I’m in Haines, Alaska right now (August, 2011) to photograph grizzly bears feeding on salmon in the Chilkoot River, just outside town. In the three days I’ve been here, I’ve talked to a number of town folk, as well as with Richard Hartmier, a Yukon-based photographer who has been visiting Haines for many years now. My comments are based on those conversations as well as my own impressions and experiences.
An Overview
Haines is located on the coast, just a ferry ride from Skagway. Both towns cater to cruise ship tourists, but …

I get asked this question frequently at workshops and from you readers online. People wonder what software I regularly use and what websites I regularly visit. So, here goes.
Please, No PhotoShop!
I came into digital photography kicking and screaming in my fifties. I started by trying to climb the learning curve with Photoshop on my PC. Now for those of you who use Photoshop regularly and expertly, my hats are off to you. But after a few months of diligently studying and experimenting, I found I was taking way too much …

For the final blog in this travel series on Albuquerque, I’ll look at some restaurants that I recently sampled, along with two hotels I experienced. A third motel I stayed in, about 45 minutes outside of ABQ, I will not mention here, even though they left me a wonderful surprise in my bed… a bedbug! Needless to say I darted out of there as quickly as I could. I did post a (negative) review of the hotel on Trip Advisor.
RESTAURANTS
ABQ is a great city, blessed with a wide variety of …

MUSEUMS & CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS
In Part 1 I discussed events and things to do outdoors while in ABQ. Today it is museums and cultural attractions. In the final installment Ill cover restaurants (God, there are some great ones in ABQ!) and hotels.
One statistic has it that Albuquerque has more museums per capita than any other city its size. You could spend two weeks just touring its wonderful cultural treasures. Here’s a sampling from my recent trip:
Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum: What a terrific little museum! Whether or not you’re into ballooning, …

Mention Albuquerque, New Mexico and what immediately comes to mind is their famous International Balloon Fiesta, held every October. Drawing thousands of balloonists and tens of thousands of tourists from around the world, the festival is a New Mexico icon. It’s a fun, colorful, high-energy, week-long celebration pairing ballooning with myriad venues and activities generated by local entrepreneurs.
But, I’m here to tell you that there is more to Albuquerque than ballooning. Far more. I’ve been to Albuquerque before, but I recently spent 8 days there, intensely exploring its hotels and …

If you are a reader of this blog, you probably already know that one of my goals is to learn large format (LF) photography this year. By ‘learn’ I don’t mean to become expert in its use. I’d be a fool to say that, given that some incredible photographers have spent a lifetime mastering this art form.
What I’m trying to do is determine whether a view camera has a role in producing the kind of prints that my clients are increasingly demanding; really huge prints that are crisp and clear …

Life is a rich stew of pain, pleasures, new discoveries and chance meetings. I’m waxing philosophical here because of my Internet friendship with James Winters, a professional musician and amateur photographer, who comments frequently here on my blog site. I’ve written about James’ heart-felt photography before (http://blog.lesterpickerphoto.com/2011/03/31/an-eye-for-photography/).
In a recent post on the Nikonians website, Jim credited me and another photographer with inspiring him to think more seriously about his gift. Sure enough, a day later this other photographer sent me a blog comment and so, curiously, I visited his website …

It’s the age-old debate among photographers: gloves vs. mittens. Which are best for the serious photographer, amateur or pro?
For most photographers, the choice is a matter of preference, since the overwhelming majority of enthusiasts shoot in warm or mildly cold temperatures. In those cases you can get away with a light glove, like the excellent wool gloves made by Lowepro that sport rubberized palms and fingers that give the photographer a good grip. I own a pair that I use through the Fall shooting season.

Many photographers I know prefer mittens, …

Folks, I’ve been saying it for years and now it’s official:
AIR CANADA VOTED TOP HONOURS BY READERS OF BUSINESS TRAVELER MAGAZINE

Best Flight Attendants in North America
Best In-Flight Services in North America
Best North American Airline for Business Class Service
Best North American Airline for International Travel
Best Airline Web Site

I’m not professing to know about business travel, since I fly cattle-car within North American destinations. But I have been saying in my blogs that even in Economy, it’s hard to beat Air Canada.

Air Canada seat-back unit (file photo)

One of my favorite features …

I just completed my 10th cruise, this time aboard Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, a beautifully designed, if slightly older vessel. I teach photography aboard these floating hotels and have sailed aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess, too.
My Cruise Experience
Ten trips does not make me a cruise expert, especially since I regularly meet people with 30, 50 and more cruises under their belts (and we’ll get to what else is under those belts in a moment). But I do figure that my cruise experiences, coupled with the fact that …