FM2 and a 50mm f/1.4 lens.

I had absolutely no idea of the immense, world-bending significance that moment held for me. What seemed like a simple transaction, ultimately set me on a path that would define and dominate my entire life for the next three decades.

At the time, I was a 22 year old student at Berklee College of Music, studying Music Production and Engineering. Lacking confidence in my skills as a guitarist, when I compared myself to the other 2,000 six string shredders around me at the school, I had shifted my focus to be one of the guys who instead records, mixes and produces the music you hear on records.

By my third year at Berklee, I had a few extra bucks in my savings account from my work study job at the front desk. Remembering how much I enjoyed taking pictures with my mom’s ice cream sandwich shaped Kodak 110 Instamatic during my Colorado Outward Bound Trip a few years ago, I decided to buy a “serious” camera and try out photography as a hobby.

My first photo I shot with my brand new Nikon FM-2 on 2/2/90. This is the guy who sold it to me.

After shopping around for a few weeks, I settled on the Nikon, and immediately embraced the exciting new world of picture taking. Spending hours hoofing around Back Bay, downtown, Cambridge, Summerville and other areas around the city, I mostly shot street scenes and whatever visually intriguing thing caught my eye.

That’s right, I got my big start as a street photographer.

I mostly shot things like buildings, reflections, cool sculptures, the downtown waterfront, photos of my friends, etc… Ironically, about half my first roll was photographing a rock climbing competition at the old Boston Rock Gym. So, even with my very fist roll, I was drawn to shooting action sports.

There was a certain technical, behind-the-scenes aspect to recording engineering that appealed to me, and I discovered that a similar characteristic existed in photography as well.

I recognized that even though I’m not creating the subject matter, there’s a certain craft and artistry to capturing a scene or performance in the most compelling way possible. Sometimes this even involves mixing elements, deciding what to include or eliminate, adding certain embellishments and processing in order to create the final, finished product. These are just some of the similarities that intrigue me about music and photography.

Reflection in the John Hancock Tower. One of my favorite subjects back then.

A view of Fenway Park, seen from the window of my dorm room.

As I spent hours exploring the streets of Boston during my first few months with photography, I had no idea where it would take me. Little did I know that photography would become such a driving force in my path through life.

It’s amazing to look back and see how far I’ve come, to see how my style has developed over the years and think about the level of excitement I had in those early days. It’s a common trait for humans to try and chase the enthusiasm that once existed in our younger selves.

Sometimes that process lets us down, when we realize that we’ve grown to become different people with different priorities. As we get older, we often fail to submit ourselves to feel the same magic we once felt with our early passions, but if you truly love what you’re doing, then you never lose that excitement.

I’ve found that with photography. I’ve never lost the magic. I’m as fascinated and in love with photography as I ever have been; perhaps even more so now, since I’ve devoted much brain power towards shooting photos and and thinking about the craft during the past thirty years.

Red Sox Game. Another early sports photo.

I’ve been a photographer for 10,957 days. Sure there have been many days during my life when I haven’t picked up my camera, but between all the photos I’ve shot and all the writing and introspection I’ve devoted to the craft, that adds up to an enormous amount of time. It’s no wonder that I’ve been able to find success with the process of making compelling images.

Practice anything for that long and you’re bound to see great improvement. Keep that in mind if you’re just starting out with photography, or if you only able to devote a small amount of your weeks to taking pictures. As with any craft, the number one thing that will lead to improvement and enlightenment is time spent.

I hope that this fact inspires you. If a young music student can pick up a camera when he’s barely entering adulthood and find success, then what’s to say you can’t too? It just takes a lot of practice.

I hope you enjoy this visual journey down memory lane. As you look at some of the photos I shot during the first few months of 1990, take some time to think about where your own photography has taken you in life and where you think it can take you in the future.

As for me, I’m looking forward to the next 30 years. I wonder where my photography will take me in the next leg of my journey.

A foggy evening on the Boston waterfront. I entered this photo in a competition and even won a prize!

My friend Katarina Leyman, who is now a prominent Swedish composer.

Climbing competition at the Boston Rock Gym, which was the first rock gym in the nation. One of my very first “action photos” ever!

February 3, 2020

Celebrating My 30 Years as a Photographer

Adventures with Dan, Interviews, Press, Interviews and Info

Read an Interview with Me on the B&H Photo Explora Blog

It’s “Adventure Week” on the B&H site and they’re featuring me as their special Friday guest with an in-depth interview on their Explore Blog.

I love how they’ve title the article, CAPTURE THE FEELING OF ADVENTURE, because that’s exactly what I’m trying to do with my imagery. Throughout my entire career, I’ve been driven to create photographs that inspire the feeling of adventure to my viewers.

Regardless of what kinds of subjects I’m shooting, I want people to be able to feel the excitement, the elation and the wonder that I feel when I’m out exploring. I want them to garner the same kind of motivation that I derive when I watch my subjects unfold in front of me.

In this B&H Adventure Week Interview, I touch on a number of topics, including my style, my equipment, the challenges of aerial photography, my thoughts on using drones, and I share a few tips for aspiring outdoor and adventure photographers.

I had a great time talking with Shawn, who conducted the interview, and so I hope you’ll enjoy reading the piece.

Happy adventuring and have a great weekend!

January 31, 2020

Read an Interview with Me on the B&H Photo Explora Blog

Adventures with Dan, Media

Watch My Brand New Short Film, “AERIAL ADVENTURE”

I’m excited to release my brand new short film, “Aerial Adventure – Winter Flying in Alaska.” You can watch it on YouTube here.

In this video, I document my experiences flying around the mountains and shooting aerial photos out the open window of my 1947 Cessna 120 in the middle of winter. The footage is accompanied with original music I wrote and recorded specifically for this project.

Shot during two flights last week, when it was clear and cold, and well below zero, I take you along with me as I preheat the engine, prep and preflight the plane, and then go on a 90 minute flight over the Chugach Mountains at sunset.

If you’re familiar with my work, then you know that I love shooting aerial mountain photos in dramatic winter light. This film gives you a first person look at exactly what I see when I’m up there, flying around with the window open and chasing that magical pink alpenglow.

I’ve wanted to make a video like this for years so that I can share the magic of what it’s like to soar around this magnificent scenery and watch the warm winter sunset light hit these peaks from up close.

As a musician, I’ve also been driven to create a piece of music that I feel reflects these experiences. When I began the editing process late last week, I got a little nervous that I wouldn’t have time to write and record a good enough song to match the stunning footage.

I even considered licensing an outside song for the project, but then realized that this is what I live for. This is why I play music and why I buy guitars and pedals and recording plugins.

I saw this as an ideal opportunity to mesh together everything I’ve learned as a photographer and trained guitar player & recording engineer. I also saw this as a way to push through my own fears and creative blocks, just like I tell you guys to do with your cameras.

As if often happens, as soon as I sat down and started coming up with musical ideas that matched the video, the creativity started pouring out. The entire composition came together pretty quickly, and I finished the basic track in a few hours on Friday afternoon.

Most of the footage was shot during two flights last week, captured with the Fujifilm X-T3 using both the XF 35mm f/2 and XF 50mm f/2 lenses. During the flight, I went back and forth, shooting stills and video, which was a bit of a challenge. Editing was done in Final Cut Pro X and the music was recorded in Logic Pro X.

This is pretty much my first non-tutorial video production, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It was a lot of fun to watch it over and over again while I was editing, so I hope you enjoy it!

January 21, 2020

Watch My Brand New Short Film, “AERIAL ADVENTURE”

Creative Tips, Featured Images

Isolating Your Subjects with a Short Telephoto Lens

I’ve always been a fan of the fixed short telephoto lens, which is typically a mid-range focal length with a relatively compact size. In use, this type performs like a classic normal lens, but with a little more throw, and it has the basic characteristics of long telephoto without the encumbering bulk and weight of a bigger zoom.

In practical terms, a short telephoto allows you to isolate subject matter that’s relatively close to the camera and add slight compression to your scene. The effect is an image that’s clean from the distracting elements that a wider lens would catch and enough bokeh to allow the main subject to stand out from the background.

For this reason, I find the short telephoto to be an excellent choice for shooting intimate landscapes that feature a prominent subject with just one or two other elements that help give a sense of environment to the shot.

Traditionally, the short telephoto has been considered the ideal lens for shooting portraits, and while I do use mine for that, I love using it to shoot nature scenes. For this reason, it would also be an excellent choice for things like street photography and travel, because it allows you to capture the details of the world in and make clean, simple compositions.

In my mind, the short telephoto focal length checks two boxes that can always lead towards more effective compositions: simplifying the scene and making use of varying depths of focus. Both of these techniques help you create pictures that easily draw your viewers into the shot and leave no ambiguity about what they should be looking at.

In other words, it allows them to clearly answer the question, “What’s the picture about?”

My favorite short telephoto lens these days is the Fujifilm XF50mm f/2. It’s a pocket sized, weather sealed gem that only weighs 7 oz. It’s small and light enough to carry with you all the time, it has a minimum focusing distance of just 1.28 feet (39 cm), and it has a fast f/2 aperture. (Read my full review of this lens here.)

With a focal length that equates to about 76mm compared to old film lenses, it offers just enough compression at close to medium distances to make it an extremely versatile lens for a wide range of styles and subject matter. For this reason, that little 50 has become one of my favorite Fuji lenses and it goes with me just about everywhere.

Back when I shot Nikon, my favorite short telephoto was the venerable 105mm f/2.5 manual focus. Nikon’s current AF equivalent is the 105mm f/2.8G lens. Canon also has a 100mm f/2.8 lens. Either of those would be a great short telephoto.

In addition, many kit lenses and shorter zooms encompass this focal length, so even you don’t have a fixed telephoto prime, you can still make use of these techniques.

I shot all of these photos this week, thanks within a mile of my house, either in my neighborhood, or along the main bike path that runs right through Anchorage. In addition to the main subjects I captured, all of these scenes where filled with regular city stuff, like houses, power lines, traffic lights, street lamps, etc…

With the really bright orangey sunset photos, I shot all of those on the trail right next to one of the larger intersections in the city. The background was filled with all kinds of stuff I didn’t want in my shot, and by using the short telephoto and a bit of walking to find good vantage points, I was able to crop all those distracting elements out right inside the viewfinder and make clean, uncluttered compositions.

In my mind, the short telephoto is a lens that fits in with that notion of abbreviation, which I consider to be such a vital compositional concept in photography. By abbreviating your scenes, instead of showing everything, you create much clearer compositions, and you engage your viewers to imagine what lies outside the borders of your frame.

If you have a short telephoto, whether it’s a prime, or if you have that focal length on one of your zoom lenses, I encourage you to spend more time experimenting with it.

The key is getting close to your subjects so that you isolate specific parts of your scene, while eliminating everything else. You can leave one or two elements things in the shot, but they must be things that either accentuate, compliment or contrast in some intriguing way with your main subject.

Have fun.

January 15, 2020

Isolating Your Subjects with a Short Telephoto Lens

Press, Interviews and Info

I’m Excited to Launch My Brand New Patreon Page

As an artist and teacher, I’m driven to helping you guys to become more proficient and confident photographers, because I firmly believe when we all spend more time practicing our creative endeavors and relishing in the creative process, the world will be a better place. To that end, I’m always trying to inspire you and think of new ways that allow you to connect more deeply with my work.

I know that many of my most dedicated followers appreciate all that I do and genuinely like to support my efforts. With this in mind, I’m excited to launch my brand new Patreon Page.

If you haven’t heard of Patreon before, it’s a site that allows creators to build a community with their followers, and allows people to offer direct support to the artists and creators they feel enrich their lives.

In that way, it lets creators build a deeper relationship with their most dedicated fans and reward them with exclusive benefits that reflect this kind of personal support.

Through my Patreon page, I would like to offer you a unique experience to partner with me as I explore new creative avenues in my photography, and give you something extra in exchange for their direct support. Something special.

Each month, I’ll create special content that’s exclusive to my Patreon members. These could be PDF files, audio or video clips, interviews that answer question you send me, “behind the scenes” materials etc… I’ll also have specific rewards to recognize and express my gratitude to members who support me in different tiers.

Special Exclusive Publications

In addition, I’m excited to start creating some special limited edition photography journals and magazines that will allow you to enjoy my work in new, more intrinsic ways. These will be filled with brand new and favorite imagery, and photo essays that take you behind, and even beyond the imagery and offer you even greater insight into my creative process.

If you choose to become one of my patrons, I’ll send you these special exclusive publications throughout the year. These will be yours and only yours as one of my Patreon members, and no one else will be able to purchase or order them.

The Possibility for Greater Things

I feel this platform offers a wonderful two-way street, because if on a fundamental level, this kind of direct patronage allows me to produce and deliver better, more targeted content to you, which will in turn, help you learn and be inspired in new ways. It can even lead to greater things for both of us.

For example, I could set specific earnings-based and community-based goals that would offer you an even better learning experience, maybe things like:

Getting rid of ads on my blog
Specially published books & journals
A monthly chat or webcast with members
Increasing the style, quality, location of my video lessons
Making it possible to do in-person workshops with you guys in some cool location.

More Direct Access

It also allows you better direct access to your exclusive content, and it gives you an easy way to connect directly with me, through the Patreon direct messaging system. This can often be an easier, more efficient way to reach me than via email.

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Of course, this is entirely voluntary. There’s never an obligation to subscribe to my blog or any of my free content, but if you would like to support my efforts in a way that extends beyond purchasing the occasional eBook, then Patreon gives you an outlet to do so. It’s completely optional, and you can donate, invest, whatever you want to call it, in whatever amount or time frame you wish. Or not. It’s your choice.

If you are curious about this new outlet, or if you would like to offer me your support, you can read more here. Or, contact me directly with any questions.

Whatever you decide, I just want to thank you in advance for your support, or even for just reading this far and considering to help support my efforts in this amazing adventure that has unfolded with you guys so far. If you would like to become a patron and join me on this awesome journey, then choose one of the levels above.

Either way, I just want to wish you happy new year and thank you for your support as one of my dedicated readers.

January 7, 2020

I’m Excited to Launch My Brand New Patreon Page

Featured Images, Personal and Pro Insight

Early January is The Most Magical Time of the Year in Alaska

Some people think the big payoff for living in Alaska is the 24-hour daylight we get in the summertime. They would be wrong.

I won’t say that those super long days aren’t nice. After all, I love summer when I can ride my mountain bike in shorts for hours at a time, hike until midnight and explore gravel bars in my little yellow Cessna without having to preheat the engine and shovel out the plane from two feet of snow.

But ask true Alaskans who love the outdoors, and most of them will tell you that there’s something truly magical about those first couple weeks of winter. During early January, when the sun is low on the horizon and the temperatures are well below zero for days on end, the light is simply magical.

When the air is clear and cold for days at a time, hoar frost forms on every surface, and it turns the trees in to shape the resemble something out of a Dr. Suess book.

And when you add in the brilliant gold and pink light from the low sun, which barely skims the horizon for just a few short hours, the result is truly spectacular scenery that only happens for a few days out of the year.

This is what we live for. At least those of us who pay attention to the light.

After weathering the increasingly dark and cold days of late fall, the ice-laden days we often get in November, and the hit or miss days of December, when we usually see multiple freeze/thaw cycles, Chinook windstorms and numerous false starts to winter, January finally brings the payoff.

Sure, it might be 20 below out on the trails, but the light is so pretty, it makes it all worth the effort. Plus, there’s something really cool about bundling up and braving these bitter cold conditions on foot our on our fat tire bikes.

The trees across the street from my house.

There’s something quite unique about riding or walking on snow when it’s this cold. It’s very loud. It squeak and creaks, and with the noise dampening effect of the snow-laden forest, other sounds become oddly amplified, like the rustling of your jacket, or the swinging straps on your backpack.

It’s loud enough that it sometimes makes you turn around to see who’s there, but you realize that’s no one. It’s just you, all alone in this special and otherwise quiet wilderness.

Hoar frost on the trees, shot from my front porch with a long lens.

When you stop moving, everything is silent, but you know that the forest around you is alive. You can look up at the snow-covered pine trees, and even though they’re standing there completely motionless, you know that they see you, or at least know you’re there. Maybe they’re even talking to each other. I often wonder what they’re saying. Maybe this is their favorite time of the year too.

All of the photos in this post were shot within 50 feet from my front door, all in the first week of January in the last two years. Three of the five were shot yesterday afternoon, at around 3:30pm, right at the peak of sunset. This shot immediately above was shot will standing on my front porch. All were made with my Fuji 100-400 lens, which is really fun for isolating specific parts of the landscape.

They’re all proof that we truly live in Magic Land, and that you don’t need to go very far to take compelling photographs. And they’re proof that this first part of January, as cold as it may be, is indeed the most wonderful and special time of the year in Alaska.

Ask anyone.