I have mentioned previously in this blog that I am mainly using two zooms on my D700: the new 16-35/4VR and an older 35-70/2.8 that I picked up used for a very reasonable price. I am very happy with these lenses, all things considered. But in the switch to full frame (from DX to FX) I am re-learning a lot of little things from my 35mm film introduction to photography years back. At the time of my decision to go full frame I had become quite a wide angle fan. I still like ultra wide angle shooting, but here’s the deal: I don’t like switching lenses frequently.

Read the rest of this entry »

Due to a small and somewhat stagnant (in terms of new members) Flickr group, I am changing the “picture of the week” feature here on this blog to “picture of the moment”. There’s just not enough images submitted to the pool each week, that satisfy the criteria of having joined the group/ allowing blogging of their images/ and including a person or people in the frame, to choose from. I’m not whining either- I know I could work some kind of a membership drive/spamming campaign to attract new members, if I was more driven. But picture of the moment is actually perfect, as it’s less rigid and more free-flowing like me (in my newly adapted Taoist inspirations). I can post whenever an image in the pool catches my eye and when I have time to blog it.

Sometimes the answer’s right in front of your eyes….

I’ve posted a lot of photos of my kids to Flickr, and at times I feel somewhat apologetic, embarassed even, that I don’t have a broader reach for new and interesting material to photograph. I guess I thought that in the eyes of the serious photography community, one can’t rise above an ordinary snap-shooter status, and start to achieve some level of artistry, if all they’re shooting is their own family. That makes it more like Uncle Jim’s boring old family vacation slideshows, doesn’t it?

Read the rest of this entry »

Leaving High River

The coolest thing that I see in other photographers is when they have a style that is somewhat unique, consistent, and recognizeable. It’s not that I feel we all need to be neatly categorized and defined by some constraining boundaries. Photographers like myself shoot indiscriminately- anything and everything. But I am still almost envious when I find a photography enthusiast (mainly applies to non-professionals as pros are obviously more likely to have a specialty) that has found their thing. And I don’t see that as limiting at all, in fact I think it’s commendable.

Read the rest of this entry »