Late summer newsletter

I’m often asked for equipment advice and what I use in the field. I recently re-tooled my gear, so this is the perfect time to discuss what is actually in my camera bag. I don’t profess to be a techno-geek; just the opposite. Most of time, I push the buttons and expect them to work. With all the whistles and bells on my fancy cameras, I only use a handful of helpful menu items. I figure out if a lens is sharp by closely examining my images.

I had a hard time parting with my older equipment as it served me very well and I trusted the results. The Canon 5D Mark III produced stunning images. So why did I succumb to the siren song of the new 50-megapixel Canon 5DSr and a bunch of new and sharper lenses? Well, the temptation of producing mind-blowing large prints to hang on the wall was at the forefront. I want to ensure my continued presence in the fine art market and producing the biggest and sharpest images has always been my edge in this very competitive field. I recently printed several images taken with my new set up and the results are exceptional to say the least!

Canon 5DSr camera body- I’m pleased that this amazing camera body is really similar in shape and feel to my old 5D Mark III. Having a whopping 50 megapixel sensor produces really large files. Instead of 66mb files, I now end up with 151mb files. Needless to say, adequate storage needs to be addressed. I upgraded to a 128mb CF card in the camera and I have a bevy of external hard drives, so this is just an adjustment. There are also 3 RAW settings in the camera, so I can shoot with the smaller 28mb setting for a great deal of my subjects and leave the huge files for those classic landscapes in great light that I might print in a large format down the road. With all that power, battery life is shortened, so 3 spare batteries now, just to be safe. At only 5 frames per second it isn’t blazing fast for action sports and bird photography, so its niche is definitely landscapes, portraits and still life.

Book early to ensure your spot in the classes and also your lodging.

I will be bicycling along Lake Michigan for nearly a week in September as I produce another feature article for Adventure Cyclist Magazine. At the end of the month, it will be time to shift into autumn focus with my “sold out”Colorado workshop. I am really looking forward to re-vising all the amazing aspen groves! Then I will venture further south to capture the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival. I’ve always wanted to see this event in person, so another bucket list item to check off. I am planning on stills, video and time lapse of this very cool spectacle. I’ll head back north towards Montana in October and capture more fall color along the route. My next newsletter in mid- October should be full of amazing new images and tales.