Category: Canon lenses and equipment

Holy Cow!

Canon lenses and equipment, Finding your Zen, Canon Lenses, Canon R6 Mark II Mirrorless, Travel, Travel Photography

Growing up in New York City, the closest I ever came to a cow was eating a cheeseburger at a local my Dad frequented. In my late teens, I was introduced to vegetarianism through some close friends. Since then, I’ve developed a love and admiration so strong that the mere sight of cows grazing in the distance brings me a childish joy that would be hard to describe. I found myself within a few feet of a group of cows feeding just outside a nearby farm. I patiently watched, hoping they’d come within a distance of my newish 100 -400 mm lens. Some of the cows came so close that I could reach out to pet a couple and communicate with a few moos’ despite the overwhelming midday sun. I managed to capture a few shots without reaching for my flash.

Mail Call

Canon lenses and equipment, Exploring, Manual Mode

Each day, I exit the condo’s gym and head for the mailbox. A young boy races down the hallway to excitably greet me as “Mr. James” hijacks my keys, unlocks, and attempts to reach high enough to grab hold of whatever has been left in the box that day. It’s become a ritual. One I look forward to and highly anticipate. Being only three years old. His attempts to unlock and reach in far enough to seize whatever resides within is tricky, to say the least because he moves quicker than a puma. It’s even harder to catch him with my lens. Still, I love the space and shading of the area, which often has me thinking of setting up my tripod and taking some long exposures. Until then, I just brought my camera and fish eye lens to see what would develop. Below is an image I captured. Enjoy.

Out with the Old. In with the New.

Canon Lenses, Canon lenses and equipment, Canon R6 Mark II Mirrorless, Finding your Zen

It happened. I finally move forward and purchased the Canon R6 mirrorless kit which includes a 24-105 F-4 mm lens. At the same time, I traded in two full camera bags of lenses, bodies and accessories. With my wife cheering me on and congratulating .me for lessening the load that has accumulated over the years. The salesperson, Elder, at District Camera was thorough, knowledgable, and above all, patient with my long list of questions. By trading in many items, I felt much lighter, even letting out a long breathe of relief. As we drove home, my wife seemed pleased by my making the jump to mirrorless. She’s always been super positive and supportive of my work, drive, and passion. Something that I’m forever thankful for. Here’s to the learning curve I hope to undergo, and many, many more photography opportunities.

Going Mirrorless

Canon lenses and equipment, Comparison, Finding your Zen

After about a year of grueling research on You Tube and just about every outlet available. I’ve decided to make the move from DSLR to Mirrorless. As someone who’s always been slow when it came to warming up to new technology. It has often taken time and a little push to get on board with the the new flavors of the decade. As someone who went from a film enthusiast to a digital warhorse. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the different stages and steps I’ve made along the way. So, after much thought. I’ll be heading to the local photo warehouse this weekend, to trade in some of my old gear and purchase the Canon Mirrorless R6 kit that includes the 24-105 mm lens. You can expect many images and reportage on the results and overall experience in the mirrorless universe. However, I more than hope to take the time to get to know my cameras settings and whatchacallits. Until then.

Below is a Peter McKinnon (My personal favorite Photographer/Blogger.) video review of the Canon R6.

Unfinished Business.

Art, Canon lenses and equipment, Downtown, Exploring, Finding your Zen, Location Shooting, Street Photography

We recently returned to Pike and Rose in Bethesda to do some shopping and capture those funky stairs with the proper gear. (I don’t consider my phone to be a camera.) After taking my time to capture the flow, I was approached by a security guard who seemed a bit too intrusive as to what I was doing. “I’m doing my thing.” was all I could think of. Which, in the end, seemed good enough.

Stops Along the Way

Canon Lenses, Canon lenses and equipment

Taken on a long stretch of road driving through Pennsylvania. Stopping for gas was a good excuse to get out of the car, stretch our legs and take a few pictures. Since I was four, there’s always been an unexplainable fascination with gas stations. Having grown up just blocks from the local airport, there were many available to refuel the countless automobiles traveling to and fro. Shot at 100 ISO to offset the mid day sun. Taking this image rewarded the reason for stopping while making the long ride home more relaxing. It’s always good when a long day ends with some proper documentation.

Fueling Your Art

Canon Lenses, Canon lenses and equipment, Location Shooting

There are times, like this one, when I might get distracted from what I’m intending to capture, something that is far more appealing to the eyes and creative sense. Such was the case when a soccer team assembled while I was in the midst of framing the planes descending to land at Ronald Reagan International airport. While seeing airplanes up close and personal can be a rush. The formation of enthusiastic athletes grabbed my attention long enough to want to capture their sudden burst of energy. Not wanting to be too intrusive or get hit by an errant soccer ball. I reached into my bag and grabbed my Canon 70-200 focal lens.

Remotely Speaking

Canon lenses and equipment, Dramatic Lighting, Long Exposures, Night Photography, Street Photography

When we headed out today, I made sure to bring my camera, tripod and recently surfaced remote. Knowing that running errands has become an all day thing for us. I knew that by the time we arrived home, it would be dark. Me being somewhat obsessed with night time photography and how beautiful capturing the available light in the night sky can be. I asked my wife to stop a few feet from the garage and let me do my thing. Both shots were taken at f22 on a 30″ timer. The top image was taken with a 200 ISO.The second (or bottom) image was shot at 100 ISO.

Using Manual Focus

Canon Lenses, Canon lenses and equipment, Finding your Zen, Manual Mode

As time goes by, I find myself trying to wane off all automatic features offered on my camera. Shooting on Manual, AV, or TV has been the most rewarding educational experience I’ve had as a photographer. It’s helped me improve my composition skills while giving me complete control of my creativity. Manual focus, however, seems to have become my Achilles heel, especially, and almost exclusively, when it comes to night and low light settings. My focus here was the far-off Queen Anne Cell Towers, which have been an image I’ve attempted to take for some time now. At the same time, my attempts have rendered results both good and bad. It’s the sharpness of my manual focus that always seems to be the judge.
Looking at the shot below and being reminded that it was taken without the balance of my tripod makes me appreciate my growing sense of patience. I wholeheartedly recommend learning all the options your camera offers. Using those tools and getting off manual modes with not only help you grow as a photographer. It will also help you create your unique vision.