5 photo gizmos/accessories I'll never (again) leave home without

Hello, my name is Bill and I'm addicted to photo gizmos.  Well, not just photo gizmos but gizmos in general.  Things that make life and photography more convenient and easier to deal with.  Maybe it's a genetic thing, maybe it's a Guy thing, and maybe it's just me.  I just know I like gadgets and gizmos.

We've all got them...that gizmo hanging out in the deep dark recesses of your camera bag.  Maybe it's an inflatable reflector or mini-softbox for your flash.  It might be some sort of filter that will make your images amazing with no extra work on your part..or at least that's what the ad said.  Regardless, we've all got gadgets and gizmos we use or intended to use in our photography and some are much more valuable than others.

I have some that never leave the house and some that are buried in one of the many camera bags I have hanging around my office.(If someone finds the "perfect" camera bag, let me know)  But there are 5 gizmos/accessories that I absolutely refuse to leave the house without, all depicted in the photo above.  Here's the lowdown on my favorite gizmos.

1.  Field tool kit.  Assorted jewelers screwdrivers, metric allen wrenches, and a multi-tool.  I've used the multi-tool for everything from bending the barbs on fishing lures to installing a belt on a 97 Nissan Pickup.  These tools live in a ditty bag in an outside pocket of my photo backpack.  Just don't forget and try to get them through security at an airport.  I've had to mail them to myself a couple of times.

2.  Bubble level.  A couple of years ago I noticed that a lot of my images had to be rotated a little bit in post processing.  I shoot everything on a tripod so it had to be an issue with my eyes.  The bubble level lives on the hot shoe of my camera body and this one has bubbles for 3 axis use.  No more downhill horizons.

3.  Really Right Stuff L-bracket.  This is by far one of the most treasured photo gizmos.  It allows me to quickly switch from horizontal to vertical and keep the center of the lens on axis without having to flop the tripod head over on it's side.  Last time I upgraded my camera body I had to wait about a week for the new L-bracket to arrive.  Shooting without it was like working with only 1 hand.  You can have my L-bracket when you pry it out of my cold dead hands!

4.  Laptop screen angle gauge.  Ever been on a shooting trip, edit some images on a laptop and post them somewhere only to discover they're much too dark or light when viewed on your main computer at home?  All because the screen on your laptop was a bit off the proper angle.  Grrrrrrrrr...well this little device is the cure.  Simply velcro it to the side of your laptop screen and tilt the screen till the pointer lines up with the mark.  It works no matter what the height of your computer.  If you continue to post ugly images you can't blame it on the laptop any more.  PS:  I've only been using this a couple of days and the difference is remarkable.  We're all searching for repeatable processing and this let's me do it with a laptop. 

5.  Headlamp.  My new passion is night sky shooting.  I'm working hard to learn the techniques to produce terrific images showing the Milky Way.  This thing is great for helping illuminate things when you're shooting in the dark.  Every try to achieve critical focus in the dark?  How bout setting exposure dials on your camera by touch?  Not much fun in either case.  I have a couple of different headlamps and one of them has both a white light and red light setting on it.  The red light supposedly doesn't destroy your night vision.

So there you have it, the 5 gizmos I won't leave home without.  They all live in my camera backpack except the laptop angle gauge which resides (go figure) in my computer case.  I know there are a lot of other things you need to have on any photo trip but not having any one of these makes photo life almost unbearable for me. 

How bout you?  What are your favorite gizmos?  Leave a comment and we'll see what comes along.

Take....Me Out To the Ballgame

Let me set the record straight right off the bat..(pun intended)  I am a Sports Geek.  I grew up playing baseball in the spring and summer, football in the fall, and basketball in the winter.  I love the NFL and College Basketball.  But baseball is my passion.  I am a Seamhead through and through.

Problem is, most of the guys and some gals that I work with are football fans and couldn't care less about baseball.  Me being me, I often stir the pot, poke the bear, whatever phrase you want to use by professing that I believe baseball is better than football.  We spend time going through all the old tired arguments...baseball is boring, it's too slow, there's no time clock, yada yada yada!  I often have to remind them that was created first and football was just invented so baseball players would have something to do in the 3 month period between the last game of the World Series and the first day of Spring Training.  Most of the time the argument is never settled because we both have only what we believe and as you know belief is knowledge that can't be proven.

Today, though, I can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that baseball is better than football and here's why:

The regular season of the NFL is only 16 games while a season of Major League Baseball lasts 162 games.  Today is the last day of Baseball's regular season, game #162 and as I write this blog there are 4 teams, 2 in each league, that are tied for the Wild Card slot in the playoffs that begin on Friday.  The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays in the American League, and the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves in the National League.

None of the teams are playing each other so today there are 3 possible scenarios.  If one of the tied teams wins and the other loses, the winner moves on to the playoffs which begin on Friday.  If both tied teams win or if both lose, there will be a "play in" game tomorrow and the winner goes on in the playoffs.  I don't have a dog in this hunt so I don't really care which teams win or lose though I have two very close friends that do.  Tom is a Cardinals fan and Rebecca is a Red Sox fan.  For their sake I suppose I hope those teams move on in the playoffs.  We'll know later this evening what will happen since the games are still going on.

But how is that better than the NFL?  Well, if 2 NFL teams end up tied for a division title or a wild card spot you begin to go through a ponderous "tiebreaker" system.  I think the first tiebreaker is head to head competition between the two tied teams but don't quote me.  The first few tiebreakers are pretty definitive like that and they usually don't get past the first or second tiebreaker before deciding which team moves on in the playoffs.  There are, however, about 16 or 18 tiebreaker scenarios or so I'm told.  I suspect they will probably never get past 4 or 5 on the list but in a worst possible case scenario we could see a playoff team decided by "which team scored more points on windy afternoons in October against a team who's coach's brother is named Fred" or something equally byzantine.

STOP THE MADNESS!  Just have a play in game like baseball has.  If 2 teams tie it's head to head.  If 3 teams tie it's Round Robin.  Just play the flippin' game.  Let the players decide who moves on, not some statistician.

Yep, Baseball is better than the NFL.  They get it.  Let the players decide.

The Ultimate Spring Photo road trip #1

A few days ago I posted The Ultimate Photo road trip (Fall) and it was kind of fun detailing some of the things I need to visit or revisit during the fall.  Now it's time for Spring.  This will be a bit more difficult because there are 2 completely different trips that come to mind so you'll have to indulge me with #1 and #1A which will come in a day or two.  For now, though, on with #1.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of the Pacific Northwest (or Pacific Southwest if you include British Columbia) and I try to visit there every chance I get.  I didn't live there for a very long time, only about 3 years total, but they were some of the best 3 years of my life.  I made some lifelong friends and spent some glorious summers there.  Some consider it a tragedy that while I lived there I didn't even own a camera much less have any intention of becoming a photographer.  So strap in and here we go.

It's a comfortable day's drive from Denver to the Yellowstone/Grand Teton area.  I've become quite enamored with the Signal Mountain Lodge when I stay in the Tetons.  It's a 5 minute walk from your cabin to the beach and a sunrise reflection of Mt Moran and the Tetons in Jackson Lake.  It's also a 5 minute drive to the Oxbow Bend and an easy 20 or 30 minute drive to Moulton's Barn or Schwabacher Landing.  The photo ops here are limitless.  I've got some pretty nice sunrise images from the beach so I'd have to flip a coin between the other 3 locations.  Might even have to spend 2 days and nights here and hope I'm lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Grizzly #399 and whatever collection of cubs she has.

Leaving the Tetons is always tough for me but I have a long ways to go and a short time to get there so once I've sated my Jones for the Tetons it's north into Yellowstone.  I usually spend most of my Yellowstone time in the Lamar Valley and sleep somewhere in Cooke City but this time I'm going to stay either in West Yellowstone, Mammoth, or possibly Canyon.  If Heather is with me it will be West since she wants to see the captive wolves and grizzlies there.  Who knows...maybe a night in West and then choose between Mammoth and Canyon or Roosevelt Cabins and spend a day or two in the Lamar.

Leaving Yellowstone it gets a little tricky and my next destination will depend on how early in the Spring this trip is taken.  In a perfect world I'd be taking this trip the first or second week of June and while I'd love to spend some time in Glacier, I think that deserves a week in and of itself so that's for a later trip.  Next on the location I'm headed for the Palouse region of Eastern Washington.  I've never photographed there so it's definitely on my bucket list and a strong candidate for a June trip.  Base of ops is Pullman with Steptoe Butte definitely on the list for sunrise.  1 maybe 2 days here then north again.

From Pullman I'm headed north for another long driving day.  I'm headed north and will spend 2 or 3 days in the Banff area.  Last time here I split my time between Banff and Jasper and really didn't have time to do justice to either one.  So this time it's Banff and the other Canadian parks that are on the Trans Canada Highway.

From Banff and Yoho I'm headed to Vancouver.  Have I mentioned that I love Vancouver?  It's probably one of my top 3 favorite cities on the planet.  The photo ops here are limitless but I'm only spending 1 night because I need to get down to Mt Vernon and Anacortes.  The image at the top of this blog is from the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.  That happens in April so I've missed it.  That will allow me to head into the Cascades and visit some of my old haunts.  Concrete, Darrington, Rockport, and other small towns along the Skagit and Sauk rivers.  I'll also be coordinating with my college roommates to spend some time drinking beer, telling lies, and generally catching up with old friends. Next time I'm here I'll head out into the San Juans for a whale watching cruise and hopefully see some Orcas...next time.

From Anacortes I'm headed south across the bridge at Deception Pass and down Whidbey Island to catch a ferry to the Olympic Penninsula.  I'm going to take 2 days to work my way down the coast with some time spent in the Ho Rain Forest as well as some of the ocean beaches, maybe even keeping on down the coast to Oregon.

About this time I need to start heading home.  With any luck I've photographed everything I wanted to see on this trip so it's just a matter of heading home.  Lots of driving, at least 2 weeks on the road, and some marvelous images and memories.  What a trip.  Stay tuned for Spring 1A.

A tale of Lemons and Lemonade

Here's the dilemma...you step outside to see a beautifully colored sky at sunset but you are surrounded by houses and power lines with no acceptable foreground for an exposure.  What will you do...what WILL you do?  Answer:  Look for a reflection. 

I was headed outside to get some things out of my car and was lamenting my failure to be in a suitable location to photograph the sunset.  When I walked to the back of the Nitro I saw the reflection out of the corner of my eye.  As quickly as I could I dug the G10 out of the Nitro's console, grabbed a tripod from inside the house and set up a shot.  What you see is the result.  Moral of the story?  If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  If life gives you limes, find someone that life has given tequila and make margaritas.

Inspiration

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to what inspires me photographically.  Why do I see things the way I see them?  Some painters go through "periods" and I guess photographically I do too.  For many years I shot large format film and by necessity I tended to concentrate on the Grand Landscape.  Large format forces you to be very deliberate and methodical and it's very difficult to shoot objects that are close to the camera. 

After a while I kept the large format but shifted most of my photography to 35mm and though I was able to shoot more close up and macro things I showed a preference to long lenses.  I was photographing a lot of wildlife at that time and also used the teles to do "extractions."  I really loved the way telephoto lenses compress the perspective.  I still shot landscapes with the large format but was obsessed with teles. 

In the mid 90's I was managing a photo equipment rental company and we started stocking cameras designed to shoot panoramic images.  It was about that time I started seeing things panoramically.  I went back to the large format and went so far as to cut out a panoramic opening in a dark slide to expose things in a narrow format.  At that time digital was still very primitive and stitching software was not all that great so skinny 4X5's were my solution. 

Not long after that I found pleasure in getting back to my roots and for a few months I shot everything in Black and White.  From my point of view, B&W requires you to see in a special way to create really effective images.  You have to look for patterns and contrast.  B&W forces you to see light and how it delineates your subject from a whole different perspective.  Just because an image looks nice in color doesn't mean it will make a nice Black and White image.  With the advent of new conversion software like Nik SilverEfex Pro2 and Topaz Black and White, I've been bitten by the B&W bug and am working more and more in this media recently.

Right now it's details.  When I was in Photography School one of my assignments was to find a photograph of a large scene that was successful and then find 5 more images within that shot.  It forced us to look not at just the big picture but to also observe details within.  And that's where I'm at now.  I've taken 2 photo trips this year so far.  In May I spent a long weekend hanging out with some photographer friends in Moab, Ut where just about everywhere you look there is a Grand Landscape just begging to be photographed.  This month I've just come back from 10 days in Sedona, AZ, again, lots of Grand Landscapes waiting to be put on a memory card.  Both times I've struggled to make exposures that I like.  These days the Grand Landscape doesn't move me...it's all in the details. 

How long will this phase last?  I have no idea...might be a month, might be a year, might be longer.  What I do know is that I'm in detail mode right now and those are the images that please me.  The image accompanying this blog is one I ran across in Sedona.  A juniper tree outside our condo was dropping berries every day and I liked how some of them were lined up in a gap between 2 sections of sidewalk.  Imagine that...here I am in one of the most photogenic areas in the US and I'm looking at the sidewalk for images.  Go figure.

Razing Arizona: Musings on 10 days in the Southwest

We've just returned from a 10 day trip to Arizona spent primarily in Sedona but also we had some time in the Phoenix area and a brief visit to Tombstone.  During the trip our daughter Erin got married, we spent a brief time at the Grand Canyon, and got to spend some time palling around with my sisters.  The following are some observations from that trip.


The place we stayed in Sedona was very nice.  High end...but they charge for internet.  During our trip to Sedona and the trip home we stayed at Super 8, Springhill Suites, and Marriott Courtyard and every one of them offered free internet.  Why is it that high end hotels and resorts all charge up to $10 a day for wifi? 

Speaking of high end, my sisters stayed at a high end resort owned by the same company that owned our place.  During their week in Sedona they had to change rooms 4 times.  Dirty furniture, leaky roof, plugged toilet, you name it.  Just goes to show you that in some cases price has very little to do with pleasant accomodations.

It rained every day we were in Sedona mostly in the late afternoon or evening.  It kept the temperatures very pleasant but totally ruined my plans for night shots.  I thought the monsoon season was over! 

The weather for Erin and Sean's wedding was marvelous.  Granted, it rained like crazy about 2 hours after the ceremony but we were inside at the reception dinner and dance by then so no harm, no foul.

As for the wedding, it was very special.  Erin was a beautiful bride, the ceremony was great, and a good time was had by all.  Erin did all the planning and everything she did was perfect.  I'm very proud of my little girl.

While in Sedona we toook a day trip to the Grand Canyon.  On the highway between Flagstaff and Tusayn we ran through a severe thunderstorm and some hail.  The road got slick and the car in front of us did a couple of 360's but didn't hit the ditch.  A few hundred yards farther down the road we came a cross a vehicle that wasn't so lucky.  I repeat, isn't monsoon season supposed to be over?

I've been wanting to visit Tombstone and got a chance on this trip.  To say the least I was underwhelmed and disappointed.  Not only were all the attractions walled in and charging admission.  Basically, anything you want to do or see in Tombstone costs a minimum of $6 ($10 if you stay for the gunfight)  I don't know what I was expecting but this certainly wasn't it.

There are a lot of areas along the highways in Arizona and New Mexico that I would like to photograph.  It just requires being in the right place at the right time, not driving past during the middle of the day.  Always have a reason to make another trip.

By my count there are 12 roundabouts between Oak Creek where the wedding was held, and our condo in West Sedona. I always thought the Pilgrims came here to escape European oppression.  Now we're trying to copy their traffic systems?  Just pay the extra money and install traffic lights for crying out loud.

Sedona Golf Resort did a great job on the wedding.  The location was perfect, the food was fantastic, and everything went off without a hitch.  Given the mad cash I dropped on this wedding, wouldn't you think they could show a brother some love and comp greens fees for me?  They were willing to comp the groom but not the father of the bride.  Unbelievable...he didn't pay them a cent!

You would think that by September the sun would have warmed up the waters at Slide Rock State Park but no....it was freakin cold!  And I really need to lose some weight.  After sliding down the chutes a couple times I was sitting in the sun warming up and everyone wanted to roll me back into the water.  They were all shouting "Free Willy!"


All in all, it was a wonderful trip.  Erin and Sean had a beautiful wedding, we got to spend some time with friends and family, and I was able to spend some time in one of my favorite areas.  Definitely a success.

The Ultimate Photo Road Trip (Fall)

I've just returned home after 12 days out of town.  Essentially it was a 2 day trip followed by a weekend wedding of my daughter, followed by a week of hanging out with family and friends in Sedona, AZ, then the trip home via the southern route.  (Phoenix to Tombstone to Albuquerque to Denver)  Nothing out of the ordinary except that our route took me through some areas I'd never seen before.  Over and over again I found myself saying "I need to come back and photograph that..." which started my mind working and thus, the Ultimate Photo Road Trip (Fall version)  Keep in mind, this trip would require quite a lot of time so it may not occur for a year or two but here's how it goes. 

Sometime in late September: 

Parker to Walsenburg, CO.  Spend a night in Walsenburg and head down the Highway of Legends from LaVeta to Trinidad, CO.  I've driven over Cuchara Pass before and the display of changing aspens can in some years rival Kebler Pass near Crested Butte.  Spend a sunrise and mid-morning shooting aspens before heading down to Trinidad and back onto I-25.

Trinidad, CO to Santa Fe, NM:  Driving north on I-25 today I was impressed by the poofy white clouds and the patterns they make on the prairies just north of Las Vegas, NM.  Given the right conditions and spending some time to find a suitable foreground subject, this could make a powerful image.  On to Santa Fe and spend a night here.  Great food and wonderful galleries to kill some time.

Santa Fe, NM to ????:  Here is the first option.  From Santa Fe head south either straight down I-25 to Socorro, NM for a sunset and sunrise at Bosque Del Apache or take Hwy 285 south to Alamagordo, NM and spend a sunset and sunrise at White Sands.  I'm not sure if it's too early in the year for cranes to be at Bosque and currently my longest lens is a 70-200mm so I'd probably opt for White Sands.  Of course there's the possibility of driving to Bosque after the sunset at White Sands.  Time to choose!

Alamagordo, NM to Dragoon Mountains, AZ:  Whether it's Bosque or White Sands, after shooting the sunrise I'd head south and hit I-10 somewhere around Las Cruces, NM.  For the most part this is a pretty boring drive heading west into AZ but there are some areas where the right sky and clouds might make an interesting image looking across the basins.  Mostly I'd be concerned with getting to the Dragoons by late afternoon.  When we drove through there a few days ago the rock formations near I-10 would be amazing in the right light.  Head on into Benson, AZ for the night.

Benson AZ to Tombstone to Tucson, AZ:  We spent some time in Tombstone but due to a late start from Phoenix and hotel reservations in Albuquerque we didn't have nearly enough time to spend there.  I'd like to spend at least 3 or 4 hours in Tombstone but that's another blog for another time.  On to Tucson for late afternoon shooting of San Xavier del Bac mission in Tucson and sunset at Saguaro National Park.  From here it's a short drive to Erin and Sean's house in Queen Creek to spend the night.

Phoenix to Tuba City, AZ:  No real sunrise shoot in mind here so have a leisurely breakfast with the kids before heading north towards Flagstaff and on to Tuba City.  From Tuba it's not too far to Coal Mine Canyon which I've seen images of from other shooters and would like to see for myself.  Then there's another secret location near Marble Canyon that requires a campout to appreciate sunset and sunrise light. 

Marble Canyon, AZ to Farmington, NM:  Here's another choice depending on how the mood hits me. Leave the Marble Canyon area and head to Page, AZ for some time in Antelope Canyon.  I haven't been there in a few years and could use some new digital files from Lower Antelope.  From there head to Kayenta and make a decision:  north to Monument Valley or southeast to Farmington and Bisti Badlands.  I've been to MV several times and while it's definitely not old hat, this time I'm headed for Bisti. Hopefully I'll get there in time to hike into the Badlands for sunset.  Definitely I'll spend a sunrise there.

Farmington, NM to ???:  Here's another tricky spot and this one depends on the weather.  If there's snow or the possibility of it I'm headed southeast towards Taos. I've never driven that route and have no idea of the photographic possibilities but I'm sure it would be wonderful.  If we have nice weather I'm going up through the San Juans for more changing aspens.  Durango to Silverton, Dallas Divide, then over Kebler Pass to Crested Butte.  This will most likely be my last night on the road as it's a short 4 hour drive home from CB. 

So there you have it.  10 nights, probably 2000 miles or more, and numerous photo possibilities.  If I were to take this trip I'd probably play tourist or spend an extra night or two at Erin and Sean's making it into a 14 day trip.  What do you think?  What's your Ultimate photo road trip?