Photography Life

I just returned from a roadtrip through Utah and Colorado with some of the only Nikon Z lenses that we haven’t yet reviewed. Among them was the fairly recent Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S II. This is a very exciting lens to me, but what do I think of it so far!?

Over the past year or so, I’ve tested a lot of camera accessories. Not all of them stood out, but some have become staples of my kit. Here are my seven favorites that I now use frequently in my own photography.

Viltrox has just released a new compact prime, the Viltrox 26mm f/2.8 EVO lens for full-frame Nikon Z and Sony E cameras. Nikon shooters are probably aware that this is a direct competitor to the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 lens that we’ve already tested. The closest Sony competitor is the FE 24mm f/2.8 G, another lens we’ve reviewed. How does the Viltrox perform? I shot with it for a week to bring you the news!

Do you know which Nikon telephoto lens a wildlife photographer takes on a family vacation? Are you guessing the wonderfully lightweight 400mm f/4.5, or perhaps the 600mm f/6.3? If you noticed the word “family” in the question, you’ve probably already figured out that the correct answer is – nothing. Unfortunately, as an unarmed photographer, I’m vulnerable to countless wonderful moments that make me want to tear out my (remaining) hair for not having a camera at hand. Just imagine it. I’m belaying my son as he climbs a rock face when, at eye level, a Short-toed Eagle glides past carrying a freshly caught snake in its talons. Those are the moments that truly test my composure.

Today’s RAW processing software offers various ways to adjust contrast, with three popular tools being the Contrast slider, Levels, and Curves. As I’ll demonstrate below, these tools don’t simply adjust contrast but also impact color fidelity. Here’s what you need to know about them, and why I often prefer using Curves.

If I could speak to my beginner self, I would skip the technical side of photography and focus on more important blind spots that cost me years of wasted effort. Technical guides are everywhere, but understanding why you pick up the camera in the first place is much harder. Today, I’ll share some of these hard-won lessons from my own path with you.

I constantly hear— and, in fact, witness firsthand—that we live in a society divided into invisible, impenetrable bubbles. Their walls are constantly strengthened by the ever-evolving algorithms of social media networks, into which we are lured and trapped like moths to a lightbulb. Sometimes, there is essentially nothing wrong with that. For example, in my social media bubble, it seems as though the whole world has nothing better to do than photograph animals. Things start to get tricky when members of one bubble fall under the illusion that they’re better than the inhabitants of other bubbles. You know what I mean.

The first time I saw an Arctic tern was during my first trip up north, to the Shetland Islands. I didn’t manage to bring home anything significant—just a couple of documentary-style reportage shots. Years later, I tried again in Iceland, and a spark was ignited. But it was only during my expeditions to Svalbard, as I grew increasingly fascinated, that I truly dedicated myself to photographing the Arctic tern. Let me tell you the story.

Yesterday, while selecting photos for an upcoming article, I came across one that caught my eye with its simple symmetry and, let’s say, an unconventional angle. Judge for yourselves: Instead of the usual front view or side view of a bird, what popped out at me on the monitor was a perfectly sharp (please forgive me) cloaca. And although Nikon doesn’t mention it anywhere in their official materials, I’m glad that automatic detection still works on this less-photographed body part. Unfortunately, with some birds—such as hummingbirds of the genera Calliphlox or Chaetocercus—my Z9 even seems to prioritize it over the bird’s eye. Well, that’s my little take on the hidden side of bird photography. Now let’s take a look at what interesting things the past week has brought in the world of photography.

Imagine you see a beautiful scene that you know you’d like to photograph. So you take a few different shots, and maybe adjust your tripod and shoot again. Eventually, you get something you think you like. Sound familiar? Actually, I think this process is great for refining your composition. But sometimes, it might be worth it to take just one shot instead. I’ll tell you why.