Apple just announced the update of their Digital Camera RAW software to the most current version 3.13. Go to your  Apple logo in the upper left corner of your Mac and select Software Update to get the newest version. This is big news in my mind since this is the second time Apple has been very quick to update their RAW compatibility software for cameras that are still relatively new. In the case of the Panasonic Lumix GF5 and the Nikon D800E, two new cameras that are part of the RAW update, the additional changes are ahead of the cameras even being available for purchase. Or at least that’s what I’m currently seeing on Amazon.

Screen shot of my current Aperture catalog

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A few days ago I highlighted my experience with Nikons new Coolpix AW100 “adventure camera”. I mentioned I wanted to reserve my final opinion based on the quality of prints you could make from it. On my way home from Peru, I sent my assistant Jill a JPEG to make an 11×17 print. Before I got home she sent me an  email stating that she thought the print was quite impressive, so I was anxious to see it for myself. This morning when I walked in the studio I found the 11×17 laying on my desk and ready for close inspection. She was right, it was impressive.

That's Jill behind the hill. She's a bit shy but can really make things happen when producing prepress files for publication.

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I’m not sure how many years ago it was that I read about liquid lenses for the first time; it might have been fifteen, probably twenty. The article was an syndicated story in my local hometown paper the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, most likely from the Associated Press, on how all the major players in the camera world were lining up to purchase licensing rights from NASA for what they were calling liquid lens technology. From what I recall the article mentioned all the big players including Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus and others. Some of you who have traveled with me know I’ve mentioned this story more than once over the years.

Giulio Sciorio, respected commercial shooter talks about his change to lighter, smaller cameras for his professional work. Click on this image to read his Blog

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Just before I left for the Galapagos I decided to pickup the relatively new Nikon Coolpix AW100 underwater point and shoot camera. I made the decision not to bring the huge amount of equipment normal large DSLR cameras create when shooting below the water’s surface. I wanted light, quick and easy. As Ive discussed in the past, my local Nikon dealer, F11 Photo, has a great selection of equipment and I was lucky to be able to drop down to Main street and collect a black version for my trip to Ecuador. If you just want to see the photographic results of this mini-review you can follow this link: Nikon AW 100 Underwater Camera Test Shoot in Galapagos and Machupicchu.

Stone Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri mystes) is a master of deception, disguising itself as a rock, clump of vegetation, or piece of coral. James Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

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Here in Montana grizzly bears are a big deal. Yellowstone National Park is just south of my home in Bozeman and the park is one of only two consistent places in the U.S. you can still see grizzly bears. Last fall the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service attempted to remove protection for grizzlies so the management of the bears would be returned to the local states of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Generally whenever the states try to retake control of a species, it’s usually due to their desire to add the animal to their hunting season roster. No different for the grizzly, it’s just a matter of time. If the bear’s threatened status continues to improve, the local states mentioned above begin allowing people to kill grizzlies again in the name of sport hunting.

Grizzly Bear (Ursus horribilis) female and her two cubs in Yellowstone National Park during the fall. Photograph taken from the safety of the road with a 600mm lens.

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DPReview is the first web page I go to for information on all things new in the photography world. These guys do an amazing job. They recently released their in-depth, hands-on review of the new Nikon D800. For anyone planning to purchase this camera, this will give you all the details and pros and cons of the new 36-megapixel monster from Nikon that has seen record initial sales numbers. You can see a short, hands-on mini review I wrote a few weeks back by clicking on this link.  If any of you already have this camera in hand I would love to know how it is performing for you by posting your comments here on the  blog. Add your voice!

Nikon's 36 Megapixel monster the new D800.

I recently visited one of my favorite web sites, Chase Jarvis Live, and was introduced to Adrian Grenier. He’s of the handsome young guys on Entourage which I think was or is playing on HBO. I’ve seen one or two 5 minute segments so I don’t really watch but do know the name and the basic premise of the program. Not really my cup of tea but it’s propelled Adrrain Grenier to Hollywood stardom. What’s interesting about this young man is his depth as an artist, musician, actor, philanthropist, conservationist and more. Chase does a wonderful job interviewing his guests and this episode is no different. I’m convinced Chase Jarvis won’t be behind the lens for much longer. He’s so good as a host.

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Another great program that originally aired on Sunday night. It’s about the electric car and how several different companies are moving ahead to make it happen. It includes Nissan, Tesla, and General Motors. So many interesting things seem to be happening on the environmental front. I’m hopeful maybe our work at PBI and all the other conservation groups is getting through. I have to say the phenomenal warm weather we experienced this winter and currently here in Montana certainly helps drive climate change home. This is not just a great show on where the future is headed for our nation’s transportation industry – it’s also a fabulous documentary showing the incredible power of great story telling.

Watch It’s Baaaaack! on PBS. See more from Independent Lens.

Aperture itself is an amazingly powerful workflow tool. But improving it’s capabilities is something you can do by adding third party plugins. What plugins do can vary. Some reduce noise, others allow you to combine images for HDR composites, there are lens correction tools and artistic filters, interpolation software as well as mapping and sharpening plugins. The list is growing fast and there is a great location for you to go to check out all the possibilities. Read the rest of this entry »

Ian Stirling and Andy Derocher, two polar bear biologists that have worked closely with Polar Bears International, were recently interviewed by the Canadian newspaper Edmonton Journal. In the article a Nunavut Inuit organization claims to have done studies refuting current polar bear numbers that were compiled by Stirling and Derocher as well as biologists outside the Nunavut community. The Nunavut organization is pushing for higher harvest numbers of polar bears in their province. The article states that “Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. said preliminary results from the Nunavut government survey contradict previous reports by Stirling, Derocher and other scientists who have been tracking polar bears in the region for the past 40 years. They say it also vindicates Inuit hunters who insist there are more bears than ever.”

Dr. Ian Stirling, world's leading authority of polar bear research.

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I recently returned home from India, walked down to my local camera shop and found one of Nikon’s D800s sitting on the shelf. It wasn’t there due to lack of interest, rather it had been set aside as a demo. So I asked Jen, “Hey Jen, any chance I could take that home after the shop closes and bring it in early tomorrow morning?” She agreed with a big smile and later that day I returned to pick up one of the most talked about cameras to come out of Japan in several years.

Nikon's megapixel monster, the new D800.

Before I discuss my initial impressions I want to say that when Nikon first announced the camera I was quite surprised. I wrote a post on the subject titled  What do You Think of Nikon’s Two New DSLR’s?  Click on the link and you will see my early pre-handling thoughts. I tried to keep most of my feelings to myself, hoping to get honest feedback from our readers, but to say the least, I was confused.

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My goodness how time flies. The first Natural Exposures website appeared clear back in 1996. Around 2006 we rebuilt our web presence to what you see today. Now we’re in the process of completely changing it all once again and I thought I would share this process with you.

Amazing tools have been developed since 1996 and actually most of those tools have come along since our last redesign in 2006. It’s now easier to work with more beautiful and interesting  layouts that give you a custom website that not only looks good but can also be changed and updated exceptionally quick and easy. The new Natural Exposures web experience is being built with the same system I use for this blog, WordPress. As many of you know, I mostly keep the blog up-to-date, down times usually occur when I’m in the boonies with no access to the Internet. Overall I try to keep things fresh and informational. This is only possible due to the extraordinarily easy interface that WordPress employs and I’m really excited about having these capabilities on our new website.

Philip Downer of Manifest Creative showing Dan and Kristie the newest ideas for the redesigned website for Natural Exposures, Inc. Bozeman, Montana

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A good friend of mine, Jeffrey Conger, who is a professor of design and program chair at Montana State University, also has a passion for motor sport photography. This past week he showed a collection of his documentary work in the bygone days of custom hot rod cars. Jeffrey has a long list of automotive editorial publications including American Rodder, Rod & Custom, Street Truck and Hot Rod Magazine. These photos are a little slice of the Hot Rod Kings exhibit which he recently hosted at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. Along with his love for photography, he regularly donates his time to mentoring the many young people who come through his door and folks from Hatch.

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I just finished watching a great program this evening on PBS called Earth: The Operator’s Manual. What an eye-opening documentary on how there is still hope for the world to reduce our carbon footprint. We always hear about how China and India are the two world economies we’ll have to compete with to survive as a world economic leader. The program highlighted how China actually does have a long-term energy policy that plans to reduce their annual energy consumption by 17%. The U.S. has nothing like it and the Chinese are moving ahead at breakneck speed. Take a look for yourself and get inspired.

Watch Energy Quest USA Preview on PBS. See more from EARTH: The Operator’s Manual.

Workflow, the process of managing and working with your digital photos, is one of the most daunting, yet important aspects of being a competent photographer in todays digital world. Even if you don’t sell your images, the ability to put a finger on a particular picture, at a moments notice, is extremely satisfying. Add to that the ability to make subtle to major changes, the power to produce a book, make a slide show with music, find all your images based on where you shot them, print your favorites, grab them easily for emails, post them to your social media sites, as well as dozens of other possibilities are all amazingly positive aspects of digital photography. Just last week I was asked if I missed film (I get that question at least several times a year), and my reply is always, “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t go back to film for just about anything”.  I  didn’t use the word “Never” since that old dog has come back to bite me more than once in my 52 years. But, until Kodak reinvents its original product to do all of the above, I can safely say, “No, I don’t miss film”.

Joseph Linaschke teaches a course on Aperture at the Apple Distinguhed Educators Summer Summit in Ottawa, Canada.

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Several years ago I wrote a post about new cameras that produce a combination of stills and video. I’ve been predicting for several years how eventualy stills and video will merge. The first camera to really make that a reality was the Red One Video Camera that captured 4K resolution video files and had a high enough quality that still images could be pulled FROM THE VIDEO and used in magazines, books, posters, etc. Red continued to build on their lead and a few months ago released an even better video/stills machine in the Red Scarlet.

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I opened to the Technology section of the Wall Street Journal this morning to find one of the world’s most respected papers reporting on the subject I’ve been discussing for several years now: A New focus for Camera Makers. It’s a good story on the changing tastes of photographers, especially female photographers. The article talks about the fact that women are the driving the force in Mirrorless camera models from Panasonic, Olympus and Nikon, and the number one country the revolution is happening in is Japan. It also talks about how cell phone cameras have disrupted sales of small compact point and shoots, and that the interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras offer an advantage that people are willing to pay for over the cell phones.  Additionally the article discusses that shipments of the traditional DSLR (Nikon & Canon) cameras is projected to grow by 18% this year, however, shipments of mirrorless cameras are projected to increase 60%!

Part of the ever-growing mirrorless group with our cameras in Kenya. It's not just women that want smaller and lighter cameras to take pictures with.

I’ve written before about my favorite airport around the world being the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. I’m writing this on my way back from India having been shooting there for the past eight weeks. Having a 9 hour layover in Amsterdam inspired my wife to look into a mini-hotel known as the Yotel here in the airport. I mention in the following video that I thought it was a Japanese company that came up with the Yotel concept, but I just looked Yotel up on the Internet and I was wrong. It’s actually a couple of guys from Britain who hatched  the idea and wanted to design something with a Japanese flair. They got that right. You can read more about the company and see more of their locations on the Yotel website. Long story short, I’ve done a mini movie showing the Yotel room and discussing the benefits. Next time you pass through the Amsterdam airport you might want to give your body a break and stay with the friendly folks at the Yotel. I know my 9 hour layover is going to be much more relaxing than what it would have been without the comfy little room. Oh, and did I mention they have great Internet connections that are included in your stay.

One of my favorite blogs, Chase Jarvis, had an interesting post on the realities of being a photographer. Chase is an amazing young man and I tell my wife on a regular basis that when I grow up I want to be like Chase. Guess it will have to be another life. He’s a great photographer, artist and Internet TV host. Take a look at this chart he posted about the real life of a photographer. In this case it’s a wedding photographer but it’s astounding how similar the world of all photography and wedding photography is.

Chase Jarvis shared the above graph that he found at a professional wedding photographer's website. Click on the image above to go to the original post.

On our recent Winter Photography tour to Yellowstone National Park I had a chance to capture some exciting images that just would not have been possible without the high ISO capabilities of the Nikon D700. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I typically shoot two D7000 bodies and I have one D700 for situations where the light is very poor. Below is a video I created from still images that I shot of two coyotes fighting over breeding rights and territorial dominancy. All the photos were shot at 2500 ISO except for the last image which was shot at 1600 ISO. This situation was exactly the type of opportunity I keep my D700 around for.

Why was the D700 so advantageous? First, these two aggressive creatures were moving very, very fast. I was shooting a 600mm lens due to the distance we needed to maintain. Fast motion and powerful telephotos require a faster shutter speed. The old rule of thumb is a shutter speed equal to or greater than the length of the lens you are shooting and that’s if you just want to steady minor lens shake from hand holding. These images were shot at 1/1600th of a second to make sure we stopped the action. Additional reasons for needing the ability to go to a higher ISO was the relatively low light due to it being early morning with heavy overcast and falling snow. All of these issues required the use of a great sensor that can handle low-light conditions with ease. The D700 is the go-to camera for conditions of this type.