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Greetings,
This newsletter is a bit late, but it’s packed.
In October I was in Canada's Northwest Territories, Oregon (Silver Falls and Newport), the Palouse and the hospital. No worries, just a wee bit of planned surgery.
During my physical earlier this year, my PSA levels had shot up. Turned out it was prostate cancer. But they caught it early and it was low level, so having the prostate taken out took care of it.
So here’s my PSA (Public Service Announcement): Guys, have your PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) checked every year.
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Out of Chicago event
Last month I was one of the instructors at Out of Chicago’s Out of Oregon event. This is a large event with multiple instructors and about 100 participants. During the conference participants had the opportunity to learn from some of the best outdoor photo instructors in the business.
I’m not usually one for crowds or large events, but I really enjoyed the format and the chance to meet so many great people, including those instructors I’d only heard about or have seen on their YouTube channels. People like Sean Bagshaw, Nick Page, Levi Sim, Erin Babnik, and more. Everyone was fantastic.
There were lots of outings and lectures; something for everyone. And, even though I’ve been to Newport more times than I can remember, I was introduced to several locations I’d never been to before.
On top of all that, the conference was really well run. All in all, a great time. If you have a chance to attend an Out of Chicago event, I think you’ll have a great time, learn a lot, and meet some wonderful people.
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Colorado Tripod Company
 While at the Out of Oregon photo conference I met and got to talk quite a bit with Matt Theobald from Breakthrough Photography. You may have heard about their filters. During the event they passed out filter kits to all the instructors so we could use, share, and demonstrate their filters. I’ve gotta say, their magnetic ND filters are the way to go if you like to us ND filters for long exposure photography. Sadly, I had to return the demo kit…
Anyway, at the Breakthrough Photography table they had some tripods made by Colorado Tripod Company, a sort of sister company. These carbon fiber tripods seem really well made and they operate very smoothly. Currently they make two models. The Series 2, is 50 inches tall. The other one, still in the production phase, is the Series 4, which is 70 inches tall.
Ever since I started photographing auroras, I’ve been wanting a taller tripod. And while my current Gitzo is fine for about 90% of what I do, it’s just not tall enough for me to easily see through the viewfinder, or even see the LCD display, when I’ve got the camera pointed up to the sky. I end up contorting myself into uncomfortable yoga-like torture poses just to look through the viewfinder.
So I was in the market for a taller tripod and figured it couldn’t hurt to just ask how much those Colorado Tripod Series 4 tripods were going to cost. Based on what other quality tripods cost, I figured it would be at least $1000, probably higher.
No. The Colorado Tripod Company Series 4 is only $499. And the 50-inch Series 2 they had on display is only $299.
Well, I’ve pre-ordered the Series 4 and according to Matt, they should become available by mid-December. I’ll post a review on it after I’ve had a chance to use it a bit.
Colorado Tripod Company also makes ball heads. I’ve not had a chance to use one, but by just handling them, they seemed well made and solid. And at the price they’re asking, it’s hard to pass up.
If you’re in the market for a professional level tripod and ball head but you don’t want to break the bank, take a close look at what Colorado Tripod has to offer.
(I have no affiliation with Colorado Tripod Company or Breakthrough Photography)
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Sitka openings
Due to some shuffling about, I’ve got two openings in my first Sitka Whales and more photo tour, August 3-8, 2020. The second tour (August 8-13) is now sold out.
Take a look here for more information about this tour.
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Death Valley
Want to go someplace slightly warmer and very photogenic this winter? How about Death Valley in late February? Cliff Zenor and I still have room in our Feb. 24-28 photo workshop. Check it out here.
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Olympic and aurora openings
John Barclay and I have two openings in our July 2020 Olympic workshop.
July is the time for wildflowers in the high country and lavender in the low country. Plus, you know, waterfalls, rain forests, ocean beaches. The workshop is also scheduled, coincidentally enough, during the new moon. That means the Milky Way will look its best. Weather permitting, we’re planning a Milky Way shoot from at least one of the beaches!
Visit my Olympic page for details.
John and I also now have two openings in our second Aurora tour in Yellowknife, Sept. 17-24, 2020.
More about that here.
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Photo tip: learn to use a compass
I do a lot of site scouting during mid-day when the light’s not that great. And during these scouting trips I always have a good compass with me. This way I can determine where the sun will be at sunrise and sunset. And knowing just where the sun or moon will rise or set can helps in determining if a location will be worth revisiting at those times.
Sure, you can use some apps in their Virtual Reality mode, but this often requires an internet connection.
Or you can use the compass on your phone. But is it calibrated? Frankly, I don’t trust electronic compasses to give me accurate results. Real compasses don’t need calibration, just make sure you’re far enough away from your car or other metal objects that could affect the magnetic field.
This is why I recommend getting a decent compass with a sighting mirror and learning how to use it.
Read the rest on my blog....
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Enough for now
 That’s all for now. I’ll be sure to let you know when I post a review of my new tripod once I’ve gotten it and had a chance to use it.
I should also have details soon on a Zion photo tour I’m planning with Cliff Zenor for next October.
There’s also a chance I might resurrect the Willamette Valley Wineries tour for next October as well. Let me know if you’d be interested in either of those trips.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
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