Lowepro Photo Hatchback AWOne year ago, Lowepro released the Photo Hatchback AW, a versatile camera pack that’s designed for everyday outdoor photography adventures.

With it’s highly functional design- Camera gear on the bottom compartment, food, food water and clothing in the top, the Photo Hatchback won a Popular Photography industry award for 2012 Outstanding Products.

In addition, the pack has deep side pockets, an all weather rain cover and a double flap zipper back pocket that fits an iPad, a MacBook Air or other small tablet/notebook or journal.

I was actually one of the first photographers to test the Photo Hatchback (you can read my review here), and even though it’s built for more casual outdoor adventures, as opposed to technical climbing and skiing, I found it to be quite useful for a variety of outdoor photography situations.

One year later, I’m still using it. Last week, when I headed off for a few days of backcountry flying and hiking in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska, I took along my Photo Hatchback 22L, because it’s light, fits a modest selection of gear, carries well on your shoulders, and holds everything you need for a day hike, a bike ride, or an excursion to a new place.

In short, I find the Photo Hatchback to be a great road trip camera bag. It won’t fit a really big lens, but if you’ve got a DSLR with a couple small to medium sized lenses and/or flash, or a compact/Micro Four Thirds kit, then it will hold everything just fine. Plus water, clothes and other gear.

Right now, you can save 20% on either size of the Photo Hatchback. You can get the pack through one of the product links below, or if you’re a U.S. based photographers can also shop right from the Lowepro store and use discount Code LP20. In fact, that discount code will let you save 20% on anything you purchase directly from the Lowepro site.

 

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August 20, 2013
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Lowepro Photo Hatchback AW Packs On Sale
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Camping on the grass strip, Tonsina, Alaska

Here in Alaska, the traditional saying is that summer is over when the fireweed finishes blooming. Although much of the fireweed flowers have reached the top of their stalks around the state, this particular plant seems to be desperately clinging to the very end of summer. I’ll gladly take a few more days of warm sunny weather.

With southcentral Alaska now moving into its usual August rainy weather pattern, I managed to learn that as of last week, summer is still in full swing out in the Wrangell Mountains. Loading up the little Cessna and packing the Fuji X20 and  Fuji XE-1, I headed out for a few days to shoot landscapes and aerials of Wrangell St. Elias National Park and find some much needed solitude in the Alaska Wilderness.

Wrangell St. Elias Park is pretty much tailor made for backcountry flying, and it even has a number of public use airstrips and cabins that are you can use, providing the weather and winds cooperate with your flying plans and comfort level. Fortunately, I had awesome weather during my trip, and I stayed for two nights at the Glacier Creek cabin, which sits at the edge of Glacier Creek, by the Chitistone River.

Since I knew I’d be landing on short/rough gravel strips, I needed to go light on camera gear. The two Fujifilm X cameras fit the bill perfectly. For day hiking trips, I carried everything in my Lowepro Photo HatchbackAW, with which I seem to have a rekindled fondness. It’s really a great little pack that holds a modest selection of photo gear as well as clothing, water bottle, bear spray and enough food for a day out in the wilderness. Since it’s not always sunny in the outdoors, the Photo Hatchback even has a full rain cover which does a great job keeping your gear dry.

If you’ve never been to Wrangell St. Elias National Park, it’s well worth a visit. It’s one of the largest national parks the world, and is rated as one of the 37 parks to visit before you die.

Lowepro Photo Hatchback AW 22L
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Wildflowers near Skolai Pass, Wrangell Mountains
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Landscape near Skolia Pass, Wrangell Mountains
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Sunset aerial photography mission
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Last light on the University Peaks, Wrangell Mountians
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The University Peaks, Wrangell Mountains, Alaska
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Chitistone Glacier and the Grand Parpet, Wrangell Mountains
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Mt. Churchill, Mt. Bona and University Peak (L-R)
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The Glacier Creek Cabin, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska

 

August 19, 2013
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Wrangell Mountain Scenics, Alaska

S0331108As creatives who bring forth music, film, illustration and photography, we always seek to expand our audience, especially if our livelihood depends on it.

We’ve obviously seen an enormous shift in the ways that people discover, ingest and share these mediums during the past few years, with social media and the web, but despite the ease in which sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google seem to allow for getting our work out there, it’s still a huge challenge to building a big enough following that will sustain an entire career, especially with so much competition.

The fallacy of having a large following is that the average person’s newsfeed goes by so quickly, that your message really has little chance of being seen by, let alone resonating with, very many people. Social media is just a numbers game where garnering more followers only serves to increase the odds.

It’s the same with any kind of marketing. It always has been. From that standpoint, social media is nothing new or special, it’s just the same old horn that you can now blow from cool new devices.

So how do you stand out? How do you get more true followers and increase these odds?

Simple. You give people what they want. You give them the value that they desire.

If you’re a photographer, you give them the most unbelievably cool, awesome, eye catching, jaw dropping, mind blowing, evocative, electrically charged imagery that you can possibly create.

I didn’t say it was easy, I just said it it was simple. It’s not easy to produce the very best imagery that you can make, but it’s simple to devote your life and your energy to being a PHOTOGRAPHER, or whatever type of art you’re driven to do, instead of always trying to drive people to your site.

The whole “build it an they will come” thing applies here. Make AWESOME imagery and they’ll come.

Create amazing work and you will gain a following. Create amazing work and you will find success. Create amazing work and you ultimately be happier with yourself.

The path to being a successful artist is to actually be an artist. Sure, spend some energy blowing your horn, but spend most most of it CREATING.

Good luck.

August 9, 2013
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How to Stand Out in the Crowd

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Ok, here’s the deal. You’ve been following all of those photographers who’ve been shooting the Fujifilm X gear, and frankly, you’re a little jealous about how much fun they’re having with their stylish little cameras like the X100. And that’s not even the half of it. You’re super impressed at how damn good their photos look. Even more so, when you find out that they’re all just out there shooting JPEGs.

You can imagine how nice it would be to run through the world unencumbered by heavy DSLR gear, especially when you’re hanging with the family, shooting around town or in the local park, or traveling abroad. Seriously, who wants to carry big gear when you don’t have to?

You also read my posts about what a great little camera the X20 is, but for whatever reason, you want a little bigger sensor or interchangeable lenses. You just don’t feel like shelling out the bucks for something like the X100S or the XE-1.

Well, buck up campers, problem solved. Fujifilm just released the brand new XM-1, which is a compact and stylish little mirrorless camera that offers big camera quality in a smaller, more affordable package. Call it the entry level X-Camera. DSLR quality in an incredibly small body.

Inside, it has the  same 16MP APS-C sized X-Trans sensor and EXR II Image Processor that you find in the XPro-1, the XE-1 and the X100S, so essentially, you get the same gorgeous color rendition, stunning high resolution image quality and low light performance that all the X100 users have been raving about, only you don’t have to shell out over a thousand bucks to get that X-quality look in your imagery.

The advantage of the X-Trans sensor is that it’s built with a random pixel array, which negates moire, and thus eliminates the need for an optical low pass filter. Just as with the Nikon D800E, leaving off an OLPF means that the camera is able to record incredibly sharp, high resolution photos with stunning detail.

Starting at $799, ($699 body only) the XM-1 comes with a 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens (effective 24-76mm view angle) and it has some brand new features, including a tilting LCD screen and built in Wi-Fi for instant sharing to your mobile devices. And it comes in three colors. Silver, black and brown.

The Entry Level X Camera

We seem to be entering a new era in digital photography where money doesn’t necessarily buy you resolution anymore, it buys you features. I like this era. This is how it should be. That’s how it was with 35mm film; no matter what camera you used, everyone had the same “sensor.” Money bought you better lenses and cameras that had more features or durability, but it didn’t buy you bigger film.

Now, camera manufacturers like Fujifilm are starting to put the exact same sensor in multiple bodies with different price points. With the Fuji XM-1, you don’t have to sacrifice image quality just because you’re paying less for your camera. You’re still able to shoot images that are unbelievably gorgeous, you just have to give up a few things on the body.

In order to make the XM-1 more affordable, they left off a viewfinder. You only get the LCD screen. However, I’m not huge on electronic viewfinders anyway, so I don’t see that as much of a deal breaker. The tilting LCD screen is nice because it lets you adjust your view angle for shooting and viewing in different light.

Like most entry level cameras, the XM-1 won’t be quite as durable as the higher level X cameras. It’s a lighter weight body that has more plastic in its construction. Not a big deal for general use, but if you intend to bang it around and use it in extreme conditions, it probably won’t handle the beating.

Also, the the included XC 16-50mm lens is built to be lightweight and affordable, so it’s made with more plastic than the XF series lenses that the XPro-1 and XE-1 use. Again, not a big deal unless you abuse your gear.

However, you can just get the body only and use any of the XF lenses on the XM-1, including the pancake style XF 18mm f/2.0 lens, the XF 60mm f/2.4 Macro, ultra wide XF 14mm f/2.8 and the XF 55-200mm telephoto zoom, all of which offer exceptional optics.

Classic Design and Modern Features

Obviously, the huge appeal of the Fuji X cameras is their super cool, classic, vintage style design. They feel awesome to hold, and they’re even more fun to use. They’ve got knobs, dials and full manual control over every aspect of the picture taking process.

The XM-1 offers the same. You still have manual dials, PSAM exposure modes, HD video, 48-point AF, Super Macro, RAW shooting, built-in flash, a 5.6 fps firing rate and a number of advanced modes and the ability to dial in custom settings. In addition, it has film simulation modes and special effect modes that give you plenty of creative options.

The XM-1 also has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. Simply press the Wi-Fi button on the top of the camera to send photos right to your smart phone or tablet. No waiting to get home to share your work. I expect this to be standard issue on most cameras in the future.

Overall

The Fuji XM-1 is definitely a sweet little camera, and I see it as an awesome choice for beginning and intermediate shooters. If you’re just getting into photography and you want a really nice camera that will let you learn and that will take amazing quality photos, then this is the camera for you. And as your skills grow, you can always step up to additional lenses and still keep the same body.

I even see this as viable option for someone who is considering a DSLR, or who just likes the idea of having a lightweight camera system. Why go big and heavy when you can go light and compact and still get beautiful imagery? For general shooting, people, travel, landscapes and outdoor photography, the XM-1 will deliver as well as any camera in this kind of price range.

Support this site: If you’re consider picking up an XM-1 or any new gear for that matter, 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.

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August 1, 2013
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Fujifilm Releases the XM-1 Mirrorless Camera

As I continue to take my Fujifilm X20 on more adventures, I’m loving the feeling of complete liberation from having to lug around big gear like I’ve done for so many years. Camera bag? Forget it. I just wear it slung around my neck. I’ve done long hikes and entire multi day bike tours this way.

I’m also impressed by how well it performs as a serious camera, despite what Zach Arias says about the X20. I know that he loves his X100S, but the X100S doesn’t have a zoom lens, and Atlanta doesn’t have any mountains either. Believe me, when you’re shooting in the big outdoors, that 28-112mm f/2.0-f2.8 wide angle to short telephoto zoom really comes in handy. I’ll gladly trade a few pixels if it means I can get the shot I want.

The bottom line is this. For the wide mix of outdoor, travel, people action, aerial and landscape photography that I do, the X20 performs extremely well. The X-Trans sensor, which is the exact same sensor technology that’s used in all of the other high end Fuji X cameras, gives very sharp images with little noise.

JPEG vs. RAW

We all know how good the Fuji JPEGS are, but how good does the X20 do RAW? After having shot JPEGS exclusively on my X20 for months, I’ve started to experiment with shooting in RAW. After spending a little time with it, I have to say, I’m even more impressed with the results, which in turn, makes me love this little camera even more.

DSCF9300Here’s my scene: Flowers and foreground in the shade, on the east side of the ridge line, with blue sky and sunlit rocky peaks in the background. I shot this during a hike in Lake Clark National Park, on the west side of the Cook Inlet west of Anchorage, Alaska.

The shot above is what the camera wanted to do. Understandable. Any camera would have done that. Turn that nice metal +/-EV dial a few clicks to the minus side and I get the shot below. It’s a great looking JPEG (shot in Velvia film simulation mode) with rich color, good contrast and wide latitude.DSCF9301-2However, when zooming in, you can see one of the limitations of the X20, which is it’s ability to render very busy, highly detailed out of focus subject matter in the background. While the subject is extremely sharp, you can see that the foliage starts to break up a little bit. Combined with the smaller sensor, the demosaicing algorithm that’s built into the X20’s image processor isn’t perfect (no camera is), and the effect is some pixel distortion and artifacts in the image.

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I can reduce the noise by adding some Luminance smoothing in Lightroom. It helps, but if I add too much, then I lose sharpness. Add sharpness back and I get the grain. It’s a fine line to walk. Always a tradeoff. As you can see below, it’s a LOT better. At this point, I’m still using Lighroom 4; the processing engine in Lightroom 5 is even more powerful and you can bet that it would do an even better job of reducing the noise.

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What happens if I shoot in RAW? Let’s find out. For this scene, I shot in RAW+JPEG, so I have a RAW version of exact same image. Here is it below, straight out of the camera with no correction. It obviously lacks the bold color of the Velvia rendered JPEG, but I’ll have more latitude with which to work.

DSCF9301rawGive it a little love in the Develop panel in Lightroom, and I can add much more life to the image. Here I’ve reduced the highlights a tiny bit, tweaked the exposure and added vibrancy and clarity. It still doesn’t exactly like the Velvia JPEG, but Velvia isn’t always accurate with some colors, like the magenta/purple flower petals in this photo. Keep in mind, this was a fairly quick conversion and I’m sure that I could make it look even better if I spent more time. This one’s definitely a little too bright in the green areas, I’d probably want to bring those down a little bit more.

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What about the noise? As you can see in the crop below, the noise and pixelation from the RAW file are much less “artifacty” than the noise in the JPEG. It’s much smoother, more grain-like. This tells us that a large part of the noise in X20 images is from the demosaicing in the JPEG processor. Shooting in RAW lets you start from scratch and work without those artifacts.

It also lets you rescue more highlights, extreme darks and tweak the colors the way you want then, if you’re unhappy with the Fuji colors in any of their film simulations. That said, I rarely find that at least one of the film sims won’t give me the look I’m going for, but for critical work, you need the ability to adjust.

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Final Analysis

I always shoot RAW with my DSLRs, and that gives me maximum latitude for adjustment and fine tuning. The same thing applies to the X20, and for all the other Fuji X cameras, but the difference is that the Fuji JPEGS are just so damn good looking, I don’t often feel the need to shoot RAW.

I’ll probably continue to shoot primarily in JPEG mode with my X20, just because it saves me time, and because I just love the way that the images look. Keep in mind, this is only Velvia mode, which is just one of many film simulations that Fuji includes in the X cameras.

As I’ve said before, using the X20 and the X-E1 for me is largely about look and feel. It should be that for any camera. Fuji has done a great job in that department, but they’ve also given us the tools to do further adjustments if we feel the need.

Just because the X-Trans sensor is smaller in the X20 than it is in the X100S or the XPro-1 doesn’t mean that it’s any less powerful, it just has size limitations when you enlarge your images. However, since most of the photos we all take end up getting used on the web at much smaller sizes than full resolution, I find it to be a awesome combination of size, compactness, fun-ness and, yes, quality.

And for the times when I need to go bigger, or when I’m shooting a scene with high contrast, complicated lighting, or busy foliage in the background, I now have full confidence in the X20s RAW capabilities. This, of course, makes me feel even better about leaving the house with only the X20 around my shoulder when I want to go extremely light and fast. It makes me love this great little camera even more.

If you haven’t seen my full review of the X20 and see how well it does for action photography, you can read it here.

Support this site: If you want to fall in love with the X20 too, or purchase any other new gear, please consider shopping through these links. It helps me keep cranking out articles like this. It’s like the “like” button, only better.

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July 30, 2013
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How Good is RAW on the Fuji X20?

Cessna 120 bush plane on the Alaska tundra. SummerThis month, Bendix/King, a leading aviation company that makes radios and navigation equipment, is running a featured article about me and my photography on their website. The profile, includes some of my aviation images, as well as an interview and some insight from me about my experiences learning to fly in Alaska and shooting aerial landscape and mountain photos.

Bendix/King became one of my clients this year when they used one of my shots on the front page of their website. I’m really excited to have them feature my work, and not just because I have an old King radio in my little Cessna 120.

Look for more of my Alaska flying photos on their site in the coming months! In the meantime, sit back and read Summer Adventure in Alaska.

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July 29, 2013
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Feature Article About Me on the Bendix/King Website

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What exactly is a powerful image? Let’s put that another way. How do you create imagery that doesn’t just get a bunch of likes and retweets, but that actually moves your viewer and evokes mood and emotional response from them? How do you create a shot actually that tells a compelling story, and makes people remember your photos long after they’ve moved away from the page or screen?

Award winning travel photographer Mitchel Kanashkevich has just released a brand new eBook called Powerful Imagery – The Photographer’s Insight, which describes in detail exactly how to create this caliber of work.

This 65-page eBook contains some of Mitchell’s favorite images that he made during the past decade, many of which have been published in magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Lonely Planet Traveler, Vanity Fair and Geographical UK, and he shows you exactly how he made each one.

Each of the 15 images in Powerful Imagery is deconstructed in extensive detail. Mitchell starts by giving you the background story that first drew him to that particular location and he describes his objectives for the specific elements that he wanted to capture in the shot.

He then talks about the light, how he gauged it, how he used it, how long he had to wait for the optimum moment, what gear he used, and also the specific challenges that he faced on each location. Some challenges were technical, while others were cultural, personal or environmental. All factors that any photographer has to deal with when trying to create a compelling shot.

Perhaps the most useful aspect of each lesson is the series of outtakes that he shows for each image. This brings you right into Mitchell’s creative mind and shows you exactly how he saw and built the scene, from first impressions to the final, powerful photograph. It’s one thing to study a pro’s awesome images, but in my mind, it’s considerably more helpful and educational to study what didn’t work for them, and how they adapted and recomposed to create something much more stunning than their original attempt.

Finally, for each shot, Mitchell describes post processing techniques that he used to refine each image. This is a very helpful section, because every shot needs a little help, and seeing how an accomplished pro goes about adjusting an image will give you insight on how to improve your own photography.

Powerful Imagery – The Photographer’s Insight is written in a very similar style to his previous book, Rabari- Encounters With The Nomadic Tribe. It’s essentially a continuation of where Rabari left off, so if you liked that book, you’ll certainly like his new one; it’s just as helpful. I think that the photographs in Powerful Imagery are even better here, though. I love Mitchell’s work, it’s on par with some of the best travel photographers around, guys like Galen Rowell, Eric Valli, Steve McCurry and David duChemin.

Mitchell is a true master of his craft and you can learn a tremendous amount from his teaching style. Whether you shoot subjects that are halfway around the world or halfway around the block from your house, the techniques of vision, creative composition and technical execution are universal.

If you like travel and cultural photography, and if you want to create impactful, evocative images of your own, then check out Powerful Imagery – The Photographer’s Insight. You’ll be inspired by Mitchell’s work, and you’ll learn a lot in the process of reading through his methods and technical expertise. It’s a PDF format, so it looks great on the iPad, or any computer screen or mobile device.

The book is published through his new site EyeVoyage, which is dedicated to travel photography instruction. Keep an eye out for future books on the series; at this point, they’ve got a handful of titles coming down the pipe.

July 26, 2013
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“Powerful Imagery” – New eBook by Mitchell Kanashkevich

ESP-1089AYour alarm goes off at what “normal” people would consider an inhospitable hour. The sun isn’t even up yet. That’s the point, though, right? You drag your bleary eyed self out of your bed or your sleeping bag, throw on some clothes, grab your camera bag and head out the door to capture some small corner of the world in those brief moments when it gets kissed by first light.

Whether it’s shooting the swirling and bustling activity of a busy marketplace, watching orange sunlight hit the tops of the cathedral or capturing the small details that make “there” so different from “here,” there’s nothing that ignites our photography like shooting in a foreign place.

When we think of photography and of our most favorite images that we’ve shot, what usually comes to mind? Travel. For many of us, photography and travel are almost inseparable passions. In fact, cameras were practically made for travel and exploration, and few types of photography have such an impact on the audience of the world as travel photography.

There’s a reason that National Geographic has always had such a prominent place in our culture. We’re fascinated by new places and by the things that we don’t see every single day, and capturing those images ourselves brings us great pleasure and sparks our own sense of adventure.

Then question then becomes, how to shoot better travel photos? How do you capture your scenes and create iconic image that communicate a powerful message to your audience? Here are three simple tips that can help you boost the visual strength and evocative message of your travel imagery.

1. Plan Before You Go

A great travel photo should communicate the very essence of a place to your viewers. When shooting travel pictures it helps to have some idea of what you want to shoot before arrive at your destination. Believe me, it’s easy to get to a new place and then suddenly become overwhelmed by your surroundings. When this happens, you’ll get all frazzled and forget some of the creative ideas that you had before you left home.

One way to approach shooting better travel photos is to identify some of the ideas that you have in your own mind about the place you’ll be visiting. If you’ve been there before, then you might already something that you can draw from memory. If not, then do a little research into the landscape, the architecture and the culture before you go. A quick Google search will go a long way towards giving you some ideas.

Then, before you go, jot down some notes of what you hope to see and photograph when you get there. Think simple concepts like prayer flags in front of a monastery, or a dramatic mountain backdrop set against the city, or the age and mystery of the architecture. Let your mind wander and come up with as many ideas as you can.

In this example, before a trip to Ladakh, Northern India, I envisioned a shot of some prayer flags set against a dramatic mountain scene. Two weeks into my trip, I found a suitable example outside of the town of Leh, and then proceeded to shoot a variety of different compositions with a Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

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In this Tuscany photo below, I was hoping to catch a broad view of the landscape in great light. However, the weather didn’t cooperate for much of the time I was there on this particular trip, so I looked closer and tried to capture other elements in the scene that I found interesting, such as these Italian roof tiles.

At the same time, I’d already scoped out some possible locations, so that if the weather cleared, I’d be ready. The sun came out and I got the shot that was in my mind in the first place, and I got some image that I hadn’t expected to get, plus this shot of the doorway that I saw while running to where I had planned to shoot the grand landscape. Since my eyes were open to new possible ideas, I quickly snapped this before continuing to my vantage point. I shot all of these scenes with the Fujifilm XE-1

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2. Look for Relationships and Details

Using what you already know, try to identify the specific elements that excite you about the place. These can be anything, such as the natural or man made features for which the place is famous, certain dramatic aspects of the culture or colorful clothing styles.

When you arrive at your destination, start searching for scenes that match the notes that you’ve made for yourself. This might involve looking at maps, talking with the locals or simply letting yourself wander. However, don’t be so involved in your own ideas that you ignore great opportunities right in front of you. These ideas should be a base to support you and keep you from becoming overwhelmed. However, don’t stick to them like a scrip, you’ll want to adapt to the scene when you arrive on location.

Most importantly, keep an eye out for relationships and details. Often times the most powerful images are created by showing your main subject in such a way that it tells a story of its relationship to the background, the surroundings, or with the other elements in the scene. Or, they get in close and illustrate small aspects of the place that make it unique.

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3. Work Your Scene

When you come across a possible subject, work on translating it into a compelling image. This is where it all counts, so apply all the techniques that you’ve learned over the years. Pay attention to all the different qualities of the scene and look for elements that you can play off of each other in your composition. You might decide to wait for more optimum light or weather conditions and return at a different time.

Even if the elements come together for a particular shot, keep that idea in your mind, because you might very well come across another scene later in your trip that illustrates your idea even better. There have been plenty of times when I’ve shot what I thought was a great iconic and conceptual travel photograph, only to watch an even better representation of my creative ideas unfold later in a completely different location.

While wandering around in a small Bavarian town after an afternoon rainstorm, the sky cleared and opened up with gorgeous light. I found this church, and tried some different compositions, trying to make the most of the light and isolate what it was that drew me to the scene. Once I identified the basic elements that were essential to the scene, I narrowed down and included just the sky, moon, a part of the tree and the top of the steeple. A tight vertical composition allowed me to get rid of the clutter and create a simple, strong image with a Fujifilm XE-1.

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July 22, 2013
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3 Simple Tips for Improving Your Travel Photography

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Camera gear manufacturers know that photographers a lot less likely to buy equipment in the middle of the summer. After all, we don’t spend our time shopping in July, we spend our time shooting out in the wilds and having adventures.

That’s why they tend to put their stuff on sale.

If you’re looking to buy a new tripod to upgrade, now is a great time, since Gitzo, Manfrotto and Induro are all running special rebate deals. Check out these savings.

Gitzo Mountaineer: Save up to $200

The carbon fiber Gitzo Mountaineer is the rock solid tripod choice for countless professional and serious amateur landscape photographers. Ask anyone who owns one. They’re lightweight, incredibly stable and as dependable as they come buying a Gitzo tripod is making an investment in your photography, just like buying a good lens is.

Right now, you can save up to $200, or 26% on selected Mountaineer models at B&H Photo and Amazon.

Manfrotto Tripods: Save up to $60 

Manfrotto tripods are dependable and affordable. I own a handful of them, and they never let me down. Right now, you can save up to $60 on select models, including the 190CX3 3-section tripod, which is probably the best all around value for a carbon fiber tripod, as well as the 190PROXB aluminum tripod, which is a great affordable set of legs for general outdoor photography.

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Induro Carbon Fiber Tripods: Save up to $165

Induro also makes excellent quality gear, and their tripods generally fit in the price range between the Gitzos and Manfrottos. They come highly recommended by many photographers and are definitely worth a look. Right now, you can save up to 25% on selected models.

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July 19, 2013
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Great Deals on Gitzo, Manfrotto and Induro Tripods

Aerial photo of peaks on Whiteout Glacier, Chugach Mountains, AlaskaI’ve been teaching photography for almost as long as I’ve been a pro. I run workshops, I do online consultations and critiques, I write about the craft, the creativity and the business of image making, and I teach online photography courses through The Compelling Image.

What drives me, though, it not so much the actual process of redistributing the information that I’ve collected over the years. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy sharing my own special brand of down-to-earth, slightly humorous and rather opinionated expertise on the subject. Also, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t in it for financial gain as well.

The specific experience and knowledge that I’ve gained during over twenty years of shooting has value to other photographers like you who come here to learn. Just as many other pros do, I openly use this knowledge to help me earn my living.

Money aside, though, what really drives me about teaching is knowing that I make a difference for my students. I enjoy helping other photographers drive their own imagery to new creative heights and I find it incredibly rewarding to watch their progress as it all begins to sink in for them.

The simple truth is that I love photography, but I also love it when I see others get excited about their own photography and find success, both creativity or professionally. This weirdly magical art form that combines almost equal parts of both left and right brain input guides us along a lifelong journey of exploration. In addition to the passion that I find on my own path, I feed off of the motivation of other photographers, even if they’re only beginners. Most of all, nothing riles me up more than seeing someone else quit a day job and take charge of their own life and make the scary plunge towards starting a photography career.

I live my life with the Do What You Love mantra, which means that if you spend your energy in life working to fulfill your passions in the best way that you can, then success and reward will come to you. No one will hand it to you, but if you believe in yourself enough to make the jump and do the work, then doors will open for you. Or rather, you will open your own doors. I promise you.

Having been self employed for over sixteen years, I have an inherent kinship with those emerging photographers who are following their own dreams and forging ahead with their own path; people like Anne McKinnell and Jean Lua.

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I just finished up a photography mentorship program with Jean. Six months ago, she was a struggling, yet passionate photographer who desperately wanted to try and make a living with her camera. During our course, we worked together with tailored lessons, assignments, back and forth messaging and critiques, and follow up Skype calls. Over the past few months, I’ve watched her make unbelievable progress.

In some ways, it was easy to teach Jean, because she soaks this stuff up. She eats, drinks and breathes photography with enthusiasm that I can relate to. She even bought my How to Become a Pro Photographer eBook. Jean is a smart woman who has realistic dreams and ambitions, and she has made some very smart decisions that have already set her ahead on her path.

She has a long way to go on her journey, just as well all do, but in a very short time, she has opened doors for herself that have already led to opportunity and improvement. If there’s someone who’s set her course on a Do What You Love pathway, it’s Jean.

I look forward to following Jean’s progress during the next few years, because I know that with her enthusiasm and personality, she’ll go far. I have confidence that she’ll become a successful professional photographer who makes beautiful, engaging imagery. That alone gives me a tremendous feeling of reward and internal satisfaction.

In the beginning of this post, I said that I was going to tell you what drives me to teach photography. This is why I do it:

Read Jean’s Response to My Teaching Style

Amazing. Informative. Inspirational. These words concisely summarize my experience with Dan’s mentoring class.

It is difficult to put your photographs on display in Internet forums and especially to receive critiques from the photographic community. You have to subdue your ego, be open to feedback and, above all, seek to be honest with yourself.

I am an amateur photographer who decided to pursue my love and passion for the ever-competitive field of photography. Although I immerse myself daily in various articles, books, and blogs, I recognized that direct feedback and mentoring from an experienced photographer would be an essential ingredient to my progress.

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. Each week, expect to receive a different assignment which focuses on items which need improvement. The Skype calls allow you to receive invaluable feedback along with the unique time to build a rapport with him. He is really patient! (I ask a ton of questions)

The initial investment was well worth it and I plan to repeat this course again in the near future. I feel that he has been one of the primary reasons that my work has gotten better in a short period of time. 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

If you’d like to work with me and take your photography to the next level, check out my mentorship program at The Compelling Image, or sign up for a Pro Photo Critique, which is a quick and affordable way for me to gauge your imagery.

 

July 16, 2013
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A Testimonial from one of My Photography Students