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This summer I took my 3 year old son to Big Sur for his first camping trip to show him the Milky Way. Remarkably he held on to this experience beyond expectation and he’s been talking about the Milky Way ever since. On top of that he’s really developed an interest in photography and cameras. I’m not sure how that happened, perhaps it is something in the water supply.  Fast forward to last week when

Last weekend I enjoyed one of my favorite locations and views atop the summit of Haleakalã on the island of Maui. This spot has one of the most fascinating views that is created when the sunsets, namely the amazingly long shadow of the 10,000+ peak of Haleakala that stretches across the Pacific Ocean. Every time I visit most people are facing the opposite direction to take in a glorious sunset, but I am always

Amazing how fast the year has passed, but now that we’re near the year-end it is again time to invite you to a tradition on the JMG-Galleries blog, the 7th annual best photos of the year blog project. This is by far my most popular blog project. Year over year this project has continued to increase in participation with last years participation hitting 300 participants (see Best Photos of 2012, Best Photos of 2

This year I’ve found myself using a variety of products and solutions aimed at photographers and photography fans that are worth passing on as great gift ideas. Here’s the short list. If you like what you see be sure to share it with your friends and family. Under $50 PhotoPills mobile app that lets you plan, in seconds, that powerful outdoor shot you have thoughtfully designed, for any location on earth…

This is a still from a motion control time-lapse sequence taken during the Fall of this year. While ancient Bristlecone Pine trees are old they look young compared to the stars up above. I was particularly fond of the juxtaposition of the two subjects and I’m eager to see how my lengthy time-lapse sequence comes out. If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare. &

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It’s late afternoon and I’m headed to a location that should have interesting subject material to photograph. Did I leave enough time to get there? Is the weather going to cooperate? Is the light going to be right? Will I even make it in time to set up before the light hits? More importantly and most unnerving in the back of my mind the biggest question hits, “Will I even be able to find something w

One of the big disadvantages of taking long exposures with DSLR cameras is the introduction of noise especially when higher ISO settings are used. Camera manufacturers have addressed this by using Dark-Frame Subtraction, but taking advantage of Dark-Frame Subtraction (DFS) isn’t always possible.  If you’re shooting a sequence of images either for a night time-lapse or startrail photo DFS will introduce un

  Digital SLRs offer a function called Dark-Frame Subtraction usually called “Long Exposure Noise Reduction” or “High ISO Noise Reduction” in your camera’s settings menu. Dark-Frame Subtraction exposes a camera’s digital sensor less any external light for a matching duration of a photo taken to detect digital noise and electroluminescence. When the Dark-Frame Subtraction feature is active hot pixels, amp glow an