Miscellaneous

The Hyacinth Macaw

This month’s Natural Note showcases the Hyacinth Macaw. Over my long career as a wildlife and nature photographer, I’ve been fortunate to spend time with some of the most beautiful birds in the world. A few stand out for their exceptional colors and regal elegance. One of those birds is… Read More »

Outdoor Photographer Rises From the Ashes as Wild Eye Magazine

There’s seldom good news regarding publishing magazines nowadays. But I was recently pleasantly surprised to hear that the late great Outdoor Photographer was rising from the ashes as the new Wild Eye magazine. Dan Havlik, former editor-in-chief of Outdoor Photographer, has taken the concept of the old magazine and brought… Read More »

OM System Pro Advantage

OM System Pro Advantage is a great option for repairing your OM System quickly and efficiently. So far I’ve not had any issues that weren’t self-induced with my OM cameras or lenses. But I did get a chance to test the OM Pro Advantage after breaking the LCD a while… Read More »

Firmware Updates For OM-1 and OM-1 ll

OM System has come through with their promise to bring some of the features of the OM-1 Mark ll to the original OM-1. I like the firmware update procedure OM System uses via their OM Workspace software but you can also update via their cell phone app. I’ve never tried… Read More »

E-M1 Mark lll Astro

OM System just announced the E-M1 Mark lll Astro camera in Japan. From what I’ve heard this camera is only available in Japan for now. But if it takes off, who knows? I don’t shoot a lot of Astrophotography but I know many that do. My reason for writing this… Read More »

Johnson Gold Mine Road-Add Your Voice!

So… it’s happening! The Johnsom Gold Mine is on its way to becoming a reality. A mine and all that goes with it smack dab in the middle of some of the world’s most beautiful and productive wilderness in Lake Clark National Park. If you didn’t see my original blog… Read More »

Brown Bear Photography in Peril – Lake Clark National Park’s Coastal Management Plan

I recently learned of Lake Clark National Park’s Coastal Management Plan, which will drastically change brown bear viewing opportunities along the Lake Clark National Park coast. The Project’s Purpose, as stated in their recent newsletter, is “to improve visitor experiences at key coastal sites while protecting resources and responding to… Read More »

Nikon Deserves Credit for Future-Proofing Cameras With Firmware

Nikon deserves credit for future-proofing cameras with firmware. By making this commitment, they make a drastic about-face from their past actions, which was part of my decision to change camera brands. At one time, Nikon was proud to take their time with new and helpful features. With this new policy,… Read More »

OM System Announces Firmware Update for OM-1

New Firmware Coming With the recent announcement of the OM-1, Mark ll came a flood of frustration from original OM-1 owners. The angst was inspired by no mention of any firmware update for OM-1. People were not happy. Most photographers felt the new camera was not much more than a… Read More »

Art Wolfe’s Wild Lives Is Impressive

Art Wolfe’s Wild Lives takes me way back. I remember vividly the first time I became aware of Art Wolfe. It was 1981. I was 21 years old and beginning to follow my burning passion to earn a living with a camera. Introduction to the name Art Wolfe My father… Read More »

Updated Firmware Ver 1.1 for Olympus 150-400mm

I have no idea how I missed this. OM Digital Solutions has released Updated Firmware Ver 1.1 for Olympus 150-400mm lens. It was announced on November 14th, 2023. The website states simply, “Improved Lens Stability.” I’m not sure what that means, but so far, it seems like it’s doing a… Read More »

Olympus OM-1 Continues Gaining Traction

The Olympus OM-1 continues gaining traction with serious photographers who enjoy wildlfe and nature photography. Two examples of the recent love for Olympus come from National Geographic and the Northrups. National Geographic Selects OM-1 As Best Wildlife Camera In the recent article “The 9 Best Digital Cameras For Travelers,” Nat… Read More »

The Power of Micro Four Thirds

The power of Micro Four Thirds was highlighted recently in a blog post by a young man named James Rodkey titled Three Cheers for Micro Four Thirds. In his post, he does an exceptional job of explaining the pros and cons of the smaller MFT cameras when compared to so-called… Read More »

My New Favorite Websites for Learning Photography

My reason for searching Since my banishment from DPReview—due to a post titled DPReview Against Photogs Receiving Credit —linking back to this Blog, I’ve been exploring the internet to find other quality outlets for learning about and sharing my passion for photography. And it’s been a positive experience. All the… Read More »

The Wanderer–A Book Review

The Wanderer by Tom Walker Over the several decades I’ve been documenting the world of nature, I’ve come to appreciate one overarching theme; virtually all wild animals have a precarious and challenging life. The Wanderer was no different. Observing the struggles of any particular species is never easy. Still, it… Read More »

DPReview Against Photogs Receiving Credit

I’m unsure why, but DPReview Is Against Photographers Receiving Credit for Their Work. All of this has come to a head with my banishment from DPReview forums due to an obvious feud I have with moderator Mako2011. Yesterday I posted a link to my recent blog post titled, Even Digital… Read More »

NANPA Summit 2023 Was Inspiring! Don’t Miss 2025

NANPA Summit 2023 was inspiring! Don’t miss NANPA Summit 2025 Many people might think that wildlife and nature photographers are a lonely group. And I often believe that is the case. One could argue that sitting in a blind for days or weeks wouldn’t qualify as a social event. But… Read More »

Camera Makers Are Starting to Get The AI Message

Canon recently announced they’re building deep learning image processing technology to improve the images their cameras record. It seems camera makers are starting to get the AI message. This online article, Deep Learning Image Processing Technology, is presented in English via Google Translate. The report is fascinating, since some of… Read More »

Our Little Buddy Dice

As a young boy, I always had a dog. It was never just my dog but a family dog. My father grew up raising golden retrievers, and his love of domesticated canines became one of those family things that just seemed to be. Animals were a big part of our… Read More »

New Mac For Christmas? Tips to Become a Mac Power User

I’m now a Mac Power user, having learned many tricks and tips since my first introduction to the Apple ecosystem in 2003. Prior to that, I’d been using PCs since 1981. My first PC was an Epson Equity 1, and I used it for word processing as well as producing… Read More »

Photo News You Can Use

Photo news you can use regarding the photo trade getting back on track. OM Digital Solutions, DxO PhotoLab, Luminar, Sony A7 Mark lV, and Lumix GH6 all are making headlines. There are lots of reasons why photography vendors have been laying low. Most notably? The damn pandemic. Pretty simple, those… Read More »

Tom Curley’s Passion For Professionals and Serious Enthusiasts Lives on at Lumix

My time as a Lumix Ambassador Sometime back around 2010, I began tinkering with Lumix cameras. I eventually began working with Lumix and connected with a gentleman named Tom Curley. I didn’t know Tom at the time even though he had spent almost 27 years as the Lead Marketing Director… Read More »

Firmware Updates for Lumix and Olympus

There are new firmware updates for Lumix an Olympus cameras. For Lumix the updates are for the GH5S, G9, and G100 cameras. For Olympus the firmware updates are for the E-M5 Marklll and the E-M1 Markll. I installed the firmware update for the Lumix G9 and it worked without hitch.… Read More »

Medium Format Anyone?

I’ve had some requests to update my blog due to my last blog post being a bit sad and difficult for some people to look at. Since I’m on the road working in Iceland I don’t have a great deal of time to really come up with anything amazing. But… Read More »

The Death of a Single Snow Goose

The Death of a Single Snow Goose was first published on our Natural Exposures Facebook page. I decided to bring it to the blog, since a huge part of this image is the backstory. Unfortunately, Twitter and Instagram don’t allow for the amount of text to tell that story, so… Read More »

Imaging Resource Breaks Down Olympus 150-400mm Zoom

Dave Etchell from Imaging Resource has always provided great information on the newest photo gear. His latest Blog post titled “A deep look at the tech behind the Olympus 150-400mm super-tele zoom (Engineer interview!)” is just the most recent. For this “deep look” Mr. Etchell interviews OM- Digital Solutions engineers… Read More »

Olympus 150-400mm Zoom. Is it worth the price?

Editorial Note: This blog post is not an in-depth review of the new Olympus 150-400mm zoom. It’s simply a relatively short post comparing its price to similar lenses from Nikon and Canon. There are plenty of blog posts and YouTube videos explaining all the features of this lens. This is… Read More »

Olympus 150-400mm Release Date Announced

Olympus 150-400mm release date announced for late January 2021. Finally the availability of the lens I’ve been dreaming about. A lens that has a similar range to that of a full-frame camera using a 300-1000mm lens. Here’s the Olympus150-400mm official announcement. Changing wildlife photography as we know it This lens… Read More »

Lumix G90 Announced Hail the Baby G9

Find out why Dan is excited about the new Lumix G90/G95. One of the main reasons is the built in flash.

The Micro Four Thirds Triad Pro Results from Smalle​​​r Cameras

Follow the Micro Four Thirds Triapd for profession results with much smaller, less expensive camera system.

Lumix S Series Touch & Try Event at Bozeman Camera

Mark your calendar for Bozeman Camera’s Lumix S Series full-frame camera Touch and Try Event with my buddy Mark Toal. The day is April 20, 2019. Bozeman Camera, the place I refer to as the “Small Town Store, Big Time Dealer” is a great place for getting new equipment since… Read More »

The Telephoto Power of Micro Four Thirds

Full-frame camera hype There’s been a lot of press in the past four months about the excitement of full-frame cameras. Panasonic jumped in with a new fabulous full-frame system, the Lumix S1, and Lumix S1R. Nikon and Canon finally awoke from the dead and offered their versions as well. It’s… Read More »

Lumix Professional Services Launched

Dedicated to Pros and Serious Enthusiasts Panasonic has stepped up with a very important program for serious photographers. I mention serious, not professionals, since the program is all based on the equipment you use, not if you make a professional living from it. This is a smart move since there… Read More »

Delta Service Does It Again But This Time to Tanya

Back in 2015, I was flying through Salt Lake City when I got the business surprise of my life. While exiting the Delta aircraft, there at the door was a lady with an iPad showing my name. You can read the rest of the story at Delta Service I Could… Read More »

Lumix Ambassadors Portfolio Official Release at WPPI

Panasonic Lumix Engineers Visit Bozeman

Panasonic Lumix Engineers Visit Bozeman. This last week all of us here at Natural Exposures and Polar Bears International were honored to have five wonderful people from Panasonic’s headquarters in Osaka and Lumix Luminary liaison Tom Curley from the US come visit us in Montana. The folks from Japan included… Read More »

Panasonic Lumix – Why I Love This Company

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Panasonic is one hell of a company that deserves our support. Ever since trying their first Micro Four Thirds camera back in 2008 I’ve been impressed by the technology they produce and offer at such incredibly affordable prices. It’s never easy to displace… Read More »

Lumix GH5 Discussion From The Folks at B&H Photo

For those who missed the Lumix GH5 discussion at B&H Photo and video I thought you might like to see it for yourself here. So I’ve added it to the Blog. There are some great new insights but I have to say I was disappointed the talk was mainly from… Read More »

Fake News Hits Panasonic’s Lumix Brand

Good grief. Fake News helped elect Donald Trump and now it’s announcing the death of my favorite camera company. A recent story by the Japanese news Nikkei Asian News suggested Panasonic was restructuring and getting out of the camera business. The President of Panasonic suggested they need new profit drivers if Panasonic hopes… Read More »

Sorry for Delay on Questions for Dan

I just want to let all you folks who have been gracious enough to send in Questions for Dan to know that I’ve not forgotten you. My issue is lack of time. I’m currently in Svalbard, Norway for the Arctic Documentary Project and just haven’t had the time to get to… Read More »

Support Your Local Camera Dealers

I don’t typically just do a post about a SALE but I thought this might be a good time to remind everyone to consider supporting you local camera shop. We’re very lucky here in Bozeman to have two incredible camera stores, F-11 Photographic Supplies and Bozeman Camera & Repair. By the… Read More »

Quality Photography is Dying. Tony Northrup Suggests How to Save It

Some of you may be familiar with Tony Northrup. I had never heard of him until about a year ago, but he does some nice blog posts—mostly videos—on lots of things relating to the world of photography. His latest video discusses what he feels camera makers need to do to increase… Read More »

Bozeman Camera has the new Leica 100-400mm

Bozeman Camera has the new Leica 100-400mm For those looking for the new Leica/Lumix 100-400mm zoom to attach to your Lumix or Olympus camera, look no further than Bozeman Camera. Many of our Explorers know that two of my favorite camera shops in the world, Bozeman Camera and F11 Photographic… Read More »

The New Science of Vino Ecology

The New Science of Vino Ecology As vineyards are expanding around the world, and taking more biologically diverse land, a new science of vino ecology, or vinecology, has been born. Many of us love to sip merlot and pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc and malbec, and the wine market is booming. But,… Read More »

Adobe Creative Cloud 20% off with Lumix Purchase

Hey guys and gals. I just received a message from my friends at Lumix about a fabulous new offer to get 20% off of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription when you purchase a Lumix camera. Many of our NE Explorers have been thinking about moving over to the Lumix system… Read More »

Help Save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Help Save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area From my first days in Minnesota I loved the wilderness waterways of the BWCA. Loons wolves, beaver, lots of fish and serenity found few other places on the planet. I recently became aware of sulfide-ore copper mining mining interests that are wanting to… Read More »

Nikkor 600mm F/4 For Sale Like New on the NE Trading Post

Nikkor 600mm F/4 For Sale Like New on the NE Trading Post. One of the benefits of traveling with Natural Exposures Invitational Photo Tours is the ability to make great contacts and friends as well as become a Natural Exposures Explorer. We also try to offer some special perks like the… Read More »

Leica and Panasonic Lumix Reaping Rewards

Leica and Panasonic Lumix Reaping Rewards. One of the major benefits of the Lumix system is Panasonic’s cooperative agreement with Leica, the world’s best lens company. I’ve been aware of Leica since my early days in photography. They are world renowned and have been since the beginning of 35mm cameras. When… Read More »

Outpostz Lap Desks For Kenya School Kids

Outpostz Lap Desks For Kenya School Kids. NE Explorer Margie Carroll recently shared with us her newest idea for helping teachers to educate children around the world. Margie has been taking pictures and inventing unique products for many years and recently she surprised us with her newest invention, the Outpostz Lap Desk.… Read More »

The Lumix Diaries: Leaving Kenya

One of the saddest things about leaving Kenya is knowing how it affects our guides and other tourist related workers that depend on visitors. I’ve been coming to this spectacular country for over 20 years and I’ve used the same guides, same camps, same hotels, always because the people are so… Read More »

For the Love of Art and Music The $91,000.00US Martin D-100 Deluxe

For the Love of Art and Music The $91,000.00US Martin D-100 Deluxe. One of my other passions in life is music and guitars. Unfortunately, my first passion, photography, almost always keeps me so busy I have little time getting my guitar fix in. I recently met the owner of one of my favorite stores… Read More »

NE Explorer Jeanne Sturges Gets Cuba Editorial in Tulsa World

NE Explorer Jeanne Sturges Gets Cuba Editorial in Tulsa World. This past April, a small group of Natural Exposures Explorers traveled to Cuba on a so-called person-to-person educational permit. Little did we know that eight months later President Barack Obama would make the United States and Cuba so newsworthy. Obviously, it… Read More »

The Gifts of Books for Kenya School Kids

The Gifts of Books for Kenya School Kids. Kenya is just around the corner and once again we’ll be working with our local Kenya guides to supply textbooks to a local school in Kenya. On our last trip two years ago, our group donated $1000 to one such lucky school. Henry… Read More »

Lucky Winner of the Lumix FZ1000

Lucky Winner of the Lumix FZ1000. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all Natural Exposures’ Explorers Blog readers and any others who visit us here on the Corkboard. We started this beautiful snowy morning here in Montana sending out our most recent NE newsletter to all the folks who have… Read More »

Polar Bears Have Smelly Feet

Recently, scientists have discovered that polar bears have smelly feet. Not sweaty-gym-socks-smelly, but scent-trail-smelly. Turns out polar bears paws leave a chemical trail wherever they go. Other polar bears can glean information from those scent trails. Megan Owen, research scientist for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, wrote for… Read More »

Flickr Selling Your Photos With No Compensation To You If You Agreed To Creative Commons

Flickr Selling Your Photos With No Compensation to You If You Agreed to Creative Commons! Well, I hate to say I told you so, but Yahoo, which owns Flickr, has just done what I’ve been worried about from Facebook and other social media sites. Flickr is now selling prints from the hundreds… Read More »

Net Neutrality. I’m Trying to figure this out. What’s your opinion?

Net Neutrality. I’m Trying to figure this out as an artist, journalist, and business person. THE VERGE puts billionaire Mark Cuban on the hot seat over Net Neutrality. I have to say I’ve been confused on the Net Neutrality issue. I’ve been reading all I can on this subject to… Read More »

Patagonia’s Big Fall Super Sale With The Lumix LX100

Patagonia’s Big Fall Super Sale With The Lumix LX100. One of the fun things we do for some of our Invitational Photo Tours is buy our Explorer’s outer gear they might not otherwise have or know they should get. One of our favorite outdoor retailers, for all around high quality outdoor… Read More »

Latest Natural Note Makes Some Folks Angry!

Each month I like to share one of my favorite photos that goes out to our email list of editors, art directors, and travelers as something we call a Natural Note. Typically it’s a beautiful scene with flowers, animals, landscapes, or something similar. Every now and again I like to stir… Read More »

Ecotourists May Help Save Malayan Tiger

Ecotourists may help save the Malayan tiger according to local conservationists. That’s good news for both those that love to travel and photograph wildlife, and tigers. Malayan tigers have been on the Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. They’re listed as “endangered” and the population… Read More »

It’s National Wildlife Refuge Week!

Happy National Wildlife Refuge Week! You didn’t know we are celebrating the Refuge System this week? There probably aren’t a lot of people who had it marked on their calendars. I’d guess there aren’t a lot of folks who are familiar with the Refuge System at all. The U.S. Fish… Read More »

Tanya’s 2nd Cousin Colorado Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon Hockey Star

Ok, this is a bit off topic for me but in some ways, not really. This hockey video (I do shoot video you know and I did play hockey in Minnesota) is amazing! Here’s the back story. Nathan MacKinnon is my dear wife Tanya’s second cousin. Nate is a hockey… Read More »

Weird Weather Map Cloud = Monarchs

A weird cloud appeared on weather maps earlier this month causing forecasters to scratch their heads. It was a large, slow moving cloud that changed shapes as it drifted south over the U.S. Midwest. A freak storm? Nope. It was millions of monarch butterflies traveling from Canada to Mexico, a… Read More »

A Free U2 Album From Apple

A Free U2 Album From Apple to all registered iTunes users. Photography and music go together like Apple pie (no pun intended) and vanilla ice cream. Yesterday, during Apple’s mega publicity event, where they announced several new products such as the new Apple Watch, two new versions of the iPhone along… Read More »

Hidden Antarctic Ecosystem

Scientists recently gave us our first glimpse of a vast Antarctic ecosystem of microscopic life hidden in under-ice lakes. For those who have visited Antarctica, or seen photos or videos, it appears as a pretty austere place. Vast spans of ice backed by even vaster spans of ice. But just… Read More »

Photographer Joel Sartore on De-Extinction CBS Sunday Morning

Photographer Joel Sartore on De-Extinction CBS Sunday Morning. Joel Sartore is one of my favorite photographers. Most of his work is produced for National Geographic but now and again he shows up on another favorite of mine, CBS Sunday Morning. This past Sunday’s show highlighted the ongoing issue of species… Read More »

Evidence Mounting Apple’s Photos Will be Revolutionary

Evidence Mounting Apple’s Photos Will be Revolutionary. Why? Because of the coming software technology known as Extensions. On July 3rd, I wrote about how I was feeling much more optimistic about Apple’s new program simply called Photos. A week or so earlier I was depressed over the fact Apple had announced… Read More »

Panasonic Releases HC-X1000 4K Video Camera

Panasonic releases HC-X1000 4K Video Camera. The HC-X1000 is a 4K video camera that is built in the more traditional ENG-like design. In other words, it’s not the traditional DSLR-looking camera the GH4 is. What it can do is nothing we’ve seen before in a camera that sells for $3500. This video… Read More »

The Lumix Diaries: Adventures in the Pantanal

August 2, 2014 – Pantanal Brazil The Lumix Diaries Adventures in the Pantanal. It’s our first full day at the lodge in the Pantanal of Brazil. I’m here with a group of enthusiastic photographers who are part of our Brazil Pantanal Jaguar Wildlife Photo Expedition Invitational Photo Tour. Before I left… Read More »

SupplierPay Program Helps Small Business Owners

SupplierPay program helps small business owners. The Obama administration recently developed a new program to encourage large corporations like Apple to agree to start paying their small suppliers on a more timely basis. Hallelujah!!! I’ve been in business since I was 16 years old and I could never understand why a… Read More »

Manifest Creative Is Absolutely Phenomenal

Manifest Creative Is Absolutely Phenomenal and I would like to give a great big shout out to Philip Downer of Manifest Creative. Philip has been the one-man-band behind what I feel is our stunning new website. He recently finished up the Explorer’s Gallery version 2.0 with a lot of new… Read More »

Apple’s New Photos May Be Much Better Than I First Thought

Apple’s new Photos may be much better than I first thought. Since killing Aperture and iPhoto last Friday, there has been a tremendous amount of discussion about what the future holds for serious photographers using Apple products. I must admit that I was right there with the naysayers about how… Read More »

Panasonic Updates Firmware for Lumix GH4

Panasonic updates firmware for Lumix GH4 which is to improve video performance. It’s a big file to download, and being in Alaska I may not be able to get it due to my Internet connection. Last night was my first shoot on a nest site of snowy owls and most of… Read More »

Apple To Stop Development of Aperture

Apple to stop development of Aperture. Today the Loop has announced they were told that Apple is discontinuing the development of Aperture. This is the statement as it’s listed on the Loop website. “With the introduction of the new Photos app and iCloud Photo Library, enabling you to safely store all… Read More »

Guest Post-Fred Kurtz Evolving From DSLR’s to Micro Four Thirds

Guest Post- Fred Kurtz Evolving From DSLR’s to Micro Four Thirds. Every now and again I reach out to one of our NE Explorers to share an experience or information I feel others might be interested in. One of our most traveled Explorers, Fred Kurtz, is a dear friend and… Read More »

Portfolio of Recent Italy Shoot

My portfolio of the recent Italy shoot is up and ready for review. I’ve created a Portfolio of my favorite images that you can view by clicking on the link below. Keep in mind this was the first installment of The Lumix Diaries, #lumixlounge, #lumix, #panasonic, an ongoing project to highlight my work with the new… Read More »

Olympus OM-D E-M1 – A Very Short Review

Update 5/26/2014 The Olympus OM-D E-M1 – A Very Short Review is in fact, very short and in all honesty barley a review at all. It’s really more of just an opinion piece and for good reason. I had a very hard time forcing myself to even use this camera after coming to grips with… Read More »

Nikon Introduces New Fluorine Coatings

Nikon introduces new Fluorine coatings made to repel all sorts of offense elements such as muddy water, grease, oil and just bout anything else you could think of. The video below shows paint actually being applied to a piece of Nikon glass that simply beads up and is easily wiped away.… Read More »

Solar Roadways – Are You Kidding Me?

Solar roadways – are you kidding me? That’s exactly what I thought when I received an email from Indiegogo a fund raising internet site for entrepreneurs needing to raise cash for interesting projects. And this Solar Freakin Roadways project fits that bill amazingly well. This technology is hard to believe but if you… Read More »

The Winner of the Bose $250 Gift Card is Jim Edwards

Winner of Bose $250 Gift Card is Jim Edwards. On February 24th of this year we sent out an email to everyone signed up on our email list. The subject was, “What is on Your Travel Bucket List?”. We’re always asking our NE Explorers where they want to go. To say thank… Read More »

F11 Photo Jeffrey Conger and Behance Portfolio Review

F11 Photo Jeffrey Conger and Behance Portfolio Review proved to be a rewarding combination for a small group of interested photo enthusiasts this past Wednesday night, May 14th. Jeffrey Conger, an avid and very successful photographer as well as Professor of Graphic Design at Montana State University was featured as the headline speaker.… Read More »

Canon or Nikon? Lynn Owsley Guest Post

Canon or Nikon? The following is a guest post by Natural Exposure’s Explorer Lynn Owsley. Lynn has been traveling with us for several years and when she first started she was struggling with her photography. When I met Lynn she was shooting Canon. By the time she joined us for… Read More »

How to Make a Chapbook – Guest Post by NE Explorer Mark Pemberton

A while back, NE Explorer Mark Pemberton sent me a gorgeous, handmade book containing photos from our recent Invitational Photo Tour to Japan. I had never seen such a beautiful presentation, and I asked Mark if he would like to share the creative process with our readers. He agreed, and… Read More »

5 Tips for Printing Your Own Photos

5 tips for printing your own photos are some tips I decided to offer based on popular request from our traveling Explorers. Unfortunately, it’s not a simple answer so I thought I would pick out the five most important things to know and understand to get the best results. If you want… Read More »

Panasonic Lumix GH4 & The Speeding Pooch Test

I recently received a pair of Panasonic Lumix GH4 cameras and I couldn’t get them in my hands fast enough. They’ve been in the wild so to speak since about last Friday, April 25, 2014. Ray Norouzi from Samy’s Camera in LA was fast out of the blocks and called… Read More »

Copyright Alliance Brings Us More News on Protecting Photos and Art

The Copyright Alliance has once again alerted me to another fight on the front of protecting your Intellectual Property Rights. Seems there are people out there that are hijacking TV and radio signals, capturing them and then repackaging the content to be sold to buyers on the Internet. This would be something… Read More »

Calling All Photographers & Artists-Help Copyright Alliance Protect YOUR Copyright

Calling All Photographers & Artists-Help Copyright Alliance Protect YOUR Copyright. It’s time to put down your cameras, art brushes, sculpting clay and design tools for 15 minutes of business that will help you earn a better living at what you love to do. Photography & Art. I subscribe to a newsletter… Read More »

Small Cameras, Huge Momentum

As I predicted, 2014 is shaping up to be the year of the mirrorless camera and Micro Four Thirds in particular. On every photo tour we take, I hear from our Explorers that they are tired of carrying around their huge DSLR’s and the accompanying lenses. They see the small… Read More »

Sony’s New A7s at 408,000 ISO is Absolutely Amazing

People wonder why I’m excited about the future of photography and the technical advancements happening in the business on a daily basis. Sony recently announced 4K video capabilities in their new A7s series camera. When I first saw these numbers I was hohum about it. Until I saw the video… Read More »

iPhone Versus Nikon & Hasselblad-Hilarious But Enlightening

For those of you who continue to hold on to the notion bigger is better, take a look at this video. It’s very informative. Some colorful language involved since these are kids from the future. I hope their mothers don’t watch this. It’s funny informative and disappointing to their mothers..… Read More »

Seven Ways to Avoid Baggage Fees

Tips On How To Avoid Baggage Fees Thanks Smarter Travel!

Delta: No Cell Calls on Our Flights

With both Congress and the DOT possibly poised to ban inflight cell calls on U.S. carriers, it’s unlikely that the decision will come down to the airlines themselves. But if it does come to that, at least one of the largest airlines has made its position on the matter… Read More »

How to Choose your Seats on Flights

If you do not have the opportunity to fly in First Class or Business Class on your next flight, check out seatguru.com This website will show you the best and worst seats on all major airlines based on aircraft model. This can be very helpful especially if you are flying… Read More »

Delta Credit Cards to Ditch Foreign Transaction Fees

Many travel-rewards cards have gotten the message: Savvy travelers don’t want to be dinged for foreign-transaction fees of up to 3 percent. It’s a gouge, and travelers know it. So there are now cards available from American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and so on that boast… Read More »

Panasonic GH4- Full Specs & Breakdown by Gear Addix

Panasoinc GH4 – Full Specs and Breakdown by Gear Addix is a nicely produced video that shows many of the new features. The pretty lady who presents it has to talk fast to get it all in but she does an admirable job. I’ve been looking for a PDF of… Read More »

NEW! TSA Relaxes 3-1-1 Rule

The TSA has finally loosened up their 3-1-1 rule (which allows flyers to carry on liquids only in 3.4 oz. bottles or smaller), but only for liquids bought at duty-free shops. CNN reports that travelers will now be able to carry on alcohol or other liquids bought at duty-free airport… Read More »

Panasonic announces new Lumix 4k GH4

Panasonic announces new Lumix 4k GH4. In between our two Japan Winter Wildlife photo tours we’ve had a chance to enjoy the amazing city of Tokyo. The past two days we’ve visited two of the worlds largest camera stores, rode the most efficient and clean subway I’ve ever been on and… Read More »

Apple’s Behind the Scenes Video

This is the one I really wanted to see even though the original is gorgeous – the behind the scenes version shows how all of this amazing Apple equipment is used to produce world class multimedia. Photography, video, music – everything we all love about a great story. Here’s the… Read More »

What’s the Best Computer for Still and Video Production?

What’s the best computer for still and video production? This is a question I’m often asked by many of our traveling photo guests. Since 2004 it’s been all Apple and the story below will show you why. Apple recently released a 90 second video highlighting the 30-year anniversary of the… Read More »

Panasonic GM1 vs Sony RX100 Mark II Shootout by TheCameraStoreTV – These Guys Are Fabulous

In line with the ongoing interest by our readers for smaller, lighter and faster, I recently found a great comparison by Chris and Dave of The Camera Store in Calgary, Alberta. Like most Canadians, these guys are very likable and they really seem to know their gear. Take a look… Read More »

Yellowstone Photo Tour 2014 Trip #2 – Day 2

Just one image from today. I’m teaching workflow tonight so I’ve grabbed just one picture from our day in Yellowstone. This image is all about action photography and when I saw this bald eagle sitting in a tree along the Firehole River I grabbed my Nikon D4 with the 600mm… Read More »

Yellowstone Photo Tour 2014 Trip #2 – Day 1

All I can say to begin with is, “Wow, what a difference a couple of days can make.” On our last day in the park for Trip 1 we had a heck of a time finding almost any critters. We drove out to Canyon to photograph the Grand Canyon of… Read More »

Yellowstone Photo Tour 2014 – Day 3

Today was very slow wildlife wise. The first two days we spent a lot of time working with the swans and other creatures outside of West Yellowstone on the way to Madison Junction. We’ve had very little luck finding almost ANY elk. Seems the wolves have done their intended mission… Read More »

A Glorious Day at Grytviken, South Georgia

Woke this morning to a gloriously sunny, spectacular day at Grytviken, South Georgia. The image I’ve included with this post is from my iPhone 5 in the panoramic mode. Hard to believe the quality images possible with an iPhone. Whenever I’m asked what South Georgia is like, I’ve always told… Read More »

Merry Christmas From Cuverville Island, Antarctica

Merry Christmas everybody. I hope you all have had as wonderful of a day as Tanya and I did today. We spent the day on Cuverville Island on the Antarctica Peninsula as part of our Seabourn Quest Antarctic Expedition. The day ended with the Expedition team making our way back… Read More »

Kelp Gull Nesting on Lichen Colored Rock

We spent the entire day on Half Moon Island today – full of chinstrap penguins, one macaroni penguin, a few gentoos and a couple of adelies for good measure. Most of the chinstraps were on their nests, hunkered down, keeping eggs warm. The island was almost completely covered with snow… Read More »

Chinstrap Penguins on Drake Passage Crossing to Antarctica

Late this afternoon, half way across the Drake Passage, which has been a breeze both times now, we came upon a beautiful blue iceberg much further north of Antarctica than most are typically found. A bonus was a small group of Chinstrap Penguins that were taking refuge from what most likely… Read More »

Daily Photo of Cascada La Virgen

Today we made a drive to mountain city of Coyhaique, Chile. It was an interesting drive with some amazing scenes but unfortunately on a large bus we had few stops. I did make a dash for this photo after stopping for an afternoon snack at a local restaurant. Photo was… Read More »

Chaiten Volcano Erupts in Chile

An unidentified Chilean volcano erupts along the coast as we pass by on the Seabourn Quest on our way to Puerto Chacabuco, Chile. Our resident geologist Jason Hicks was thrilled beyond belief to see geology in acton. Shot with #Nikon #D600 & @NikonUSA 80-400mm zoom lens.

Seabourn Quest Cruise to Antarctica Trip #1

Our first group of travelers on the Seabourn Quest Cruise to Antarctica have left the ship and are dispersing to the wind on their way to other destinations, mostly home. Wolfgang and I had a great time meeting new folks and teaching the ins and outs of digital photography. For… Read More »

Jill Goes to Cape Churchill

November 17, 2013 I’m about ready to head out on my first journey to Cape Churchill along the shores of Hudson Bay. I’ll be volunteering for Polar Bears International during my time there. Each year, Frontiers North Adventures generously provides Tundra Buggy One to Polar Bears International in order to… Read More »

Around Cape Horn, on to Ushuaia & Punta Arenas

This morning at about 7:00am we pulled into the port at Punta Arenas, Chile. We left Ushuaia, Argentina yesterday early in the morning after spending a day in the little community at the tip of South America. Sailing ships have obviously added a tremendous boost to the local economy and… Read More »

Time Magazine Features Dan’s Photo on the Cover

One of the first long term projects I ever produced involved documenting the life history of whitetail deer. Much of that work was published in the form of a coffee table sized book titled Whitetail Country back in 1987. I’ve since moved on chronicling the lives of many different animals… Read More »

Seabourn Quest Cruise to Antarctica: Cuverville Island

A beautiful day to spend at this landing! This area is home to 6,500 breeding pairs of the charismatic little Gentoo Penguins. The colony was spread out along the snow-covered beach area and some had made their way up the hillsides to the rocky areas to start building their nests.… Read More »

Seabourn Quest Cruise to Antarctica: Gerlache Strait

Gerlache Strait, Antarctica. Thanksgiving Day. We could not have asked for nicer weather as we cruised along the beautiful and impressive Gerlache Strait. This area is a must see if you are visiting Antarctica. Reflections of icebergs in the water and snow swept mountains encircled our ship…the picturesque scenery with… Read More »

Seabourn Quest Cruise to Antarctica: Hope Bay and Esperanza Base

Hope Bay, Antarctica Sound The Argentina Base Esperanza (Spanish “Hope Base”) is located in Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula, Antarctica. The first known human inhabitants of the bay were three Swedes back in 1903. They were forced to spend a winter there after their ship was turned away from bad ice… Read More »

Seabourn Quest Cruise to Antarctica: Adelie Penguin on King George Island

This morning we were blown out of Half Moon Bay where we had hoped to go ashore. Unfortunately a change of plans is just par for the course in Antarctica. We left Half Moon Bay and made our way to a calmer destination in Admiralty Bay and the Henryk Arctowski Polish… Read More »

Seabourn Quest Cruise to Antarctica: Wilson’s Storm Petral

A Wilson’s Storm Petral recuperates from a night on the deck of our ship. One of our bird experts handles the beautiful little bird before letting him go.

Aperture Updated in Digital Camera RAW

Aperture was recently updated with the newest Digital Camera RAW software. This update includes some of the very newest cameras including Nikon’s D610 which is a fairly recently released camera. Apple’s Aperture team seems to be getting faster at getting these updates out which is a good sign for things… Read More »

Nikon, Panasonic, Sigma Lens Test by NE Explorer Mark Pemberton

I’ve written previously about the Panasonic GH-3 micro four thirds camera and the 100-300 mm lens but never in a comparison lens test. We were certainly delighted with the results we obtained during our recent visit to Africa. But how would it stack up against my professional Nikon 200-400 f4.0… Read More »

Google Presentation Tomorrow in Mountain View, California

Tomorrow’s a big day. I was invited to come visit Google headquarters to give a presentation I call Photography Mentorship & Fulfilling Your Creative Dreams. The program will be held on what I believe is called the Google Campus. How many Googlers will be there I have no idea but… Read More »

Ashton Kutcher Offers a Great Message

I’ve never been a big fan of Ashton Kutcher. Nothing serious really other than he was just a bit too much in That 70s Show or whatever it was called. Never did see a whole episode but I think that’s what it was actually called. His antics on Punk’d didn’t… Read More »

Hunt’s Photo Annual Sale – Support The Little Guy

My friend Gary Farber at Hunt’s Photo sent me a note asking for us to let our readers know about Hunt’s Annual Sale this weekend. Hunt’s is where I buy my Panasonic gear and Gary is a big supporter of NANPA. If you’re in Boston you might want to stop in.… Read More »

Video #5: Nikon Pure Photography, Savor Photography All Over Again

Last night Nikon released their fifth video in the Nikon Pure Photography series. I have to say I’m liking what I see. You can finally get a good look at the camera they’re slowly introducing and it’s definitely retro. It’s interesting how the designs of new cameras are shifting towards… Read More »

Video #4: Nikon Pure Photography, Savor Photography All Over Again

The fourth video of Nikon Pure Photography was released last evening. You can watch it below. We see a little bit more of the camera, a photo of what is emerging is below the video. I’m looking forward to seeing what the final product will be all about when they… Read More »

New Canon 100-400mm Zoom?

This is for you Canon fans who have been drooling over my new Nikon 80-400mm zoom lens. As I’ve mentioned to many of you, seems Canon has a new version of the 100-400mm in the works. They should, since their new 200-400mm is so incredibly expensive, $11,800.00 at B&H Photo, a… Read More »

Video #3: Nikon Pure Photography, No Clutter, No Distractions

So Nikon has released the third video of the Nikon Pure Photography ad series. It shows a bit more of the actual camera. Based on the lens the photographer is cleaning around the campfire, it’s not a small camera. I guess that hope is out the window. I love the… Read More »

Video #2: Nikon’s New Camera Ad Campaign – Pure Photography

Tonight Nikon released the second of their teaser ads for the new, unannounced camera. [youtube]http://youtu.be/gc1GYoLhT5o[/youtube]

Explorer’s Showcase Coming

As many of you know we recently launched a completely new website. Even so, we’re still making changes and adding new ideas. Our web team, Manifest Creative, is hard at work on a concept I presented to them a few months ago. The plan is to have the Explorer’s Home… Read More »

Apple’s Big Event Happening Today – Aperture 4 or Aperture X?

Ok, I’m going out on a limb here and predicting we’re going to finally at least hear about what Apple plans for what may be called Aperture 4 or Aperture X. It’s been a long, long time since a major upgrade to Aperture and based on upgrades of other Apple… Read More »

Indiegogo Multi Path Router KickStarter Project: Technology For a Better Planet

I’m a firm believer in technology and the power it has to make our world a better place. This little video I ran into highlights a new product that promises to harness the power of the Internet by bringing together our numerous Internet devices, making them like one for a… Read More »

Serious Changes Predicted in The Camera Industry

I’ve been talking about serious changes predicted in the camera industry for several years. Many of our Explorers have shared lengthy conversations on this subject. My first indication that things were chaining fast was the how quickly I saw a company like Panasonic get my attention by producing a really… Read More »

South Africa, Day 2

It’s late tonight as it is each night by the time we get cleaned up from the field and sit down for dinner. To keep this short I’m posting a short video of a family of lions we shot today. There were 9 cubs and 4 females. The interaction was… Read More »

Nikon & Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway Go Above and Beyond

Just a quick high five to some great folks. Nikon pulled out all the stops to get me one of the new (extremely hard to get) Nikkor 80-400mm zoom lenses for our NE Invitational Photo Tour to South Africa. As many of you know, this lens is amazing and I’ve… Read More »

Aperture Coming to the iPad?

One of my favorite Blogs for keeping track of all things Apple is called Patently Apple. They scour the world for all things related to patents applied for by Apple. Apparently in 2011 two inventors “secretly” (Patently Apple’s word not mine) filed a patent application in the U.S. that seems… Read More »

Explorer Pam Moriarty sees Montana’s Loch Ness Monster!

Who would of thought Montana would have its own Loch Ness monster? Explorer Pam Moriarty in May 2012 saw the Flathead Lake monster with her daughter, grandson and Missoula friends. It was an estimated 25′ in length with 5 “shark like” fins on its tail. The Discovery Channel interviewed Pam… Read More »

Working on website

Putting the finishing touches on the Corkboard blog right now!

Will Cell Phone Cameras Destroy The Big Camera Makers?

An interesting NBC news article was brought to my attention this evening. It’s all about how cell phone cameras are changing the photography market like nothing the camera makers have seen since the end of film. I saw a different news report a few days ago which was also mentioned… Read More »

David Versus Monsanto ~ Genetically Modified Food Fight!

Several years ago my wife Tanya and I were living in a fairly remote location and had virtually no TV. We loved it and even now we watch very little. The one channel we did have that we fell in love with was The Documentary Channel. The most memorable TV… Read More »

Getty Continues To Destroy The Ability To Make A Living Selling Photos

Read this article about how a recent deal between Getty and Google continues to drive photographer’s ability to make a living into the ground. Doesn’t’ surprise me. The business model of giving something away for FREE, or virtually so, is a proven money-maker for eventual profits on additional related services.… Read More »

Instagram/Facebook Apologizes. Backs Off New Policy to Hijack Your Photos

Seems Facebook’s social media reach worked against them this time. You can read the apology from Instagram here. Yesterday, I was made aware of Instagram/Facebook’s (Facebook owns Instagram) new Terms and Conditions that stipulated posting any photos to the Instagram site gave Instagram all rights, commercial and otherwise, to those images forever.… Read More »

Natural Exposures & Polar Bears International Combine Offices

Polar Bears International is moving their US headquarters to Bozeman, Montana. Natural Exposures has been helping PBI out for about five years and several good people from the Bozeman conservation community are now employed by PBI. With Natural Exposures’ close affiliation and Bozeman’s healthy conservation community, it seemed only natural… Read More »

Building Buggy One

Come see what it took to put it all together. Customizing a Tundra Buggy into a sophisticated mobile video production studio was no easy task. A week before our contract with National Geographic we had to replace virtually the entire wireless radio system that the whole project depended on. 110mph winds… Read More »