For those of you who are veteran travelers, you know the perils of finding a decent place to lodge. There are the plastic hotels, the nightmare B&Bs, the $25 Internet surcharges, even bedbugs! So, when I travel and find a clean, quiet, fair-priced place to lodge, I consider it a gift.
The Borgarnes Bed and Breakfast in Borgarnes, Iceland is one such gift. It is nothing short of a jewel in a treasure chest of eye candy that is Iceland (at least for us photography types). Arriving exhausted after a full …

My recent addition of a Hasselblad H4D-50 camera system to my trusty Nikon system may have been a good move photographically (see my Hassy review:  http://blog.lesterpickerphoto.com/2011/11/29/review-of-the-hasselblad-h4d-50/), but as far as my back goes, not so much.
I realized that trying to cart around a full Hassy system, or a few Hassy components in addition to my Nikon equipment, would be a chiropractic nightmare using my existing backpacks, none of which has the profusion of modern high tech design elements. Plus, neither my ThinkTank Rotation 360, nor any of my other LowePro …

I’ve been a bit spotty blogging lately, but lots has been happening on my side of the screen. Perhaps even too much. Managing a photography business isn’t easy in today’s world, especially with the high degree of travel that landscape/nature/travel photography entails. While I’m away things tend to pile up.
I guess the biggest thing to report is that due to the addition of a Hasselblad system, in addition to my Nikon system, I have had to make major changes to my workflow. The biggest news is that I am in …

Perhaps you’ve noticed in the past several days that we have changed the look of my blog a bit. For one thing the color scheme is slightly different. But the larger change is in our logo, which is now Les Picker Fine Art Photography (a big thanks to my able assistant, Bob Boyer, who designed the new logo).

The reason for the change is far more than marketing, and its implications run deep for me (and, as you will see, will be costly, too). My clients, from individuals to hospitals 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 …

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, …

As a veteran photographer who has witnessed the digital revolution that effectively beheaded film photography, I can say that I’ve seen a lot in my day. And now that digital is here, the evolution has accelerated so that one can hardly keep pace with the innovations. Cameras that cost $5,000 when launched are replaced by cousins that are faster, more sensitive and have more features, at half the price.
Even my tiny iPod offers an HDR (High Dynamic Range) app. Admittedly, I have one of them- Pro HDR- on my device. …

Once in a while I’m blessed with a wonderful surprise as a travel photojournalist. I get to visit a place for which I had no expectations, but which brings forth hidden jewels. That was the case when I visited Lifou, one of the Loyalty Islands in the archipelago of New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: A New Future
New Caledonia is currently a French protectorate, but is slated for a vote on independence in 2014. Recognizing that its future economy will, in large part, depend on tourism, the island group is busily preparing. Even …

Well, we finally made it Down Under, but let’s just say it wasn’t exactly uneventful. We were up at 6:00 AM, needing to do umpteen things prior to our afternoon flight. Flying  from BWI to Toronto on Air Canada on a Havilland Dash propeller plane was uneventful, as was our brief layover.
Our cross-country flight to Vancouver was quite pleasant, mostly due to a terrific flight crew who were collectively attentive and engaging. Then we descended into Vancouver International, precisely at the same moment that a large bird decided to greet …

Ever watch a pro or advanced amateur photographer at work? Chances are you’ve noticed that almost all of them share a twitch of sorts. It goes something like this: camera hangs on a strap on their left shoulder… up goes their right hand… grab strap at shoulder… pull up as left shoulder simultaneously rises and left arm juts out a bit to help out… put right hand back down… repeat every 60 seconds.
What I’m referring to here is camera strap slippage (not related to George Castanza’s shrinkage problem, mind you). …