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The ultra-wide lens is a pivotal tool of nature and landscape photographers. Over the past few years I’ve rounded out my personal favorites that I own to include the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens (discontinued),  EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, and the new EF 11-24mm f/4L USM. Note I’ve excluded the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye which I do not own and the Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm f/2.8 ZE Lens that I do own and

I never thought I’d say it, but it’s been fun dabbling with film again. While I still haven’t resorted to 35mm film in my old SLR I have been enjoying my time with an ONDU pinhole camera. I bought this camera via a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. Turns out ONDU is running a Kickstarter campaign for their 2nd generation pinhole cameras. If this type of photography interests you I highly recommend their

Sometimes a short break in the clouds is all you need… along with a lot of patience, a nap in your car, and a notion something might develop out of nothing. All that being said the Sun and the clouds do the hard part in these situations.  While waiting for conditions to unfold the hardest part is fighting the nagging doubt that you made the wrong call on where to shoot.  This self-doubt is particularly potent w

2014 was a very different year for me in that I spent my time in the field focusing nearly 100% on enjoying nature without obsessing on taking photos. My motivation was to give my oldest son (4 years old) the best introduction to the natural world possible.  Everything this year was the same as years past in regard to my pre-planning for ideal photography conditions I just happened to intentionally leave my pro gear

My friend Kelly Castro recently challenged me to the 5 Day B&W Photo Challenge on Facebook so I thought I would share my entries. The challenge is merely for fun and an exercise to think creatively. Having been in Dad mode the past several months I thought this would be a good way to get back in the game. The photo above was taken in the Point Reyes National Seashore where I was tuning up and trying out some new

It’s been 10 years since I last took photographs with film. My backing a pinhole camera Kickstarter project, the Ondu camera, is what swayed me to take another stab at shooting film. The camera I chose from the project is a 6×12 medium format pinhole camera. It has an aperture equivalent to f/133 and a focal length of roughly 40mm (in 35mm camera terms).  I’ve never used a pinhole camera so it’

Sometime ago I mentioned my favorite view on the island of Maui is the 30 mile shadow of Haleakala at sunset. This past year when I visited I was treated to an interesting display of anti-crepuscular rays converging on the horizon. This happened just before sunset and the perspective effect of the rays converging on the horizon was quite a mind bender. Remember this was seen with the sun to my back as the beams of li

As someone who take pictures with a very critical eye, it’s easy to put not only by own work but the work of others under a very critical magnifying glass. As the ups and downs of life pass by like the ebb and flow of the tide it’s refreshing to take a step back and just enjoy a pretty picture for what it is. Doing so is a sure fire way to lift one’s spirits, regain more level headed thinking and re