Every so often I like to challenge my readers with a photo assignment; not a meaningless exercise  to fill blog space, but one based on a photographic experience that I recently had. That was the case with this next assignment. My hope is that you will find it as challenging as I did.
The back story is that I was in Iceland recently and found myself at the famous iceberg beach, an experience to which I had looked forward for years. Unfortunately, the photo gods had a good laugh that day …

I’ve been photographing for several decades now, and to this day I am mystified by the lengths some people will go to get a photo. Oh, I’m not talking about the well-trained pro who carefully weighs the risks and operates on the edge to bring home the goods (more on that later). No, I’m talking about regular people who take insane risks in the name of a photograph.
For one thing, I’m thinking about that moron at the Grand Canyon who leaped across a chasm- in flip-flops!- onto a tiny ledge- …

I’m all wet. I admit it. Part of my job sometimes involves getting into water up to my waist to capture a scene. But when I notice that someone with a camera is watching me, I shudder with angst that by following my example s/he might get into trouble… which prompts this blog.
Summertime invites water images, but taking an image while standing in water is fraught with difficulty and danger. I never, ever take such shots casually. I take prudent precautions and preparations. I always weigh the risks carefully before …

As the summer travel season heats up, there has recently been a lot of discussion on safety issues when traveling abroad. Some commentary focuses on personal (bodily) safety and other on property safety. I recently pointed my readers to an article (http://www.consumertraveler.com/columns/traveling-to-europe-this-summer-keep-your-camera-equipment-and-valuables-safe/) by one of my colleagues at Nikonians.org concerning keeping your equipment safe while traveling.

As it turns out, I was asked to do a companion piece on equipment travel safety from my own personal experiences as a travel photojournalist for the blog site of Darwin Wiggett. For those of you …

Having a daughter who lives in northern Vermont is a good thing, especially if you’re a photographer. When I visit, and she’s out shopping or working, I can take the time to grab my camera gear and just poke around, exploring Vermont’s back roads.
Speaking of Vermont’s roads, the Northern Kingdom (what locals call the far northern part of the state) must have one of the highest percentages of unpaved to paved roads in the country, forcing me to slow down and soak in the myriad small farms, forest lots and …

Pssst! Here’s one of the best-kept secrets in America. It’s called the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands – Senior Pass.

The Senior Pass is available to any citizen (or permanent resident) over age 62 and can only be obtained in person at any National Park, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service and many Department of Agriculture offices. I got mine while in New Mexico photographing at a BLM site. If you are a senior photographer, this has got to be the best deal …

As a travel writer and photographer, I’m often asked about tipping. Do you tip? How much in France? How much in Africa? For what services? Professionally, I divide tipping into two categories; photography and everything else.
Photography
Let’s start with photography. At my photo workshops I often instruct people not to tip to allow you to take a person’s photograph. I’m not saying this like I have the moral high ground. I know this is a difficult issue and why short-change a few shekels to someone who is making $25 a month, …

I was shooting my most recent photo installation with my associate, Bob Boyer, when he suggested I write a blog on a common and frustrating issue for photographers. We had just viewed some outtakes of the photo session and noticed that many of the images included materials along the edges that we had not wanted to be in the frame.
The issue here is that many viewfinders, that is the scene you see when you look through the eyepiece or the back of your digital screen, does not actually represent what …

It’s now official. After months of planning, I will be offering a photography workshop for the Nikonians Academy in the Yukon, a place I love dearly. The course will run from August 27th to September 4th, the absolutely most spectacular time of the year to be in Canada’s famed Yukon Territory.
http://www.nikoniansacademy.com/all/viewWorkshop.html?course_id=838
Late August is the drop-dead gorgeous Fall season in Yukon. We will begin our journey in Whitehorse, where the Yukon’s only international airport is located. After an orientation session we drive by commercial vans to Dawson City, site of the …

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, …