Tag

Nikon

February 26, 2014

Just plain ethereal

This is what happens when I start working on something before I have a clear idea in my head (which I generally don’t like doing). I’ve never been one to “freestyle,” so to speak. Sure, it’s liberating to grab a piece of marble and just start hacking away at it (this metaphor is not meant to belittle the work of master or even amateur sculptors so much as to convey my absolute lack of knowledge related to the craft), but it’s a practice I’ve never felt completely comfortable with.

This one started off as a simple levitation experiment before taking a rather oddly spiritual turn.

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December 4, 2013

To have and to behold

For our first year anniversary, my wife took me out for a picnic and to take photos at the Spirit Ranch here in Lubbock. Though it’s located mere minutes outside of town, the entire area is lined with enormous trees and really feels much more secluded and serene than you would think possible.Read More

July 3, 2013

Tribute to Richard Matheson

I became aware of Richard Matheson’s work as a child, mainly through my dad’s love of The Incredible Shrinking Man and the Twilight Zone. It wasn’t until much later, probably high school, that I actually read any of his books. I started off easy with a few of his more popular works (specifically the ones I that already had big screen adaptations) What Dreams May Come, A Stir of EchoesSomewhere in Time/Bid Time Return, and I Am Legend (which, despite trying and failing three times, Hollywood just can’t get right).Read More

June 3, 2013

Queen Mary panoramic gets Explored on Flickr

The Queen Mary panoramic gets Explored on Flickr!!! Woohoo! (if you have no idea what that means, read on…)

I learned a lot yesterday. If you think that the Explore page is just a completely random assortment of photos posted throughout the day on Flickr, you are just as uninformed as yesterday me.Read More

April 17, 2013

Lightroom tethering for the D600! (finally… and sorta)

Okay, so there’s still no native tethering in Lightroom for the Nikon D600 as of version 4.4, but I’m frankly sick of waiting. I’m guessing they either forgot or just don’t care (with a beta release of LR5 just hitting the interweb, it’s easy to understand the lack of focus).

After doing some angry googling, I stumbled across this thread in the Adobe Community forums and found a great suggestion by Butch_M (who also suggests we will never see native tethering in LR4 since it’s allegedly a standard feature in LR5). Thanks mate!Read More

April 6, 2013

Focus stacking tutorial

I recently picked up a true 1:1 macro lens, the Lester A. Dine 105mm 2.8, and have been experimenting with it endlessly. One thing I discovered about macro photography is that the depth of field is exceptionally shallow, even at the largest (smallest) aperture. This is exacerbated if you’re using extension tubes to get larger than 1:1 reproduction.Read More

April 2, 2013

This is the world that I know

This is how I view the world. Not to say that every sunset is an explosion of red and gold, but that there is beauty all around us that we take for granted way too often. We find ourselves mired in the petty minutiae of our daily lives. Deadlines, office politics, relationship woes, familial disputes. All of it gnaws away at our personal sense of innocence and wonder and leaves behind something lessened and jaded. Or at least that’s the way I feel from time to time.Read More

March 30, 2013

Good morning Columbus

Yeah, I guess that’s technically where I was. Last weekend was camping with the boys out near Fayettville and Columbus, TX. A friend of a friend of a brother’s fiance’s uncle’s brother’s family owns some land out there, so we packed up (or other people did) and we headed out for a raucous weekend full of shooting, grilling, bonding, and (unfortunately) getting Loko’d.Read More

March 8, 2013

Behind the scenes – Mirror in the bathroom

I was very surprised at the amount of attention and praise my last work, the mirror in the bathroom, received. For something so strange and experimental, I was flabbergasted by how many people seemed to like it.

That being said, a few people were wanting to know how I put it all together. While I’m wishing that I had taken more photos of the setup itself, this will have to do!Read More

March 7, 2013

The mirror in the bathroom

Welcome to my nightmare. The mirror in the bathroom. But is it only that?

You might find yourself asking, do your nightmares always involve you wearing your wife’s pajamas? Typically no. But I have had recurring nightmares about strange clones and odd happenings since I was a child (which, I’m glad to say, happen with much less frequency now that I’m older). I would often dream that there were weird, invasion-of-the-bodysnatcher duplicates of my family following me around the house with lights for eyes (probably lifted from the “deadlights” description in Stephen King’s It). They were mainly chase dreams, never really reaching any kind of culmination (and thank god for that!), but they stuck with me.Read More

February 18, 2013

Self-portrait Monday

That’s right. Time to start a new trend. Self-portrait Monday or SPM for short. We’ll see how long this actually lasts (me being notorious for not sticking with

What was I saying? Right, so Reese’s Peanut Butter cups are hands-down the best candy ever.Read More

February 9, 2013

Nikon D600 Sensor Dust Spots

Well, I had hoped that I would be one of the lucky ones that didn’t end up with a D600 that has the “dreaded” sensor dust spot issue (I even waited a few months to see if Nikon would address it with another batch of cameras). Alas, I started to notice an accumulation of spots after around 1,200 exposures.

For those unfamiliar with the dust/dirt issue (and if you own a D600 I find it hard to believe you couldn’t be familiar with it), from everything I’ve read it has to do with a gap between the sensor and the shutter curtain that allows dust to gather on the sensor. Oddly enough though, I’ve also read that the issue dissipates after around 3,000 shutter clicks. Strange indeed, but good to know!Read More

January 28, 2013

Inside the fuselage of a WWII glider

Here’s a shot from inside the fuselage of the CG-4A glider, the star attraction of the Silent Wings Museum. While it looks large enough, it’s hard to believe that 15 armed soldiers were crammed into such a tight space (not to mention the pilots!). And this was pretty much all the room they had since the entire tail section of the plane was fabricated of structural supports. I added a photo of the inside of the tail below, as well.Read More

January 27, 2013

It is a small world after all

Macro photography has been an area of photography that I’ve always wanted to explore, but never really had the equipment (or patience) for. Luckily, things change. I happened upon a pretty decent little macro setup on eBay, and though it didn’t arrive in perfect condition (pretty much every element was damaged in some way), I’ve got it up and running. I’ll make time to write up a full review once I get everything in tip top shape (and have had time to figure out how to use it all).Read More

January 24, 2013

Flying on silent wings

Have you ever asked yourself, “What did the military use before they had helicopters?” Me neither. After some initial research, I discovered that helicopters haven’t always existed. (I know!) You’re probably now wondering how the pyramids were really built, but rest assured it wasn’t with the aid of helicopters.

All kidding aside, I’ve never really taken the time to wonder about it. So it came as quite a surprise to hear that the military actually used gliders back in WWII as stealth infiltrators, towing them behind regular planes (like the one below) and then cutting them loose behind enemy lines.Read More

January 19, 2013

One way out – Replacing my DX ultra-wide

It was a sad day when I parted with my Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, which had become one of my favorite lenses over the last few years. Purchased originally for a European trip, I figured I would have to have a wide angle to capture all the spectacular architecture I’d be seeing. After some research (taking into consideration the fact that I’m relatively cheap when it comes to glass), I opted for the ultra-wide angle Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Pro DX Digital Zoom Lens. It’s a become a bit cheaper now since Tokina released an updated version (to be honest, though, I can’t tell what they’ve changed with it to justify the $200 price increase).Read More

January 9, 2013

Twilight Over the Camel’s Back

I had a lot of fun shooting in and around the JW Marriott Camelback Inn while I was in Scottsdale awhile back. I got this shot after a pretty long day of shooting.

The sun had set while I was climbing down Mummy Mountain, so I headed back to the resort for some dinner. I ended up having the steak skewers and guacamole (along with a couple G&Ts) at the hotel bar at the suggestion of the bartender. And kudos to him, because all of it was top notch.Read More

January 1, 2013

Zeikos Battery Grip for Nikon D600 Review

My battery grip just arrived for the new Nikon D600 (my initial review of it can be found here) and I feel like I can breathe again! The added battery power and vertical grip are something I have grown quite accustomed to with the MB-D80 battery grip for the Nikon D90. For my D90s, I opted for the genuine Nikon grip, though there were quite a few available at highly discounted prices on eBay due to the age of that particular model. The same cannot be said just yet for the MB-D14, the Nikon grip for the D600. They are new and they are pricey.Read More