8 Tips for Shooting More Compelling Portraits

Of all the photos taken each year in the entire world, most of them are pictures of people. Why? Simple. We are people. There’s an inherent bond between us and our subjects that allows us to connect with them in a much deeper way that even the most beautiful landscapes.

Don’t believe me? Then tell me this: What kind of pictures do you have stuck to your fridge?

The same is true for me. Even though I make a large part of my living shooting pictures of people in action as they move through the landscape, there’s something really meaningful to me when I capture a portrait of a friend that I really like that’s not about the background or the activity that they’re currently engaged in.

Of course, anyone who has ever worked at a photo lab or seeing someone else’s bad vacation pictures knows that a high percentage of people pictures that get taken are stiff, posed and rather boring. Most of them don’t communicate any sense of personality or life, or tell of any vision on the part of the photographer; they usually just show the same person with the same expression in front of a different background. That’s not a portrait, that’s a snapshot.

Here are a few simple tips that can help you shoot better, more compelling portraits. Follow these exercises and you’ll be on the way towards creating people photos that will have meaning, style and strength. Hopefully these ideas will spark some creativity and give you some ideas for next time.

1. It’s All About Expression.

It’s expression and emotion that we connect with so much when we look at pictures of people, so go for that moment. Keep shooting. Keep your camera shutter working until you get that one great shot where all the raw emotion and feeling comes through. Not everything is easily translated from real life into an image, but powerful expressions are. Shot with a Nikon D700 and a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens.

2. Capture the Grit and the Pain.

It doesn’t always have to be pretty. When shooting portraits and people pictures, don’t forget to capture the raw struggles, the pain, the exhaustion, the uncertainty and the difficulties that your subjects face. Often times, these are very defining moments that communicate tons of personality and life. In fact, a large part of adventure photography is capturing these kinds of moments.

For this photo above, I captured the determined end of a 20-mile cross country ski at 10-below zero with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens, a flash and a Lumiquest Softbox III.

3. Use Great Light.

As with any type of photograph, better light will make all the difference. A strong subject won’t always look great in any light, but great light will make any subject look better. Make use of end of the day sunlight, or manufacture your own light to add pop, zing and life to your people photos.

4. Use a Flash.

This one is kind of a continuation from number 2. External lighting can make a huge impact on your photos why do you think that professional portrait photographers have so much fancy lighting equipment? However, you don’t need tons of gear to make a good portrait, just the light from a single flash and a small handheld softbox can add a tremendous amount of kick to your people imagery. I recommend the Lumiquest Location/Portrait Lighting Kit, which is a compact, inexpensive set of extremely usable flash modifiers that will fit in just about any camera bag or laptop case.

5. Use a Diffuser.

The problem with sunlight is that it’s often just too damn bright, especially in the middle of the day. However, sometimes you can’t change the time when you shoot, but you can change the quality of your sunlight. Using a hand held diffuser like the Lastolite TriGrip Mini Diffuser will soften that harsh light considerably and make for much more light-friendly shooting conditions. The photo below is shot in straight light without any diffusion, where the top photo is using diffused light.

6. Build a Rapport With Your Subjects.

This tip is especially important when traveling. I can’t stress enough how much better your travel portraits will be if, instead of just walking up to your subject and snapping away, you take the time to talk with them and build a friendly rapport. Even if you don’t speak the same language, you can still communicate in a meaningful way that help your subjects drop their guard. The more comfortable they are, the better your photos will be.

This shot above was shot after a few minutes of hamming it up and acting silly with a subject who is, first and foremost, a ten-year old boy. What ten-year old doesn’t like to goof off and laugh? The photo below was the first shot I got of him before I opened up and started to build that rapport. A few minutes of your time not only gets you a better shot, it also gets you a personal connection that you’re unlikely to ever forget. This image was also shot with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. Are you seeing a pattern here? The 50mm is a superb lens for portraits and people photography.

7. Move in Cose. Really Close.

Try getting as close to your subjects as you can. Robert Capa used to say that “if your photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough.” Don’t be afraid to crop in pretty far, like I did in the lead off photo at the top of this blog post. And sometimes, don’t be afraid to get even closer!

8. Always Have Your Camera With You.

This can’t be said enough. I shot this photo above AFTER a day of skiing and adventuring in the mountains. We stopped at the roadhouse on the way home to grab burgers, and although I left the DLSR gear in the car, I grabbed my Fuji X10 and brought it inside with me.

For further reading, check out Chris Orwig’s great book People Pictures: 30 Exercises for Creating Authentic Photographs. It’s full of 30 helpful self-assignments that you can use to hone your people photography skills. I’ve got it on my iPad and use it for reference when I need some inspiration. You can read my review of the book here.

July 15, 2013

8 Tips for Shooting More Compelling Portraits

Creative Tips

Using Anticipation to Create Stronger Photographs

I like to think that there are four main ingredients to a great image: Vision, Anticipation, Technique and Luck. I talk about vision quite a bit here on the blog, and in my Making The Image eBook. Galen Rowell also talks in great detail about vision in his excellent book Mountain Light, which has long been one of my favorite creative outdoor photography reference manuals, as does David duChemin in his own Vision is Better eBook series. Stick around and I’m sure you’ll get another vision post from me soon.

Like vision, technique is something that we all keep learning as we progress through the years. Some people seem to grasp the technical aspects of photography more quickly than others, but for all of us, mastering the craft of cameras and picture taking is a lifelong process. In essence, it’s just mastering your technique just takes time, practice and getting to know your equipment.

The third ingredient, luck, is all about moments. We can’t control them, they just happen. You might have heard the term “f8 and be there,” which was first said by photojournalist Arthur Fellig. Sometimes being in the right place at the right time and having your camera on and pointed in the right direction is all that’s required to capture a fabulous photograph. Remember, though, luck cannot be controlled.

The Fourth Ingredient: Anticipation

Forget what I just said above. You can control luck; to a certain extent, if you learn how to use anticipation in your photography. I actually consider anticipation to be the secret ingredient behind luck. It’s essentially knowing, or having a pretty good idea of what’s about to happen next. It’s like seeing in the future, only without 100% certainty.

Anticipation is thinking geometrically instead of linearly. So much of photography is about anticipation, and learning how to incorporate this important element into your style will allow your success rate to skyrocket. Learn how to see geometrically and you’ll create great images on a more regular basis, because you’ll go from mere observer to being an active participant in whatever event that you’re shooting.

Anticipation is about evaluating the scene before you. It’s about studying and understanding all the elements that will need to come together in order to make a great image, all in the blink of an aye, and then putting yourself in optimum position so that when a great moment does happen, you’ll be right there, ready to snap the photo. It’s basically stacking the “luck deck” in your favor. The truth is that more often than not, outstanding images are rooted in anticipation rather than in pure luck.

The types of elements that you might anticipate in your scene can vary. Let’s look at some specific image examples. In the skiing shot above, which I shot with my Fujifilm X20, I recognized that my three friends were going to cross that large open basin below, so I stood up on the ridge and waited for them to get down there. Of course, this meant that once I’d nailed the shot, I had some catching up to do, but that’s often the price I have to pay as an outdoor adventure photographer.

In this photo, which is the cover shot on my Behind The Action eBook, I knew in advance that the climber was going to grab for that two-finger pocket with his right hand. I’d seen him climb this bouldering route before. I’d climbed this route, and I’d grabbed the pocket myself before, so I had a pretty intimate knowledge of how he’d move up the rock.

Armed with this knowledge, I waited for good light and then grabbed my Nikon 24mm f/2.8 wide angle lens and positioned myself in the right vantage point so that I could press the shutter the moment he reached for the pocket. It wasn’t a surprise when he grabbed it, and so I was fully prepared for that moment.

Light is obviously a very important element in photography. Often times when shooting landscapes, you actually imagine how the light from the setting sun will look on your subject in, say an hour.

That’s looking into the future. That’s anticipating what your subject will look like in a time that’s later than “now,” and then seeking a good vantage point from which to shoot. It’s about recognizing a potential convergence and then moving to a place where you can capture it. This aerial photo of the Kichatna Spires was also shot with the Fujifilm X20. When you’re flying through the air at 80 mph, you don’t really have time to think, you only have time to see, anticipate and press the shutter.

The placement of your subject in the frame is a big one, especially for adventure and sports photography.

Let’s say you’re shooting a trail runner. You watch the runner follow a certain path through the landscape. All the while, you’re scoping out the scene until you see a compelling background. You’re also keeping your eye out for possible vantage points so that you can create the most compelling composition. Recognizing this potential convergence, you work backwards, knowing that in order to get that shot, you’ll have to move to a certain location and put on the right lens so that you can frame the shot as you see it in your mind.

Eventually, the runner reaches that spot and you fire the shutter. You got the shot because you used your imagination, anticipated a potential photograph before it existed and then worked to make it come to life. You didn’t just stand there and take a snapshot, you looked. You saw. You imagined. You moved. You looked again. You kept moving, or possibly even ran to the new vantage point, and looked again. Again, thinking and acting geometrically. This shot above was made with my Nikon 14mm f/2.8 ED ultra wide lens.

Anticipation is also about understanding your subject matter with a certain degree of intimacy. Most good sports and adventure photographers succeed in part because they possess thorough knowledge of the activities that they’re shooting. Having an idea of just when a rock climber might place a piece of gear or lunge for that handhold, or knowing the path a kayaker might take through the rapid helps you better anticipate those decisive moments when the peak action happens.

The same goes for any type of photography really, whether you’re shooting dancers, race cars, baseball, little kids on the playground, or even a simple portrait, all of which involve studying your subject and trying to get an idea of when that decisive moment or expression might occur. As you get better, your anticipation skills will increase to the point where you’ll have total awareness of your scene. The process of seeing, evaluating and knowing how to respond will become second nature.

If you learn to work the element of anticipation into your photographic style, you’ll go from being an audience member to a director in the image making process. You’ll start to see a vast improvement in the quality and production value of your photographs.

For more photography ideas, check out some of the other creative tips posts that are stuffed inside the archives on this site. Also, see a detailed review of the specific gear that I useto create my imagery.

July 11, 2013

Using Anticipation to Create Stronger Photographs

Adventures with Dan, Featured Images

Walking on Ice: Photo Excursion to the Knik Glacier

Securing your 900 lb. Cessna 120 on a backcountry strip by tying it down to thin bushes and exposed roots that are sticking halfway out of the dirt is better than not tying down at all, especially when the wind is blowing. It’s kind of like clipping those old rusty bolts that you come across on certain rock climbs. You know that they probably won’t hold you if you fell, but you clip them anyway, mostly for peace of mind.

Bush flying is actually a lot like climbing, at least it feels that way to me. They’re both highly technical activities that involve managing inherent risk in the possibility of severe danger, they both require a cool head and an extreme level of concentration if you want to push your limits, they both offer unique personal rewards and they both require lots of gas money.

The bushes and half exposed roots on this strip seemed pretty flimsy, but combine three with equal tension and they actually kept my little Cessna from rocking too much in the 20-30 mph headwind. It at least gave me enough mental security to walk away and goexploring for 5-6 hours.

The wind was really cranking as I set up to land on this short, 700′ curving patch of packed mud. It was my second try, and after being pushed around quite a bit on my first attempt, I was prepared to give up and go somewhere else rather than try and force it. That’s asking for trouble.

The thing with flying is that you never HAVE to be anywhere. You should always be open to changing your plans. My own rule is this: If it doesn’t look good after three tries, it’s not going to look any better after four or five. Coming around for attempt #2, I pulled the throttle, set up a steady rate descent, did my dance on the rudder pedals to keep it straight. When the wheels touched, I pulled back on the yoke, pressed my toes on the brakes and slowed to a stop.

With excited nerves, I shut down the engine, which always feels more committing than even landing. Although I was faced right into the wind, the plane was still bucking a bit. That’s when I got out my ropes, pushed the plane back towards the bushes and tied her down.

My goal with this afternoon outing was to go exploring on the Knik Glacier and shoot some icescapes. Getting onto the ice isn’t always easy, though. I came equipped with shorts and sandals in order to wade and slosh through the streams and grassy swamps that lay between the strip and the dry mudflats and hills of the actual moraine. In Alaska, there’s an easy summertime rule of thumb to follow: if it’s flat, then it’s wet. Staying totally dry is not an option if you want to go anywhere really fun, especially when trying to navigate near enormous melting ice sheets that pump out millions of gallons of water every hour.

For camera gear, I brought along my Fujifilm X20 and the Fujifilm XE-1 with the wideangle XF 14mm lens that I’ve been borrowing. I’ve been shooting quite a bit with this combo lately. I like to use the XE-1 for shooting high quality RAW imagery and detailed landscapes, and the X20… well, I just can’t leave the house without it.

On my flyover approach, the route from this strip over to the Knik seemed pretty straightforward. I knew that I’d have to do some wading, but I also knew that the water wasn’t very deep. Wading is better than swimming, so it seemed doable. That said, it still took way longer than I’d hoped to cover the 500 or so yards of muck through the marsh and around a deep beaver dam pond. Everything looks easier (and shorter) from the air.

A frustrating hour and a half of meandering back and forth finally spit me out on dry earth, where I changed back into boots and Carhartts.

I had to bushwhack over some obvious moose and bear trails as I crossed through a couple of tree bands, but didn’t see any animals, just racks, scratch marks and poop. After a few minutes, I emerged onto the top of the moraine and got my first close up view of the glacier proper.

A moraine is a colossal rolling field of rock, dirt and mud that’s interspersed with exposed walls of black, gravel encrusted ice. It’s the area where glacier hits land and piles all those pieces of mountain that it’s carved away over the years into a giant, disheveled debris pile. Excited to have finally made it this far, I enthusiastically picked my way through the chaotic mess and stopped to take a few photos along the way. Both of these shots below were made with the XE-1.

Shooting in RAW really helps here, because there’s so much contrast between the dark rock and the white, overcast sky. As good as the image processor is on the Fuji X cameras, it’s still too much latitude to show both. The sky will blow out if I’m shooting JPEGs, or else the I’ll lose the lower tones of the foreground.

Eventually, I made my way onto the actual ice. This section of the glacier is flat and smooth enough that you could drive a truck on it. Only tiny rolls, thin cracks and shallow grooves break the gray surface. The deeper chasms are narrow enough to step across and offer brief glances down into endless blueness that’s more blue than anything else in nature. A thin layer of rock and sand on top made traction good with regular shoes, although just to be safe, I put on those little rubber shoe spikeys.

Treading with fascination across this surreal landscape, which I’ve flown over many times, I came across one moulin that spilled a small torrent of water down into a seemingly bottomless 2′ x 3′ hole that would surely swallow you forever if you fell in. I cautiously stood on the graveled edge and took pictures, although in the back of my mind I pondered the mixture of wonder and utter terror that would befall me if I accidentally slipped in and disappeared from the visible portion of the earth.

Even with the shoe spikes… even if I could somehow chimney may way back up, I’d surely freeze first. The only consolation is that being on the lower part of the glacier, it would probably only take about five to ten years to be spit out into the Knik river.

Moving on, I walked and ran over the enormous slab, making my way towards the roll a few hundred yards up glacier where the ice was much more textured and broken, dramatic and dirty. I was a able to walk right up into the entrance of these surreal white hallways over small trickles of meltwater and take close up pictures of these immense landscapes.

As I’ve said before, I’m finding the Fuji XE-1 to be a really enjoyable camera for shooting landscapes. I love the classic feel of the camera in my hands, and it’s so easy to switch between the four PSAM exposure modes. I’m very impressed with the quality of the files too, in addition to carrying lots of sharpness and detail, the just have a really appealing look and lots of latitude that you can bring out with RAW processing.

The overcast light wasn’t great, although it added ominous power to this tortured landscape that so few people get to see up close. I could have spent hours exploring here, but time constraints and an approaching storm from the other side of the valley tilde me that I should turn back.

I got off the mangled black edge of the ice quickly, but then had to tread quite a ways back over the heavy rolling piles of rock and mud to get back to the end of the moraine.

Having been too enthralled with exploration and photography, I had yet to eat my lunch, so I downed my baguette sandwich and homemade rhubarb energy bars as I hiked. Once I made it back to solid ground, I retraced my bushwhack trail through the wooded bands, but not before looking closely and trying to pick out a better way across the marsh. From my higher vantage point, I was able to see what looked like semi continuous dry mud patches that drew a straighter line back towards my plane and avoided the wide beaver dam pond on the left side of this photo that I spent so much time herring around earlier. (You can see my plane as the tiny yellow dot just below the wide gravel bar fan near the center of the photo.)

I also took note of the storm that was creeping in from the southwest. I didn’t want to dally, and spending an hour and a half just to get back to the plane could make things interesting. Plus, I’d miss dinner. My recon efforts paid off. I ran most of the way, and only had to don my sandals and slosh through shallow water and mud for a couple hundred yards before I reached the strip. Total return time from the base of the moraine: 30 minutes.

I hastily air dried my muddy feet, stuffed them back into socks and boots, then untied the plane, which was still held fast by flimsy bushes and roots, hand propped the engine and taxied back to the other side of the strip. I figured that the strong winds would considerably lessen my takeoff distance, but I wasn’t quite prepared to be airborne so quickly. After gunning the throttle, I floated into the air in what seemed like less than 100′. I also wasn’t prepared to get blown over towards the bushes by the slight crosswind. Good thing it was’t coming from the other direction, or it would have blown me into to the trees on the right side of the to way. As it was, my wingtip was already grazing leaves during my ground roll.

After climbing out, I turned north, crossed over the glacier and cruised back down the Knik river valley with the wind on my tail, satisfied with another successful and safe day adventuring with the little Cessna, or as I like to call it, my Subaru with wings.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this tale. To read another adventure account like this one, check out my Bush Flying Photo Adventure on the Kahiltna Glacier post from last summer. To get stuff like this delivered right to your inbox, as well as photo tips, pro insight and exclusive content, sign up for my newsletter!

July 9, 2013

Walking on Ice: Photo Excursion to the Knik Glacier

Camera Gear, Reviews and Recommendations

Read My Review of the Nikon P7700 on Photo.net

Last month, I had the chance to try out the Nikon Coolpix P7700, which is Nikon’s high performance compact camera. With a 12MP sensor, a 7.1x zoom lens that gives you an equivalent view of 28-200mm, which is rare for a camera of this size, RAW shooting and a max frame rate of 8 fps, the P7700 looks pretty impressive on paper.

You can read my full review of the Nikon P7700 on Photo.net, check out some image examples and see my thoughts for how it actually performs in the field.

This is my third contribution to Photo.net, which is one of, if not the largest photography community site on the web. Stay tuned for more reviews and “tips” articles in the coming months!

July 8, 2013

Read My Review of the Nikon P7700 on Photo.net

Camera Gear, Reviews and Recommendations

The Manfrotto 190XDB, A Great Tripod for Mirrorless Cameras

I’ve always been really impressed with Manfrotto gear. Their stuff is very well made, and it’s all very reasonably priced. I’ve collected a pretty big handful of Manfrotto tripods, clamps, stands and heads over the years, all of which are still in active use.

They’ve just added another model to the venerable 190 series, which have been rock solid performers and a favorite choice with outdoor photographers.

The Manfrotto 190XDB is a simple aluminum tripod that has been designed with a lighter weight, more compact frame. With three leg sections that open to a max height of 57″, and close down to only 21″, the 190XDB weighs 3.5 lbs, which is a half pound less than the next lightest 190 series model.

It also gives you four preset leg angles, which allows you to adjust for uneven terrain, and also lets you bring the whole tripod down close to the ground for added stability and low angle shooting. It doesn’t have the horizontal center column feature that is found on the other 190 tripods, but your tradeoff is a price point that just above $100. That’s pretty good for a well made, high quality tripod.

The 190XDB is rated to hold 11lbs, but it’s ideal for photographers who are using lighter weight camera gear. It’s a great tripod option for using with mirrorless cameras. Many shooters, including myself, are running around shooting landscapes and nature with lightweight compact cameras these days, and so having a lighter weight tripod that folds down to a nice compact size is definitely a plus.

If you’ve got one of the Fuji X cameras, like the X100S or the XE-1, or even an X20, a Sony NEX system, a Lumix, or one of the new Olympus cameras, and you’re looking for a simple, budget tripod that’s not a cheap tripod, I’d take a look at the Manfrotto 190XDB.

Of course, you’ll also need a head, since it doesn’t come with one. Here are 3 good choices that fit with the affordable nature of this tripod.

If you’re looking for an affordable carbon fiber tripod, then check out the Manfrotto 190CX3.

July 3, 2013

The Manfrotto 190XDB, A Great Tripod for Mirrorless Cameras

Personal and Pro Insight

Get Your Photography on Track for the Rest of 2013

2013 is officially half over. Or rather, for you glass half-full-ers, we can all look forward to another 26 weeks that are left in this great year of Twenty Thirteen. This is a great time to evaluate how the past six months have gone for you and think about what you can do to make sure your photography is on track for the second half of the year.

Did you accomplish what you set out to do from January to June? Were you as productive as you hoped that you’d be? Did you develop some bad habits throughout the year that thwarted your productivity and creativity as a photographer?

Don’t worry, we all did. Nobody’s perfect, it happens to everyone. I can definitely think of a few things that had me sidetracked. In fact, if you have’t figured it out by now, I often write these kinds of introspections for myself as much as for anybody else.

With that in mind, now is the time to start getting back on track so that you can make July through December awesomely productive. Here are three simple things to keep in mind that might help you ramp up for the second half of the year.

1. Brainstorm

Imagine. No matter if photography is your business or your hobby, come up with some specific visions for where you want your photography to go for the next six months. Make a list of the people, places, locations and subjects that intrigue you and a few techniques that you’d like to try out and apply to your imagery. Then don’t delay- start scheduling photo shoots, or at least getting out there with your camera, even if it’s just to sketch or practice. Don’t let days and weeks go by without getting something lined up, because they will if you don’t get after it. Believe me.

2. Instill New Habits

Take an honest look at your photography and try to identify all the bad habits that you developed during the first half of the year? Right. You know what they are. What’s robbing your productivity? What are the areas where you slack off and let slide? For some, it’s marketing, for others, (me) it’s falling behind in your unsorted new images folder. Maybe it could even be relying on the same old techniques and failing to step out and try new things. Perhaps you let fear or lack of confidence in a certain area that prevents you from being the best photographer you can be.

Start the second half of 2013 off right. Fix those things. Get on top of problems and bad habits NOW and get in the habits that you know you want. Clean out that unsorted folder. (I’m working on it!!) Make some cold calls today. Send out a promo. Go shoot photos. Take a break from Twitter and actually get something done.

3. Spend Time Learning

Whether you do this every day, every other day or every week, carve time out towards active learning with your photography. Make the time to sit down and read all those eBooks that you’ve been collecting on your hard drive or iPad. Visit someone else’s website whose work you admire and spend the time looking through their imagery, studying their compositional and lighting techniques. I promise it will do you good.

Buy a book. Attend a workshop. Sign up for an online photography course. Get together with some other photographers and talk shop. Another great way to learn and get inspired. Just hanging out with one other motivated shooter can really light a fire under your ass. Try to make regular educational investment in your photography during the second half of the year. Then think of where you’ll be when 2014 hits.

July 2, 2013

Get Your Photography on Track for the Rest of 2013

Camera Gear, Reviews and Recommendations

My Top 5 Favorite Compact And Mirrorless Cameras

Until about two years ago, I never paid any attention to the compact camera market. As a working pro photographer, it was Nikon DSRLs all the way for me, with no reason to even consider a small camera. Back then, image quality, features and overall performance just wasn’t anywhere close to I needed it to be if I wanted to create marketable, high end outdoor work.

Oh my, how the world has changed.

Small cameras technology has pretty much gone through the roof and it shows no sign of slowing down. CMOS sensors are getting bigger, better and faster, and the ability to shoot in full all four PSAM exposure modes allows you to fully explore your photographic creativity with unencumbered bliss.

Plus, many of them just look and feel so cool with their traditional styling. That’s definitely one of the reasons that I’m so intrigued by these things. As someone who has one foot in the vintage world and the other in the modern, high tech world, I just love picking up, fiddling with and using them.

There’s no question that these little cameras are awesome for every day life, travel and for taking into the backcountry when you just don’t want to lug around your DSLR. And with maximum capture rates of up to 12 fps on some models, there’s no reason you can’t shoot action and adventure with these little guys too. I shoot sports all the time with my Fuji X20.

As I look around the field of compact cameras that are out today, I’ve put together a list of my 5 favorite and best compact and mirrorless cameras. These are either cameras that I own, have used on occasion, or that intrigue me in some way. If you’re in the market, maybe this list will help you narrow down your choice. And as always, if you do decide that it’s time to buy a new little camera, consider purchasing through these links, or visit my B&H Photo Recommended Gear Page.

1. Fujifilm X20

If you’ve read my blog before, then you know how much in love I am with the Fujifilm X20. I think that it’s the best camera in its class. With the new X-Trans sensor, which is the same sensor technology as the hot new X100S and the X-Pro 1 the X20 is even sharper than the X10 was.

Also, the new Advanced Optical Viewfinder, which displays shooting and focus info, is extremely useful; you can actually use the camera in extremely bright sunlight. Plus, I hate electronic viewfinders. To me there’s something intrinsically organic about looking at your actual subject through a viewfinder as opposed to looking at in on a tiny TV screen.

Overall, the X20 is an awesome little performer that I take with me just about everywhere. And even though there are cameras out there with bigger sensors, I just love the styling, the controls and the features and the extremely simply portability that the X20 offers.

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2. Fujifilm XE-1

I’ve been trying out the Fujfilm X-E1 this summer and I have to say, I really like it. I’ll can definitely see myself buying one, especially for travel. I just took it on a bike trip over the Alps and it worked great. It’s so much lighter than my D700, and with the three XF lenses that Fujifilm offers, (14mm, 18-55mm, 55-200mm) you pretty much have all the range you need for everything from wide angle landscapes to portraits to long lens shots.

Again, same X-Trans sensor technology here, which has proven to produce excellent quality photographs, only this one is full size APS-C, just like the X-Pro1 and many of the DSLRs on the market. The XE-1 has very nice styling as well, and I’ve found it to be a rather enjoyable camera to use. It has full PSAM modes and in A mode, you can even turn the aperture ring. Just like a real camera.

If the X-E1 is a little on the high for you in terms of price, then you’ll want to check out the brand new Fuji XM-1, which was just announced the other day. It still has the same APS-C sized X-Trans sensor and similar styling and features, and built in Wi-Fi, but it’s a slightly stepped down model for those photographers looking for a mid-price range camera.

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3. Nikon COOLPIX A

The COOLPIX A is Nikon’s first full sized sensor compact, and so far it’s gotten great reviews. With an APS-C sized sensor, just like the one you’ll find inside all their non-full frame DSLRs, the COOLPIX A delivers excellent image quality in a pocket-sized camera.

The COOLPIX A has a fixed equivalent 28mm f/2.8 lens, a 16MP CMOS sensor, built in WI-FI, it will shoot 14-bit RAW files at up to 4 fps, Full HD video, and a full array of auto and manual exposure options. It also plays nicely with Nikon Speedlights; you can stick a flash or an SU-800 commander on the hot shoe to control other Nikon flashes.

It has pretty nice styling as well. Not quite as vintage looking as some of the other cameras out there, but the image quality alone more than makes up for that. If you want pocket-sized camera that you can use with one hand and take pro quality, full resolution imagery, this would make a great camera for many adventures. It’s definitely worth a look. Also comes in black.

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4. Sony NEX-7

The Sony NEX-7 doesn’t quite have the same traditional styling as some of the other cameras out there, but there’s something about it that has made it a modern classic.

With a 24MP sensor, the NEX-7 makes great photos, definitely publishable in terms of quality. And I know that it stands up to the rigors of the outdoors, because I have quite a few ultra running, bike packing and adventure seeking friends who beat the crap out their NEX cameras, and yet they keep on ticking.

Another thing that I really like about the NEX cameras is that there are a number of Carl Zeiss lenses that are made for the Sony X mount. This gives you incredible quality imagery, because in addition to the glass, Sony makes great sensors. In fact, Sony makes the sensors for the Nikon D800, which is the highest resolution DSLR ever produced.

From the few times that I’ve used the NEX-7, I just think that you wouldn’t go wrong if you ended with one of these in your arsenal.

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5. Olympus OM-D E-M5

I’ll admit, I haven’t tried the Olympus OM-D E-M5, but I have two close friends who absolutely LOVE it. Both of them work in the photo industry and have tried lots of cameras, so I trust their recommendations.

Also, the OM-D E-M5 is simply a gorgeous looking camera that has awesome, classic styling. I love the way it looks, and I’ll bet that if I actually tried one, I’d totally dig it. Ah… so many cameras, not enough trips…

With a 16MP sensor, superb image quality, an ultra high resolution EVF, (maybe this could make me like EVSs?) and extremely fast AF with 3D tracking, the OM-D is a micro four-thirds camera that actually excels at shooting sports and action. Hmmm… so why exactly haven’t I tried one yet?

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 also has a wide array of lenses, flashes and accessories that make it a really versatile camera system. And Olympus cameras have long been the favorite choice with outdoor photographers- remember the ultra classic Infinity Stylus Epic? Be careful, you could easily fall in love with this one.

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Honorable Mention: The Sony RX100, and the new, just announced updated RX100M2, for being the smallest compact camera with the biggest sensor. It’s got a huge 1-inch 20MP sensor, a fast f/1.8 Carl Zeiss lens and it still fits in your shirt pocket. My friend Beat took one of these on his month-long, 1,000-mile trek from Anchorage to Nome earlier this year.

June 27, 2013

My Top 5 Favorite Compact And Mirrorless Cameras

Featured Images

12 Months of Alaska Landscapes

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June 26, 2013

12 Months of Alaska Landscapes

Camera Gear, Reviews and Recommendations

The Photography Gear I Can’t Live Without

Aside from my regular selection of cameras, lenses and camera packs, which often varies with the specific activity or trip that I’m on, there are a few essential items and accessories that I have with me about 90% of the time, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. You can find my current equipment setup on my Gear That I Use pages.

These are things that I rely on just as much as the pro hardware, and in fact, without them, I’d often end up walking (or skiing) away without the shot for some reason or another. Either that, or any given photo shoot or adventure just wouldn’t go as well.

Take a look at these items and see if they might work for you as well. Depending on your style, you may find that an alternative item may be a better choice for you. If so, let me know what essential tools live in your camera bag!

1. Sandisk Memory Cards

I use Sandisk memory cards in all of cameras. In fact, I’ve never saved an image to any other brand of cards. Not every card manufacturer actually makes their own cards. Some outsource from other factories and just slap their label on. Sandisk has their own factory, and their cards have always been reliable. In all the years I’ve been shooting digitally, I’ve only had about two card errors, both of which were fixed with their own Sandisk Recovery Software.

These days I’m using 16BG Extreme CF cards in my DSLRs and 16GB Extreme SD cards in my X20 and X-T1.

2. Extra Batteries for my Fuji X Cameras

It’s no big secret that most mirrorless cameras have less-than-great battery life. While I have no problem leaving the house with just one DSLR battery and the confidence that it will last all day, the same cannot be said about my mirrorless cameras, like the X20 and the X-T1. The manual says to expect about 300 shots, but fool around with settings, autofocus, video and some of the custom features and looks and I might go through a couple of batteries by the end of a long day. Maybe more if it’s cold.

So far, I think I’ve collected about 6 or 7 batteries for my X20, which I keep in a spare memory card wallet. I’ve got some authentic Fuji ones, two of which I bought used from someone online who had returned their camera, and even a couple of generics that work just fine. Camera stores will charge you $50-60 each, but Amazon has spare NP-50 batteries for about $20. If you’re an X20 user, I’d make sure to have at least two or three on hand.

For the X-T1 and X-E1, I’ve got 3 of these NP-W126 batteries, which usually gets me through a day of shooting. You can also get a generic version of this battery for a little less money. I have a couple of generic batteries for my X20 and can’t tell any difference in performance.

3. Gorillapod

The regular Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom flexible tripod is a pretty cool invention. I got mine as a gift from my sister a number of years ago and I take it with me just about everywhere. It’s small, super lightweight, extremely packable and it provides a makeshift camera and flash support when you need it. I’ve fixed gear to trees, sign posts, bike frames, handlebars, you name it. And if I don’t end up using it on any given day, I hardly noticed that I was even carrying it.

4. Think Tank Memory Card Case

I used to have hard memory card cases until someone gave me a Think Tank Pixel Rocket, and since then, that’s all I use. I don’t even have the fancy one with the key chain strap and business card window, and mine only holds 6 cards, not 10. Still, it’s small, fits easily in my camera bag or pocket, has a velcro closure and holds plenty of cards for any photo shoot or trip.

5. Stuffable Lens Cleaning Cloth

Mine doesn’t say Nikon on it, but it’s the exact same thing. A Stuffable lens cleaning cloth that costs about 5 bucks, folds up and fits in the smallest corner of my camera bag. Better yet, it clips right to the inside key chain ring so I can always find it.

This way it’s there when I need it and it tucks away when I don’t. Also usable to clean my glasses. Have you seen how dirty my glasses get?

6. Eneloop Batteries

The Sanyo Eneloops and the OEM brand that they make are the best rechargeable batteries on the market. I use the in my flashes, bike lights, aviation headset, pretty much every single device that takes a AA battery.

The Ni-MH Eneloops charge in about 7-8 hours, can be used and recharged over 1,500 times and will hold up to 75% of their charge for up to 3 years. Beats throwing away alkalines any day.

Also, see the 6 essential items that always live in my camera bag, and the photography gear my readers can’t live without.

June 25, 2013

The Photography Gear I Can’t Live Without

Camera Gear, Featured Images

Shooting RAW with the Fuji XE-1 and the X20

Last week I experimented with shooting RAW with the Fujifilm XE-1. I was pretty impressed by what I saw, especially considering just how awesome they do with straight JPEG.

Yesterday, I went out to the Knik Glacier again and shot some more glacierscapes with the XE-1, and also with my X20. Up to this point, I had never shot RAW with either the X10 or the X20. To help me see the difference between files, I set the cameras to RAW+JPEG Fine.

XE-1

Below is a straight JPEG from the XE-1, shot on Velvia film simulation mode. I think that it’s pretty good, and I would feel just fine sending this image to a client. Last year, in fact, I sold an image to a corporate client that ended up being reproduced as a 4’x6′ duratrans print. The original file was converted from the straight X10 JPEG capture and it held up quite well.

The second shot below was converted from the RAW file. I tried to keep the overall flavor of the Velvia-style JPEG, and only worked to control highlights, contrast and sharpen the image just a bit.

While they’re pretty darn close, the RAW file shows slightly less over saturation in the deep blues. Keep in mind that the JPEG is on Veliva mode, which inherently saturates the image anyway. Shooting on normal, or one of the other film sim modes would give me a different, less saturated look.

I like how the Velvia mode does landscapes, though. It brings me back to my film days, when I shot… wait for it… Fuji Velvia. It’s a look that I’m used to and what I often try to go for when I convert my RAW files.

The XE-1 has a great sensor, and its 16MP resolution does an excellent job rendering this kind of detail, even in JPEG mode. Which shot is better? Given how good Fuji’s in-camera image processing software is, the matter ends up being largely subjective.

X20

Now for the X20. I’ve shot the X10 and X20 for a year and a half, and yesterday was the first time I ever set it to shoot in RAW. Here’s what I found:

Image number one is the straight JPEG. Looks awesome. Second is the RAW shot. Oh wait, maybe the first one is the RAW. Damn, now I can’t remember. Hmmmm… Again, that speaks to how good Fuji’s image processor is. This image doesn’t have any tones that are wildly off the charts, and so JPEG mode handles the scene quite well.

The last shot in the series is the enlarged version that’s been tweaked with some sharpening and luminance smoothing. I included it to show you well the X20 resolves detail. Pretty damn good for a camera with a 2/3″ sensor. No wonder I love the X20 so much!

Final Analysis

I’ve found that Fuji’s X-Trans sensor, which is found on both the XE-1 and the X20, and the in-camera processing do an awesome job with most average toned subjects that don’t have extreme bright or dark information. Obviously shooting RAW gives you more options to try and rescue those exceptionally light and dark areas.

I usually advocate shooting RAW for any “serious subject matter,” but truth be told, it’s really nice to be able to rely on straight JPEG mode with confidence for certain subjects.

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June 24, 2013

Shooting RAW with the Fuji XE-1 and the X20