Remember how I performance tested my fancy new MacBook Pro in February and it was slower at AI-based noise reduction in DXO PureRAW than my previous-generation fewer-cored M1 MacBook Air? Remember how I discovered that it wasn't actually engaging the Neural Engine of my Ferrari of a computer and I reported it as a bug …
The Tall Ships
The tall ships came to Portsmouth a couple of weeks ago. There were five in all – two of which moored at Pierce Island for tours. They were a replica of Magellan’s Trinidad and a restored 17th century schooner called Ernestina-Morrissey. I took two trips to photograph them on the same day: once for a …
A Doe, A Deer
We went on a cruise during the last week of April. The day before we left, I spotted a single deer wandering in the corner of our yard. I had recently cut some tree limbs that were ruined over the winter. I was too lazy to drag them away and she thought they made delicious …
Behind the Photo: Jack
Crop sensor cameras get a bad rap. Lenses with an f/4 minimum aperture get a bad rap. Neither provide the buttery-smoother blurred background and intense subject isolation that an f/1.2 lens on a full frame camera can. But that doesn't mean they can't produce nice images, even in combination. The image above was taken of …
Memories with My Father: Dinners & Drives
This is a story about my father, but it starts with my mother. She saw a therapist for as long as I can remember. When I was young, maybe five or six, it was mentioned in regular conversation here and there. Nothing about it in particular, just that she had seen her therapist, Wendy, recently, …
Continue reading "Memories with My Father: Dinners & Drives"
Astro Photos
While I’ve been really excited lately about getting a new camera, I realize that it’s not the gear that makes the photo, it’s the technique and the art. As such, I’ve continued trying to expand my skill set into other areas of photography I haven’t tried yet. In this case I decided to try astrophotography. …
Waiting, Waiting
I've never pre-ordered a camera or ordered one on launch day. My D750 was out for two years when I bought it, my Canon 50D was out for almost a year. The closest I've come was my Canon 7D, which had "only" been out for eight months at my time of purchase. The Z8 is …
Sugar Land Species
We just returned from visiting my family in Texas. While we were there, we were fortunate enough to encounter several different animals out in the wild. We went to Cullinan Park Conservancy, which is a huge area with walking trails and animals including birds, beavers, frogs, butterflies, snakes, ducks, and alligators. We visited during the …
Design Evolution: The Nikon D2
I enjoy the evolution of products. I love technical evolution - changes in speed, density, capabilities - and I love design evolution as well. I've chronicled it for my Macs, and my cameras are no different. I own two representations of Nikon's first and second generation professional DSLRs: the D1H and the D2Xs. I will …
Thoughts on the Z8
I ordered my Nikon Z8 last week and now there is little I can do but think about it until it ships. I ordered within the first 15 minutes of availability and feel like I have a good chance to be part of the first shipment on Thursday, but there's no way to verify that. …
Relatively Ambitious 