I want to expand a statement I made on the “about” page for just a moment. This site is not a professional photo or travel site. I do not allow the perfect be the enemy of the good in most things in life, especially not when it comes to making a nature walk enjoyable and relaxing. Do I curse under my breath when an animal bolts just as I get the focus and exposure right? Of course- almost anyone would be lying if they denied this. However, I would rather capture a quick, decent image that allows me to make a positive ID than to obsess over the light, composure, and focus sharpness.
So, some of the images on this site or my Instagram feed are a bit rough around the edges (so to speak) and I’m down with that. I hope you can embrace the same sort of approach to engaging with nature.
The image at the top of this page is the actual camera that I have been using for several years. It has been used at 100 degrees above and 20 below; in rain and brilliant sunshine; at sea level and 11,000 feet above. It has been dropped and rained on. It lives by my side whenever I take a walk- you just never know when you will need a camera that can reach a lot farther than your phone.
It’s a Nikon A900 that I have outfitted with a UV filter lens cover made by Hoya. The cover is an ingenious design and it really helps- especially now that the built-in lens cover no longer closes all the way. You can see in the photo above that the plastic lens ring is coming loose and the metal housing for the retractable lens is dented. Nice touch- using metal for the body. To re-purpose a quote from Star Wars (with apologies to Mark Hamill and George Lucas) when a friend pointed out how beat up my camera is and asked if I planned to get a new one- “Not on your life. That little camera and I have been through a lot together.” To date- 50,000 images and counting.
The other camera that I use the one that is native to my iPhone 11. Most of my landscape shots are shot with the iPhone. I will often do a little bit of image manipulation in the Apple Photos app, but I don’t use PhotoShop to really dig in and change things.
The adapter in the image above may be the greatest little item I have ever purchased. It’s a Lightening to SD card reader. No moving parts, no power cord needed. Plug it into the phone and transfer the images in a heartbeat. The camera claims to be able to transfer the images in real-time using Bluetooth, but the bridge that Nikon uses in wonky, buggy, and drains the battery. I’ll keep my little Apple SD reader, thank you very much.
“The best thing that one can do when it is raining is to let it rain.”
Henry wadsworth longfellow
Nature, every day. 