I am a confessed glass hound. Lenses in my kit range from a vintage 1981 Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS to funky and fantastic, off brand lenses, like the Helios 44-2 58 mm f/2 Russian lens. To wit, this new one in my bag, the AstrHori 6mm f/2.8 fisheye…

Overview of the Alpaca Benro Polaris V2.0 A new version of Alpaca Benro Polaris (ABP) was released this month, and it is impressive! It is easier to set up than V1.0; it has streamlined many steps, and the Benro Connect app is no longer…

As a night shooter, I am always on the lookout for filters that can fight the ever-invasive light pollution. My first light pollution filter was the Benro True Night filter, and to date, it remains a favorite. I have since tried others on the…

What do you struggle with in your photography? Is it difficult to pick up your camera and dedicate time to explore and push your capabilities forward? Or are you in the other camp, photographing constantly but hitting the doldrums in your art? Like anything else we do, investing time is required to become proficient and with this, boredom can set in. If you are proficient in using your camera and it’s not in your hands as often as it once was, it is time to reassess your photographic vision. Likewise, if you aren’t proficient with your camera yet it is time to tackle the barriers.

At the beginning of the year, I load up my calendar with the celestial happenings that are coming up. These include planet events, lunar and solar eclipses, meteor showers, expected comets, Moon phases, and Milky Way core visibility. Interspersed…

One of the things that you often hear is that you can create art with any camera that you have, even your phone. Yes, this is true. However, there is another perspective to consider. Often people feel that it's their abilities that hold…

The Comparison This review is for the Nikon mirrorless Z mount specifically, however it applies to all the various camera mounts Rokinon offers. I have owned the F Mount version of the Rokinon 14mm lens for almost 10 years. This lens…

We are entering a wonderful time to experience the aurora close to home. Learn how to plan and photograph this most beautiful and elusive event. Our Sun is currently increasing its activity, which is evident from the appearance of numerous…

Another blink, another year gone. It seems like each year increases its speed exponentially thus increasing my panic of not jamming enough into the allotted 365 days. Time is infinite, my existence is not. 2023 had many moments of extremes,…

We have an annular eclipse coming up as well as the “North American” eclipse in April 2024. The following how-to applies to any solar eclipse, not just the ones noted. It also applies to any time you wish to photograph the Sun. The Sun…

A couple of years ago, I had a table at a Christmas fair selling photographs printed on a variety of media including fine art prints. I overheard someone commenting on the price of the prints. She remarked to her friend that she didn't understand…

Night Filters. What are they? What do they do? Do they really work? There are different perspectives on these filters. Some feel that they don’t really function, but simply cast a blue cast on an image. Others feel they do perform a function,…

When we think about photo processing software, Photoshop and Lightroom immediately come to mind. These are great tools and I have been using Photoshop and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) for many years. Usually, they are part of my main workflow. Having…

The Benro Polaris Astro is an amazing "smart" tripod head. I am very happy with the abilities of this amazing tool. When I purchased it, I discovered that that wasn't a lot of information on the setup. The manual isn't great, not unlike any…

Someone got into my brain and designed my dream tripod head. As an astrolandscape, time-lapse, and deep-space photographer this new Benro Polaris Astro 3-Axis tripod head does all that I need and then some. This device tracks stars (with the…

One of my favorite features of my camera is focus peaking. It is a feature that some cameras have that helps you achieve sharp focus when using manual lenses or focusing on a scene that the camera is struggling with due to low lighting…

Night photography and ND filters require long exposures. Long exposure images are beautifully silky and visually rich. Clouds become soft and reveal the movement. Swaying trees become dreamy, and water becomes exquisitely glossy. However, they…

Sometimes you are given lemons. Luckily I love lemonade and tend to make a lot of it. This was a night comprised of a large basket of lemons. It was supposed to be a clear night and a full moon, so I set off to shoot a time-lapse at…

I've been on my photographic journey for as long as I remember. My earliest memories revolve around holding a camera. It has stalled at various times in my life, but I have always returned to it, subsequently veering onto another path of visualization. My…