Forget-Me-Nots, Thorne-Swift Nature Preserve, Michigan
There are several ways to do closeup photography. Closeup filters, extension tubes, and macro lenses are the most commonly used options. The best gear for you depends on your preferences, how you want to work, the subjects you are after, how much stuff you want to carry, and how much you want to spend. I cover your best options.
Posted Nov. 19, 2017. Updated and re-posted November 15, 2018. Updated Nov. 11, 2019.
Canon DSLR with two lenses for under $400.
Yes, you can get a quality, name brand DLSR with two lenses for under $400.
Looking for a small, mountable, “ideal for sports and action”, inexpensive, high definition video and still camera with a waterproof housing and image quality that Lucasfilm (the Star Wars people) calls “amazing”? This camera will go anywhere and mount just about anywhere. Prices for the HERO7s range from $199 to $399 (which is a lot less than your typical DSLR with HiDef video). You can get older models for less, including the ultra compact GoPro HERO Session for $149.
Lach, Kirtland Temple, Ohio. November 15, 2004.
I was at a special event at the Kirtland Temple in Kirtland Ohio. My friend Lach was in charge of the Kirtland Temple Historic site, and he was making a presentation. This is my favorite photo for this date.
Lens Calibration Tools
A lot of photographers have discovered their almost sharp lens was actually a very sharp lens once they tweaked the micro-adjustment settings. You will get sharper images if you adjust the settings for your specific camera and lens combinations. You do this using the micro-adjustment settings in the camera menu along with a lens calibration tool which you can buy or make yourself.
The Olympus Tough Waterproof Camera System
Water, sand, and grit can wreak havoc with ordinary cameras, so unless you have a waterproof case for your camera (more about that later), your best bet is to get is to get a rugged, waterproof camera for underwater and the beach. This is especially true if you are around salt water.
Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR
The holiday season is here and I am getting the usual questions about which digital cameras I recommend. The camera lists below will point you to the highest rated models. You can start with these lists and then narrow it down to a camera with the specific features you are looking for. I will help you in that regard with some information and advice on choosing a camera. The lists below will be updated throughout the holiday season as new reviews for highly rated cameras become available.
I’ve been recommending DPReview for years in my photography classes, workshops and online. It is one of the best camera review sites. One of the nice features is the ability to download full size JPEG test images of their “standard studio scene” for comparison purposes.
Is it a special deal, or is it a rip-off?
Is it a great deal? Or is it a rip-off? You are searching online for a good price and you come across a terrific deal. Are you about to get burned? There are ways you can tell.
The lab you choose and the kind of file you send to your lab can make a huge difference in the quality of prints you get back. How do you pick a good online photo lab? How do you get the best results from your lab? What color space should you use for your digital files and how do you convert your files to the right color space? How big a print can you make from your digital files?
Dr Yim plays Eric Satie’s “Vexations” a total of 840 times. Lamoni, Iowa. November 13, 2018.
My favorite photo for this date was created at a rather remarkable and rare event. Dr. Yim, who teaches at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, did a performance of legendary avant garde composer Eric Satie’s “Vexations”. He played it 840 times which took 27 hours and 22 minutes.
Elk at Sunrise. Horsehoe Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. November 10, 2009.
There is only one photo for November 10 in my “favorite photos” folder, so by default it is my favorite photo for this date.
There are over 3400 images in my “favorite photos” folder, and not one of them was taken on November 9.
Sunny, Columbus, Ohio. November 2, 2016.
It was a gorgeous fall morning in Columbus, Ohio, and Sunny and I went for a walk. This particular street is lined with beautiful maple trees so it is my favorite street in the neighborhood to walk down in the fall. This is my favorite image for November 2.
Our National Parks
Fall is winding down in many parts of the country. Maybe things are looking a bit drab where you live and you are longing for something more interesting. What are the best nature photography destinations in November?
Maple Tree, Columbus, Ohio. November 1, 2016.
I spotted this beautiful maple tree while out for a walk and grabbed an iPhone image. It is my favorite photo for November 1.
Favorite Photos, October. Click for a larger version.
Here are my favorite photos for the month of October. The story behind this “favorite photos by date” project is here.
Army vs Eastern Michigan University football, West Point, New York. October 31, 1992.
All of my favorite photos for October 31 were taken at an Army vs Eastern Michigan University football game.
Margarita, Columbus, Ohio. October 30, 2009.
All of the photos in my “favorite photos” folder for October 30 are portraits. It must be a portrait kind of day.
Bull Elk, Domino’s Pizza, Estes Park, Colorado. October 29, 2012.
As part of our favorite childhood places trip, my brother John and I made our way to Rocky Mountain National Park. The Park was in its “in between phase” between the splendid colors of fall and the beauty of winter. Once the aspen drop their leaves and the elk disappear back into the trees at the end of the fall rut, the park is not as visually splendid until snow blankets the park
Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Hermit Road, Westcliffe, Colorado. October 28, 2012.
If you read the October 27 post, you already know why the Colorado trip with my brother John was so important.
Jim and John on the Road to Gothic Colorado. October 27, 2012.
It is difficult to put into words what this photo means to me.
Jim and Jim. North Platte, Nebraska. October 26, 1972.
This is hands down my favorite image for October 26. I am holding our son Jim III a few days after he was born. We were visiting family and friends in North Platte, Nebraska. The camera was a simple Kodak Instamatic (you can see it in this article). It would be a few more years before I had a camera with actual controls.
El Capitan Reflection, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California. October 25, 2015.
With so many photos to choose from it was hard to pick a favorite photo for today’s date.
The “House of the Lord”, Kirtland, Ohio. October 24, 2004.
When I lived in Ohio I would be in kirtland in the fall almost ever year. The fall colors were especially vibrant the year I took this photo. This is my favorite image for October 24.
Jesup Path, Acadia National Park. October 22, 2017. Click for a larger version.
If you have been following along for the last few posts, you know what is coming: More photos from Acadia National Park. October 22, a year ago today, was my last morning in the park.
Evening, Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine. October 21, 2017
If you have been reading the last few posts, it will not surprise you to know that most of my favorite photos for this date were taken in Acadia National Park. It is one of our very best national parks for fall photography and it is still looking great this time of year.
Stars over Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park, Maine. October 20, 2018. Click for a larger version.
My “favorite photos” folder covers 30 plus years of photography, but all but two of my favorite photos for October 20 were taken the same day in Acadia National Park.
