Things are still a bit messy on the blog as it is imported from my old website. If you’ve ever done this, you know that these transitions never go as smoothly as they claim. A few links may still be broken. Thanks for your patience.

2021-05-10 2021-05-10

Lumix 100-300mm Lens Review

I’m new to birding so I started off with the 100-300mm Lumix lens. Here’s my review.

2014-08-28 2014-08-28

Lens Hoods: Tube vs. Tulip

I got this question from a blog reader: I noticed that you use the ‘Tulip’ style lens hood. I have always gone under the assumption that a ‘Solid’ style hood provides more protection from the sun. Am I wrong in my assumption?

2014-02-18 2014-02-18

The big mistake that all beginners make

Beginner photographers think that a new camera, or a better camera, will solve all their photography problems. But that is not usually true!

2013-12-20 2013-12-20

Bokeh: How to get shallow depth of field, no matter what kind of camera you have

You can create bokeh with practically any camera if you know the basic optics of how to control depth of field.

2010-09-22 2010-09-22

What is fast glass?

This post will explain what lens speed is all about. Lenses all have a maximum aperture. The maximum aperture is the widest opening the lens can have. The wider the lens opening the more light it will let in to the camera sensor. Here is a graphic representing apertures:

2010-08-31 2010-08-31

Sometimes you need to change your perspective

The focal length of the lens you choose can totally change your perspective. This post shows a visual representation of what I mean. I've tried to keep Shawn the same size in each of the photos. Same f-stop on each photo (f-8.0) and no cropping or any fancy stuff on any of the photos.

2010-03-20 2010-03-20

Should I use a flash or get a fast lens?

At some point after you've purchased that entry level sub $1000 dSLR kit with a couple of consumer grade zoom lenses, you're going to want a faster, sharper lens. By faster I mean one with a larger f-stop than the typical f3.5 you're getting at the wide angle setting of the lens in the kits. Remember, a faster lens lets in more light, so you can you can use a faster shutter speed. That's where the term comes from.