Posts | Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography Blog

Photographing Cyclocross with the Fujifilm XE-1 and X20

Ok, this is the last cyclocross post of the season. I promise.

The 2013 Arctic Cross season ended this past weekend at Goose Lake Park here in Anchorage, Alaska. Having shot the previous five races with different gear and photographic styles, I went into Saturday’s race with a totally new approach: No DSLR. Just the Fujifilm XE-1 with a fixed XF 14mm f/2.8 lens and The X20. What? No big camera? No fast telephoto lens? I thought that mirrorless cameras just weren’t up to the task of shooting fast action?

Well, you know me. I always like to throw myself a challenge, and after having using my Fuji X cameras as backups in for a number of different shoots, I figured it was time to put them in the game for real and see what they could do.

Also, just make it interesting, I put another spin on things. I shot both cameras in square JPEG format, with black and white mode on the XE-1 and the “miniature” tilt-shift style setting on the X20. That took all of the variation away and just limited my creativity to one “look” for each camera.

Here’s how it went.

The XE-1: Black and White

I love how down and dirty cyclocross is. As far as bike racing goes, it can be full-on combat. It usually involves a tight course where there’s lots of passing in areas where there’s little room to pass, just enough obstacles and sharp turns so to prevent you from getting any real speed for more than a few seconds, roots, rocks, singletrack, trees, wet grass and enough mud, dirt and sand to pack up your derailleurs like concrete by the end of the race.

What better way to capture the grit and intensity of the sport than with black and white? I love the BW film simulations on the Fuji X cameras and have been shooting much more BW ever since I got them.

Exposure: My exposure mode on all of these is Aperture Priority, which meant that I made all adjustments by turning the aperture ring on the lens. Just like the old days before command dials and um… sub-command dials. Exposures were anywhere from 1/30 to 1/1400 sec, and I shot in both single frame mode, and 6 fps continuous mode.

Lens: As a big wide angle guy, I totally dig the look of the XF 14mm f/2.8 lens, it gives in a effective 21mm view, and since it’s fast and has a very wide depth of field, it legs me get really close to my subjects, just like I do with my Nikon wide angles. Shooting with this setup feels just like my style, with the only difference is that I’m using the LCD screen instead of the EVF for most shots. As good as the XE-1’s EVF is, I just can’t get used to shooting this way with any camera.

Autofocus: I used the mode where you get to choose your focus zone in the viewfinder, and I’d say that overall, it did pretty good. It does has limitations, some of which might very well be operator error. It didn’t lock on for some subjects and I definitely missed some shots, but when it did lock correctly, I nailed it. When it’s sharp, it’s really sharp.

Also, sometimes, it grabbed an element of the scene that turned out to be tack sharp, but it wasn’t what I wanted to be sharp. Like maybe it locked onto the riders shirt or handlebars, when I was trying to grab the face. Again, I was shooting right in the middle of the action, just like I would with my DSLR, and that doesn’t always get it perfect either. With sports and that kind of speed, you never do; that’s why you shoot tons of frames.

For all the shooting I’ve done with the Fuji XE-1, this was the most action sports shooting task I’d given it, and in the end, I was very impressed. In my book, it passed the sports test with flying colors. Even at cropped 1:1 mode, the 3,264 x3,264 look great when blown up to full size.

Of course, that’s in addition to the fact that I just love holding the XE-1. It feels like a camera is supposed to feel in your hands, which brings a real pleasure element to the picture taking process. This is supposed to be fun, right, so why not use a tool that really brings out your fun factor.

The X20: Miniature Mode

I have photographed action with the X20. I’ve used it for everything, and I find it to be an incredible versatile little camera. It even has an optical viewfinder, which I love way more than any EVF, so I actually shoot quit a bit while actually looking through the camera. I don’t need to gush about it here, you already know how much I love this little camera.

For this race, I used the same type of autofocus setting like I did on the XE-1. However, while I often shot in continuous on the XE-1, Miniature mode only lets you take one shot, since it takes a few seconds to process the image.

This meant one frame per scene, which isn’t a bad thing when shootings sports; it actually forces you to be more exact with your timing. Since shutter lagis pretty much non existent on these little cameras, you can still grab the frame you want, as long as you can press the shutter at the right moment.

Quality on the X20 obviously isn’t as high as it is on the XE-1, especially when shooting a special filter mode like this. As with most X20 subjects, though, if the light is good and your subject is moderately close, it produces a sharp image with little noise. Add darker midtones and busy, detailed subjects in the background, and you’ll start to see more noise. Less so if you’re shooting in RAW

Final Analysis

Overall, I had lots of fun shooting this race. Especially whenever the guy in the viking costume rode by. Both X cameras held their own, they were really fun to use, and I’m super happy with the feel and mood of my photographs; I think they tell a great story of what happened over at Goose Lake last Saturday afternoon, and that fact shouldn’t be camera dependent.

Remember, photography isn’t about which camera you use to shoot which subject. You want to make it as transparent as possible. Your approach and your style should translate to whatever camera you’re using.

As for me, I’m a little bummed that the Alaska season is over already, ours goes pretty early. That said, cyclocross season is still very much underway down in the rest of the country. Maybe I’ll have to go look for more races this fall.

You can see more photos from this race here.Oh, and if you’re interested, here’s what I look like when I race cyclocross.

Support this site: If you’re thinking about picking up any new gear, please consider shopping through these links. It helps me keep cranking out articles like this and it tells me that you find my content useful, or at least mildly entertaining. It’s like the “like” button, only better. Thanks!

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October 14, 2013

Photographing Cyclocross with the Fujifilm XE-1 and X20

Creative Tips, Featured Post

20 Ways to Jump Start Your Photographic Creativity

In photography, it’s easy to drop into a state of stale complacency with our image making. I called it the “What’s worked for me lately” factor. You come up with new technique or approach that gives you great looking results, and you throw it in to your bag of tricks for the next time. And the next time. And the time after that. And so on…

Eventually, your imagery begins to get stale, because you’ve shot nearly everything for the few months with the same approach. You soon find yourself running low on inspiration because as good as it was, you soon grow tired of the same old method.

That’s when you know it’s time to break out and try something new! Here are 20 ways to jumpstart your creativity and propel your photography into a whole realm of awesomeness.

1. Shoot with the lens that you use the least.

For me, it’s my 50mm lens. I know I keep talking about how much I’ve grown to love my nifty fifty over the years, but the truth is that it’s still my least used lens, so every time I pull it out of the bag, it inherently makes me see things a little differently.

2. Head out the door with only one lens.

Most of us have so much gear and glass in our camera bags that we sometimes get caught up in deciding which lens will be the perfect one to use for any particular shot. Much of our creative blocks in life are due to the fact that we simply have too many choice. Narrow them down one and you’ll take away that block.

3. Try using flash.

Even adding the light from a single flash can add life to your subject. Of course, if you’ve never used flash, it can be a little intimidating. Start simple. Shoot what you were going to shoot anyway and then stick a flash a few feet off to the side. Blast away and see how it looks. If it’s too bright or dark, dial the flash up or down accordingly. If this still doesn’t make sense, check out my eBook Going Fast With Light, where I explain this stuff in very simple terms and show you how to apply flash to outdoor photography.

4. Shoot while lying on the ground.

Varying your vantage point is one of the best ways to break out of your rut. Think about this: 99.9999% of the photos taken in the world are shot from a vantage point of between 5’4″ and 6″ above the ground, looking straight ahead. Get away from that and you’re well on your way to creating something original.

5. Shoot while looking straight down.

Remember what I said above? Exact same thing applies, except instead of lying on the ground and shooting low, you’re looking straight down. Extra Credit: Stand on top of something and look straight down.

6. Clamp your camera to something.

One of the most useful little gadgets is the Manfrotto Super Clamp. This ingenious device lets you clamp your camera (or a flash) to just about any kind of post, bar, rod, stick, small tree, door frame, etc… I’ve used to to attach the camera to bikes, vehicles, small trees, and when I get brave enough, I’ll use it to attach it to the wing strut of my little Cessna. Add a Manfrotto Variable Friction Arm, and you have even more options for placing your camera where it doesn’t normally go.

7. Shoot a time lapse.

There is some astoundingly good time lapse photography out there- This is one of my favorites. It can be as simple or as involved as you want to make it, from shooting the same subject over multiple hours, days or seasons, or doing full blow, motion control camera work that involves special gear, tracks and lots of time for editing and post production. Try it. You might find that you love it.

8. Get completely out of your comfort zone.

I’m not a city guy. At least not anymore. I used to live in Boston and have visited NYC a number of times over the years when I first started out with photography. Lately, though, urban scenes are just not my regular thing, so whenever I get back to the land of big pavement, I’m faced with stuff that I don’t normally see very often. That forces me to use my eyes and camera differently, which stretches my creative muscles.

9. Try using Pocket Wizards.

You can do some really cool things with PocketWizards. They let you stick your camera in places that might be dangerous or impractical to hand hold, they let you shoot self portraits, which is great when you want to try out a new technique when you’re by yourself, and they let you trigger remote, off camera flashes. They’ve gotten a lot cheaper over the years- the new PocketWizard PlusX Radio Triggers are only $99 each. Get yourself a pair and start experimenting. I know you’ll come up with some really cool stuff!

10. Reverse engineer a recent photo that you saw.

This is one of the best ways to learn new techniques and expand your skills. Try to recreate the feel of an image that you particularly like. Don’t worry about copying it exactly, just go for the same feel. Study it, break down the elements that you recognize and then make something similar, using your own creative spin, gear and techniques.

11. Try shooting at night.

Night time photography is very different from day time photography. Cameras see and respond to the world differently in the dark. You have inherent limitations with regards to shutter speed and color shifts, and of course, any kind of lighting creates a much different, and often dramatic effect. And, if it’s dark enough, you might even have stars and northern lights. Instead of going to bed, head out the door with your camera and see what you get.

12. Shoot Motion.

There are a couple ways to do motion in photograph, both of which require using a slow shutter speed. You can either pan your camera along with the subject, or you can hold your camera still and let the subject move through the frame. And nothing says you have to always pan side-to-side; I often like to pan front-to-back, by following my subjects as they move through the frame. Experiment with different techniques and subject matter.

13. Shoot still life or studio.

I’m an outdoor action photography guy, but you probably already know that. However, sometimes when I’m feeling antsy, I’ll try doing some studio and still life photography. Since it’s way outside of my regular style, this forces me to slow way down and look at things in a totally different way. I usually come up with something cool.

14. Shoot in inclement weather.

Some people call it bad weather, but when it comes to photography no weather is truly bad, it’s just different. In fact, some of the best photos are taken in what some people would call the worst weather. Next time the skies open up and blast you with wind, rain, snow and dark clouds, grab your camera and head outside. I guarantee you’ll come up with some great photos.

15. Ask a stranger if you can take their portrait.

This definitely takes some courage, but once you muster it up, it can lead to some incredibly rewarding photographs. Do it once, and it gets easier the next time. Alaska photographer Clark Mishler makes a point of shooting a portrait every single day, and most of the people he shoots are strangers. He’s gotten many wonderful shots over the past few years, and the project has driven his inspiration and creativity to new heights.

16. Start a personal project.

Seems like a good place to stick this one in. Clark Mishler’s project is shooting a portrait every single day. I’ve been shooting cyclocross every week in the fall. What do you want to shoot? What do you love? What really drives your excitement in life? Take a few minutes away from everything else and think about a subject that you’d love to explore on a long term, in depth basis. Personal projects are food for the photographic soul and they inspire you to create your very best work. Come up with something and then get out there are start shooting!

17. Get a new piece of gear.

Expanding your creativity doesn’t always require you to buy stuff, but let’s be honest here. Nothing renews your passion for photography like getting a new lens or a new piece of camera gear. Awhile back, I got a Lensbaby and went crazy with the thing, coming up with all kinds of new and original images. And nothing says you have to buy something, renting is a great way to try out different pieces of gear and give yourself short bursts of motivation. For one cyclocross race last year, I rented a 45mm tilt shift lens and shot some really cool images.

18. Focus on the details.

A good photograph isn’t a perfect reproduction of the subject, it’s an interpretation of the subject that inspires the viewer’s mind to imagine the rest. Only show part of your subject and you’ll engage your viewer’s brand and give them an active role into the photography process. Next time you’re out, try shooting the details. Show just enough to suggest the greater scene.

19. Get up early.

Photography is all about the… class?… Bueller?… C’mon, you know this one. It’s all about the light. Put yourself in awesome light and you have the potential to make awesome photographs. Want to be inspired? Get your ass out of bed and drag it out into the world in the pre-dawn hours so that you can experience those rays of gold, pink, yellow, purple, magenta and red that will make your images sing.

20. Do something completely new and different.

Take a trip. Pay for an aerial scenic flight. Visit a new place. Try and photograph a new sport. Shoot a subject or activity that you’ve never shot before. Shoot only in black and white. Shoot only in color. Shoot without looking through the viewfinder. Shoot while riding your bike. Use a tripod. Don’t use a tripod. Spend a half hour brainstorming and come up with some ideas for how to break things up. Get a piece of paper and write something down. Now write the next thing that comes to mind. Continue. Keep going until you’ve got something really good. Pick up the camera and go make it happen.

Extra Credit: Combine two or three of these ideas and see what you come up with. There. Now go have fun.

October 10, 2013

20 Ways to Jump Start Your Photographic Creativity

Creative Tips, Fast With Light

Shooting Mountain Biking with Off Camera Flash

Last week I posted a few photos from a recent adventure biking photo shoot that I did with my friend Eric Parsons.

Taking advantage of beautiful sunny fall day in Alaska, we rode a few miles back into the mountains, and then hiked with our bikes up to a pristine alpine ridge.

In addition to some great outside time, our intention was to shoot some shots for Eric’s bike bag company, Revelate Designs. He’d scoped out this particular location before, and so it was just a matter of waiting for the weather and our schedules to coordinate. Both of us like to operate on the fly, so for two guys who live less than a mile apart, it’s surprising that we don’t get out together more often these days.

Knowing that we’d be pushing and hiking with the bikes uphill, I took along my regular adventure photography kit, which consisted of a DSLR, my Nikon 24mm f2.8 lens and my Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/4G ED VR Telephoto Zoom, my favorite new lens in about a decade, I also took along an ultra lightweight lighting kit, which consisted of the following:

Nikon SB-800 speedlight
Lumiquest Softbox III
Joby Gorillapod

The SB-800 was considered by many to be Nikon’s best all around Speedlight, but since it’s no longer made, I recommend the SB-700, which is acomparable flash to the 800 for this kind of shooting, and certainly lighter and more portable than the The SB-910. For Canon users, the Speedlite 430EX II is probably the ideal affordable choice.

Setting up in an ideal spot op of the ridge, I fixed the flash to the Gorillapod, which is so light and versatile that it pretty much goes everywhere with me. Then I had Eric ride by while I shot with the 24mm f2.8 lens. For the photo below, I used Aperture Priority mode, 1/80 @ f/13, and panned with the action to get a sharp subject in front of a slightly blurred background.

I triggered the flash by using the on board pop-up flash as a Nikon CLS flash commander. For shooting this close to the subject, the pop-up flash works fine as a flash controller and it saves me the weight of having to carry separate triggering units or another flash. I just have to make sure the optical sensor on the flash can ‘see’ the light from my camera flash. Also, when I set the commander, I make sure that my pop-up flash is only firing the monitor pre-flashes that talk to the the remote, off-camera flash because I don’t want any extra light from the camera flash to hit the subject.

However, as you can see, the first shot above is a little too bright. The light is too strong on the subject and the shadows are a little too hard. It practically yells “FLASH!” That’s no good. You want the flash to be invisible.

Even using the plastic dome diffuser and dialing the flash power a little bit wasn’t giving me the look I wanted, so I stuck on the Lumiquest Softbox III, which is a small, extremely portable flash diffuser that fits right in the shove-it pocket of my pack. It’s so light that I don’t even know it’s there.

As small as it is, though, it spreads the light out in a surface area that is about 20 times larger than the flash head. This is how diffuser works; the larger the light gets spread out, the softer it is when it hits the subject.

Essentially, diffusing the light softens the shadows and pulls the light into the background. It’s not so obvious, especially in the outdoors, where there’s not supposed to be any external light. The more you can make your flash blend into the natural scene while still lighting up your subject enough to make them pop from the background, the more realistic your photos will look.

Here’s the final shot below, which was made with the Lumiquest Softbox III. I used the same shutter speed/aperture combo, but instead of panning, I held the camera steady. This gives the look of the biker speeding against a still background, more of an action photography feel. In addition, I felt that this was a good approach since the background environment was so stunning.

For more off-camera flash outdoor photography tips, check out my eBook, Going Fast With Light.

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October 9, 2013

Shooting Mountain Biking with Off Camera Flash

Fast With Light, Featured Images

Shooting Cyclocross with a Nikon DSLR and Fuji XE-1

With each passing week, I get even more hooked on cyclocross racing. It’s just so much damn fun to speed through the forest and blast through dirt, gravel, mud, wet grass, rooty singletrack, sand, snow, and run over barriers and obstacles on a knobby tire, drop-bar bike, all while driving your lungs and legs to the point of destruction for 50+ minutes.

What’s not to love?

The Arctic Cross series here in Anchorage, Alaska runs two heats, so as always, last Saturday, I shot one and raced the other. Although I’m not a traditional event photographer, shooting this kind of race is excellent action photography practice.

From a photographic standpoint, I like to vary my approach and try out different techniques. Some weeks, I’ll change up my camera and lens combo, some weeks I’ll use flash, and others, I might experiment with slightly different processing techniques.

In this way, shooting cyclocross has become an ongoing and very engaging personal project for me. Personal projects are a vital outlet for any photographer, because in effect, you’re shooting what you love. You’ll always create your very best work when you shoot what you love, and you’ll get better while you’re doing it. I’ve certainly improved from shooting this stuff for the past two falls.

Clients love to check out photographers’ personal projects, because they know that they’re seeing the highest level of creative love and image making skills possible from that person. In the end, when they’re looking to hire someone, that’s what they want.

This Week’s Approach

This week, I took two camera setups with me, my Nikon D700, with the Nikon 14mm f/2.8 ED and the AF-S 70-200mm f/4G ED VR, and the Fujifilm XE-1 with 18-55mm lens.

I also packed my Photoflex TritonFlash battery powered strobe, which works exceptionally well for shooting this kind of action.

With its very small lithium ion battery pack, it’s a lightly portable and very powerful lighting unit that can really help make your subject pop, especially when your background light just doesn’t have the right zing.

All of this gear, including a lightweight Manfrotto Nano light stand fits in my Lowepro Photo Sport 200 pack. I call this approach Going Fast With Light.

D700 with Flash

For a light diffuser on the TritonFlash, I brought along my Photoflex 3′ Octodome. I haven’t had this box for very long, so I was excited to see what it could do. In the past, I’ve made heavy use of the smaller 1.5′ Octodome that comes with the TritonFlash kit.

For this race, I shot entirely at the dune, where racers were carrying their bikes up and over a couple hundred foot section of deep wallowing sand. Setting up at the very edge of the course, I shot most of my flash images with the super wide angle 14mm lens. I love the 14, because you can get really close and still show a very wide setting and background. It helps give the image more context. Plus, with such a wide view at f/2.8, you can pretty much any shutter speed you want.

Since I was shooting largely under shade, the TritonFlash added a ton of life to the images. And for as good as the smaller Octodome has worked in the past when shooting close up action, the 3′ worked ever better, since it thew a wider blast of light onto the riders. You can see more cyclocross images shot with the TritonFlash here.

Fuji XE-1

I’ve been using the Fuji XE-1 quite extensively during the past few months, and I’ve found that it makes a great travel, people and landscape camera. However, up until this point, I had not put it to the test shooting action.

During the race, I mostly shot in JPEG with Velvia film simulation mode and found that it did pretty well. With its bigger sensor, it handled most scenes with very little noise. In the deep shade, photos didn’t look so hot, but rarely do with any camera. Darker colors tended to block up a little bit, which required more and sometimes creative processing in order to bring the shot back to workable range.

However, much of this was due to shooting in Velvia mode, which is supposed to be rich and saturated. From my experience, shooting in RAW with the XE-1 would have eliminated this problem and allowed for a much wider latitude of exposure. That said, I’m still happy with how it looked and performed. When the focus locked on, it produced very sharp photos, and when the light was good, photos looked awesome.

In my mind, the Fuji XE-1 held up well, and I’d use again with confidence for shooting action.

With both cameras, the extreme highlights blew up in the open areas of sky. For some shots, I tried to keep this area of background to a minimum, but for others I though it added a cool look to the scene, so I kept it in and let it wash out. Below are a few of my XE-1 images.

Check out the full race gallery to view more examples of my shooting techniques and camera work from this week.

October 7, 2013

Shooting Cyclocross with a Nikon DSLR and Fuji XE-1

Reviews and Recommendations

New Magazine, CLARITY: Photography Beyond The Camera

I always get excited about photography magazines. Every time I pick up an issue of Outdoor Photographer or Digital Photo Pro, I imagine all the little gems of knowledge that are hidden inside and then I delve right in, knowing that I’m sure to learn at least one new thing that will make me a better, more well rounded photographer.

However, the really cool thing is that magazines don’t have to be paper anymore, and they don’t have to be published by big companies either. CLARITY: Photography Beyond The Camera is a bi-monthly PDF magazine that’s created and published by the editors of PhotographyBB, a website geared towards beginning and enthusiast photographers. It’s filled with tutorials that go beyond what can easily be searched for on the web, interviews with prominent shooters in our industry.

Editor-in-Chief Dave Seeram, who’s not a media mogul, he’s a regular guy who loves photography, understands that photography is not just a job or a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. He and his small team of editors and designers have created a publication that reflects that mindset. With CLARITY, they want to show you not just how to develop your creativity and improve your photography with new concepts and ideas, they want to show you how you can have a profound positive impact on the lives of others with your camera.

The first issue of CLARITY features a wide rage of articles by contributors such as Kevin Kubota, Sean McCormack, Michael Frye, Dave Delnea and Lindsay Ostrom. Topics in issue #1 include Giving Through Photography, Seeing Without Looking, Q&A: Travel Photo Workshops, Secrets of Creativity, Data Protection and the Cloud, Lighting Essentials, Is Adobe Creative Cloud Right For You?, Movement to Light Gear and more.

Aside from the content, CLARITY actually looks good. It feels like you’re reading a real magazine, except you can take it with you on our iPad, tablet or laptop. Each article has it’s own visual style, and a few of them even include links to other content like podcasts and online articles. Dave and his crew have really made a nice, visually appealing, editorial rich publication.

One thing that really excites me about today’s world is that ordinary people can create extraordinary things that can reach people everywhere. In that way we’re our own community who are taking charge of our lives and helping each other out.

I feel strongly that people like Dave Seeram and his collaborators deserve our attention, because of their photography-lifestyle mentality, and because they have worked hard to create a great product that aims to foster this idea. They get it, and this resonates so much with me because I share the same view about photography and I work hard to foster the same passion and focus in others.

We want and need more things like CLARITY in our world, and by the same token, things like CLARITY deserve our time, energies and money. It’s definitely worth checking out. Single issues are $6.99, which costs less than two gallons of gas and it will certainly move you further in life. You can also subscribe for an entire year, which is the same as getting six issues for the price of five. That’s still than the price of a whole tank, and besides, won’t you feel cooler saving your gas money, riding your bike and carrying CLARITY on your iPad so you can read it at the park or coffee shop, or in bed late at night?

October 3, 2013

New Magazine, CLARITY: Photography Beyond The Camera

Adventures with Dan, Featured Images

Brand New Images – Adventure Mountain Biking, Alaska

Every single time you head into the outdoors with your camera, you hope that you come back with something great. Of course, we all know that the camera gods don’t always deliver. It takes a total convergence of natural and mechanical forces to bring a killer shot together, not the least of which involve your setting, your gear and technical skills, the weather and the willing dedication (read: bravery) of your models.

The other day, I got a text from my good friend and longtime partner of many mountain-related escapades, Eric Parsons, who owns the adventure cycle touring gear company Revelate Designs. We’d been trying to get together and shoot some killer biking shots all summer, and our schedules finally jived.

Eric and I have worked together enough times that he’s well versed in what I expect of my models. In other words, he’s willing to wear the right gear and do the really scary stuff all in the name of getting a breathtaking image. Especially since we were shooting as much for his company as mine.

An hour after I got his text message, we were out the door with bikes and camera gear. I packed my usual lightweight adventure photography kit, which consists of the following gear:

Nikon D700
Fujifilm X20
Nikon 24mm f2.8 lens
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/4G ED VR Telephoto Zoom
Nikon SB-800 speedlight
Lumiquest Softbox III

All of the above fits easily into my Lowepro Photo Sport 200 camera pack. I love the Photo Sport for longer, more involved days, because has extra room in the main compartment for jackets, water and snacks. You can see my video review of this awesome pack here (bloopers included.)

We had a specific ridge picked out where we wanted to shoot, that we felt would look awesome, partly because of the nice fall light, and partly because of the recent snow that had fallen in the Chugach Mountains.

Of course, we had to get there, which meant riding a few miles back and hauling our bikes a few hundred feet up onto the ridge, but stuff like that is always par for the course when you’re trying to get a photo that nobody else has.

I shot the main image above with the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/4G ED VR lens, which I think is the ideal adventure photographer’s lens. Not only is it half the weight and almost half the price of the Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8G ED VRII, it’s full-on pro quality ED glass with reduced flare, reflectivity and chromatic aberration.

Plus, the improved Vibration Reduction technology, which offers up to 5 stop of VR, makes it usable in a wide number of settings and situations. I just can’t see heading out to do any serious photography without this lens anymore. If you often carry your gear into the backcountry, then I’d highly recommend taking a look at this lens.

My 24mm f2.8 lens also saw quite a bit of action on this outing, as did the Fujifilm X20. When I’m going for maximum quality, I usually reach for the Nikon DSLR, but I find that when I’m moving quickly, and doing something precarious, like carrying the bike alongside a steep rocky cliff, having a compact camera like the X20 slung around my shoulder makes things a little easier. When the light is good, I have confidence in the X20’s ability to render a good, pro quality image.

I also broke out the flash for one setup, but I’ll run those shots in another post. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here are a few more shots from our awesome outing.

My last bit of advice for how to make a great image? Get outside with your gear.

DanCrossRidge — Me with bike and camera gear in the mountains. What’s not to love?

October 1, 2013

Brand New Images – Adventure Mountain Biking, Alaska

Camera Gear, Reviews and Recommendations

The New Nova Sport AW Camera Bag from Lowepro

Do you remember your first camera bag?

I do. It was a small canvas shoulder bag that I carried everywhere. When I first started shooting, I was living in Boston, so a camera backpack wasn’t really the ideal way for me to carry my gear. My shoulder bag let me get in and out quickly and it held a body, two lenses, flash and some accessories like filters, AA batteries and a small notebook. That bag is lone gone, but I remember it with much fondness.

That’s why when Lowepro sent me their latest camera bag to test and review, I felt like I was taking a trip down memory lane. The new Nova Sport AW is basically a hot-rodded version of my first bag, but with more and way better features. They call it an “Adventure Photo Shoulder Bag.” I’ll buy that.

Face it. Camera packs are awesome, but there are times when a should bag is just more practical, like when you’re shooting events, doing street photography, going out for an outing around town on the cruiser bike or day tripping in the car or train. Or when you just want to look a little less conspicuous. Nothing screams serious outdoor photographer like a photo pack. Throw on a little shoulder bag and you’ll blend in much more with the crowd.

Of course, it’s got to be the right shoulder bag. It’s got to be well designed, rugged and useful in a variety of conditions. The new Nova Sport AW has many of the same basic design features that all their other recent packs have, like the Flipside Sport AW Series and the Photo Hatchback AW. In fact, I’d pretty much call this the shoulder bag version of the Photo Hatchback.

The main camera compartment lifts right out, which allows you to us the bag as a regular shoulder bag. It also has the AW rain cover that tucks away under the flap. Living in Alaska where it’s often wet much of the summer, I’ve made good use of the AW rain covers and believe me, they work.Like the Photo Hatchback, it has two streamlined stretch pockets on the side of the bag, which fit a slim water bottle, thermos, rolled up windbreaker or rain jacket. I’ve even stuck a flash in there for quick access. Inside, there’s enough room for an iPad or a medium sized flash diffuser like the Lumiquest Softbox III, and the two front pockets are roomy enough for filters, phone, sync cords, batteries, notebooks, hard drive, memory card cases or all of the above. There’s even a zipper pocket on the main flap.

On the back of the bag, Lowepro has put a zipper sleeve that lets you attach the bag to the top of a trolley-style rolling suitcase. I don’t own a rolling suitcase, but I can imagine that being a pretty handy feature for traveling. it’s the little things that make an item that much more useful.

The bag closes with two buckles, but it also folds and stays enough if you’re shooting and don’t need to clip the whole bag closed. In addition to the padded shoulders strap, there’s also a strap handle that tucks out of the way behind the bag. This is a nice touch for loading and unloading the bag from the car, trunk, overhead compartment, etc… Again, the little things.

In action, the Nova Sport AW works as well as I would hope. Really, what can I say, it does the very simple job that it was designed to do: it holds my gear, organizes it and protects it, even when I’m running around shooting stuff like cyclocross. Last weekend, I took it on a mountain hike and it worked just fine! I got the 17L version, and it holds the following inside the main compartment:

Nikon DSLR with a short to medium sized lens attached. (24mm, 50mm or short wide angle zoom)
70-200mm f/4G ED VR zoom lens
50mm lens
Flash or compact camera like the Fujifilm X20
iPad and/or flash diffuser

That’s one are where my old shoulder bag fell short – it wasn’t big enough to hold a pro zoom lens. This is big enough to carry the gear you need without being too cumbersome. Like all the other Lowepro pack and bags, the Nova Sport AW interior is totally customizable, you can arrange the padded dividers to fit your gear and style, or like I said, take the whole compartment out and use it to carry a six-pack. And if it carries my big lens, it’s tall enough room for bottles.

For being a pretty simple shoulder bag, the Nova Sport AW is a really nice offering. It’s certainly as well made as any of the other hardcore Lowepro packs that I regularly use and it offers great versatility that I would imagine would appeal to a wide scope of photographers and styles. And, it’s pretty darn affordable. The small 7L one, which is great for mirrorless users, is only $59.

I continue to be impressed by the Lowepro design team. During the past few years, they’ve come up with some very useful ideas and have done and awesome job incorporating them into a number of bags and packs in their line. The Nova Sport is indeed a cool little bag, and even though I haven’t owned a traditional shoulder bag for years, I can suddenly see this thing coming in handy for a variety of things. Definitely worth a look.

The Nova Sport AW comes in three sizes: Check it out here.

Nova Sport 7L: For going fast and light with DSLR or mirrorless gear, fits 7″ tablet
Nova Sport 17L: All around bag for DSLR gear- fits up to 70-300mm lens and 10″ tablet
Nova Sport 17L: Total Photo Enthusiast bag- fits 1-2 pro DLSRs, 2-4 lenses/flash and 13″ MacBook

September 27, 2013

The New Nova Sport AW Camera Bag from Lowepro

eBooks

Download My Brand New eBook, ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER

My brand new ebook is here. It’s called ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER. It’s 81 pages of rock solid tips, creative insight, intellectual tidbits and mantras that are all designed to ignite your imagination and inspire your photography.

Here’s the deal. YOU LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY. If you’re like me, you probably love it with a passion. However, passion only gets you so far. In order to stay focused and make good decisions, we sometimes need a few tips and helpful hints that can help guide us along and save us some time and trouble. Usually, we look for those tips from people who’ve been there before; people who have been through the trials and have found success. That’s where ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER comes in.

ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER is a collection of essays, photographs and insight that have been pulled from my 22 years as a photographer, 17 of those I’ve spent as a working pro in a very tough industry. My goal with this book is to help you turn your passion for photography into a dedicated focus and reduce some of the bumps along your own road.

Consider ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER a well-rounded education from someone who dove in head first many years ago, fought his way to the surface and is still swimming in an ocean of very big waves.

To create this book, I dove deep into the archives of my blog and also through the dark corners of The Photoletariat, where I wrote as Senior Contributor for two years. Pulling out what I felt were some of my most insightful articles, I threw them on the table, cut them apart and expanded each one with additional material and new ideas.

Then I threw in some images. Big ones. Full page. Some of my favorites. With text. Not too much text, just enough to get your brain spinning and get you thinking about how you can apply intriguing concepts to your own imagery. Some of the text is purely anecdotal; the first things the image brought to mind.

There’s something for everyone in this book, regardless of style, ability, gear or pro/amateur status, because it’s not about hardcore technical information that’s specifically targeted to one level or another. It’s about ideas, concepts, approach, methods and general attitudes towards photography and the craft of image making, whether for fun or profit.

In the end, I hope know that this book will make a difference for you. Even if helps you look at one specific area of photography in a new way, then consider it a worthwhile purchase, because success comes in small steps on a big ladder.

Here’s an excerpt from the foreword, which was written by a professional photo industry editor who also happens to be an amateur enthusiast photographer. She found the book to be highly motivational and useful on both levels.

“This book conveys the true energy of Dan. It is honest, straightforward, inspiring, and-quite frankly-a motivational kick in the butt… a culmination of years of photo journaling, self-teaching, ups and downs, and epiphanies that Dan has kept track of and is now able to share with photographers asking similar questions in an ever-changing industry.

“I’ve [read] hundreds of photography books and manuscripts for beginners, pros and all levels in-between, [and] they’re often written from an “I’m up here and you’re down there” standpoint. Dan’s humble words come from the heart – with a sense of camaraderie – like you are sitting down for coffee with a friend who has been there, done that, and want’s to make sure you stay on your personal A game, no matter what your game is.

“You’ll read this book over and over if you start to feel stuck or lazy. I hope your camera battery is charged because you’ll want to run out and shoot immediately after consuming these honest and open thoughts from Dan. Listen to him.”

Click here to get ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER and start refining your own photography path today!

How do I purchase the book?
You can pay with your PayPal account or with a credit card.

How do I pay with a credit card?
After you have completed shopping, click “Checkout with PayPal.” On the next screen click “Don’t have a PayPal account?” at the bottom of the screen. You will then be asked to enter your secure credit card information.

Please note that I have a 30 day 100% money back guarantee. If you don’t like the book, I’ll refund your money. Simple as that. I’m pretty sure that you will, though. Oh, and please remember to let your other photographer friends know about this new eBook!

September 25, 2013

Download My Brand New eBook, ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER

Uncategorized

Fujifilm X100s Cameras Finally Showing Up on Shelves!

The Fujifilm X100s release rocked the photo world a few months ago. With it’s new hot rodded 16MP X-Trans sensor and upgraded image processor, quality on these little cameras is simply amazing.

And, since it has a leaf shutter that syncs at extremely high shutter speeds, and a 3-stop built in ND filter, it’s great for using with flash.

Ask all the guys like David Hobby and Zach Arias who have pretty much dumped all their other gear in favor of this little silver gem. For many people, the X100s has become their number one camera.

Of course, getting one has been a tall order, they’ve been backordered just about everywhere for months.

They’re finally starting to show up on shelves now, though. As of today, Amazon has a few in stock, and when they run out, they’ve got a couple of third party stores where you can buy them. B&H Photo is taking orders, and expect them to start shipping very soon. You can preorder an X100s now, and get it in your hot little hands as soon as they become available.

Remember, you can always rent an X100s, try it out and see if you like it. Renting gear is an awesome way to see if a particular item is right for you, before dropping piles of hard earned cash.

Support this site: If you’re considering picking up an X100s or any new gear for that matter, please think about shopping through these links. It helps me keep cranking out articles like this and it tells me that you find my content useful, or at least mildly entertaining. It’s like the “like” button, only better.

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September 24, 2013

Fujifilm X100s Cameras Finally Showing Up on Shelves!

Fast With Light, Featured Images

More 2013 Anchorage Cyclocross Photos

The 2013 cyclocross season continues here in Anchorage, Alaska, and just as I always do, last Saturday, I shot one heat and raced the other. It’s become one of my favorite fall activities; I love the excitement of dirty, obstacle-filled bike racing, which includes hopping off and on to grunt it out through hills, gravel and mud in between straightaways and hairpin sprints.

Photographing such an intense, fast moving circuit race like cyclocross is an excellent way to bust your camera chops. You can set up and shoot multiple riders in the same location and practice different techniques and experiment with various gear combinations.

I like to mix it up each time, and so for this week’s race, I used my Nikon D700, with a 24mm f/2.8D lens and AF-S 70-200mm f/4G ED VR Telephoto Zoom, and my Fujifilm X20. For Nikon off camera flash options, I used the SB-800 Speedlight wit the Nikon, triggering it with the on-board pop-up flash. I went simple andjust set the flash on the ground about 8 feet away from me and shot with the wide angle lens.

Wit the X20, I used the tiny little Fuji EF-20 flash, which I connect with a Pixel King FC-311 sync cord. Canon sync cords are compatible with the Fuji X cameras, and the Pixel King is just a cheaper alternative than the much more expensive Canon branded cords. I haven’t had the chance to use the little Fuji EF-20 much since I picked it up earlier this year, so I was excited to throw it into the mix during some hardcore sports photography.

It seemed up to the task, and even withstood being knocked around when I took a digger while running through the forest and tripping over a big root. (It’s ok… I’m only a danger to myself!) In fact, I had both cameras around my neck and the Fuji flash in hand when I wiped out. Everything survived.

This was also the first time I’ve shot cyclocross with the AF-S 70-200mm f/4G ED VR. As with every subject that I’ve shot with this lens, it performed with flying colors. Sure, it loses one stop of light, which can be tough in a dark forest, but the clarity, sharpness and modern VR system that this lens offers makes me feel right at home with it.

The X20 also rocked it, since it has very fast phase-detect autofocus and a up to 12 fps frame rate. However, with the smaller sensor, it does show its limitations when trying to capture sharp detail in lower light settings. Still, when you’re close and you nail it, things look pretty good. The flash helped to give it that extra pop.

So, here are a few select shots from Saturday’s race. See if you can tell which camera and lens setup I used for each shot. My goal is to make it transparent and as close to impossible to tell upon first, and even second and third glance. Go ahead. Give me your best guess.

Check out this post for last week’s cyclocross photos, and click here to see all the other cyclocross-related posts that I’ve written on my blog. They’re definitely worth killing a few extra minutes. Also, here are a few shots by my friend Jody Overstreet, one of which has me holding off another guy on the singletrack.