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Why You Shouldn’t Carry Too Much Gear

April 3, 2012 by Steve Berardi 16 Comments

Photo by Martin Taylor
Photo by Martin Taylor
A few weeks ago I had a horrible accident: I cracked the LCD screen cover on the back of my Canon 5D Mk II.

I was carrying two cameras at the time, and wanted to change lenses on my other camera, so I put the 5D on my tripod, and began switching lenses on my other camera. Then, about ten seconds later, my tripod fell backwards (with the 5D still on it), and there just happened to be a big rock where the 5D landed 😉

I sat there staring at my 5D on the ground for about five minutes, terrified of the damage I’d see when I picked up the camera. [Read more…] about Why You Shouldn’t Carry Too Much Gear

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: 5d, accident, camera, carry, cover, creativity, equipment, force, gear, hiking, lcd, limit, Macro, repair, screen, tripod

The Perfect Backpack For a Hiking Photographer

January 16, 2012 by Steve Berardi 11 Comments

As nature photographers, we usually have to carry around a lot of gear with us. That gear can get pretty heavy, so it’s helpful to have a camera bag that fits all of your stuff AND is comfortable to wear. Well, a couple years ago I found what I consider the perfect backpack for a hiking photographer: the Lowepro Flipside 400AW.

Here’s a summary of what I like about the bag, and a few things I don’t like: [Read more…] about The Perfect Backpack For a Hiking Photographer

Filed Under: Gear Reviews Tagged With: 400aw, adorama, backpack, bag, bottle, camera, flipside, hike, hiker, hiking, lenses, lowepro, photo, photographer, tripod, water

The Perfect Tripod For a Hiking Photographer

February 10, 2011 by Steve Berardi 11 Comments

After the camera and lens, the tripod is the most important piece of camera gear you’ll own. In some of my favorite words from Scott Kelby, you should “become married to your tripod.”

Nothing will keep your camera more still than a tripod. If you want the sharpest photos possible, then you gotta use one whenever possible. Tripods have another benefit too though: they force you to slow down and think more about your composition.

But, carrying around a tripod can also be pretty annoying. They’re big, they’re heavy, and it usually takes a while to get it in the exact position you need it. So, it’s helpful to get a tripod that’s easy to setup and carry around. [Read more…] about The Perfect Tripod For a Hiking Photographer

Filed Under: Gear Reviews, Landscapes Tagged With: 1541t, bh-30, bh-40, bogen, center post, gitzo, hiking, landscape, lightweight, manfrotto, really right stuff, rrs, scott kelby, sharp photos, travel, tripod

9 tips for photographing wildflowers with a point and shoot camera

April 5, 2010 by Steve Berardi 5 Comments

Photo by Steve Berardi (shot with a Canon G10 point and shoot camera)
Although wildflowers are best photographed with an SLR camera, it’s still possible to take some pretty good shots with a plain old point and shoot camera. And, sometimes this may be the only camera you have with you at the time, either because you’re backpacking far into the wilderness and want to travel light, or maybe you haven’t made the jump to an SLR just yet.

The biggest problem you’ll run into with the point and shoot camera is the large depth of field you get from the super small sensor. This limits some of your options, but there’s a few ways to get around it, and as always, light also plays a huge role in the success of a photo.

So, here are a few tips for photographing wildflowers when you’re limited to a point and shoot camera: [Read more…] about 9 tips for photographing wildflowers with a point and shoot camera

Filed Under: Macro, Tips, Wildflowers Tagged With: backpacking, camera, close up, depth of field, gear, hiking, Macro, p&s, point, shoot, spring, Tips, wild, wildflowers

Ever wonder about taking photos from a kayak? Learn a few tips in our latest podcast!

July 23, 2009 by Steve Berardi 6 Comments

Photo by Tom Jones
Photo by Tom Jones
Our newest podcast is now available via iTunes or direct download. In this episode, our host Matthew Fletcher discusses:

  • Taking photos from a kayak
  • What’s new at photonaturalist.net
  • Pros and cons of digiscoping
  • Light-weight solutions for long hiking trips
  • Nikon D5000 Service Advisory
  • Release of Filter Forge Freepack 2
  • Software for stitching photos

Download the podcast now!

If you’d like to subscribe through iTunes, click here

Thanks to all those who sent in questions, and although we don’t answer them all in this episode, we may get a chance to answer them in a future episode (or write an article about it). So, stay tuned, and keep sending us your questions! [Read more…] about Ever wonder about taking photos from a kayak? Learn a few tips in our latest podcast!

Filed Under: Tips, Wildlife Tagged With: bird photography, boat photography, digiscoping, episode, hiking, kayak, kayaking, light weight solutions, nature photography, photographing birds with a scope, podcast, taking photos from a kayak

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