Under the covers

October 01, 2025 in photographs

San Francisco, September 2025.

The tool I use all the time but rarely show you

September 30, 2025 in journal

I almost always carry a tripod with me, even if you don't see it in my videos. That's because it's holding my video camera! So you might understand why my tripod has become such a crucial tool in my work. And for the last couple of years, I've been using the Coman Zero Y carbon fiber tripod which I love. Let me tell you why.

California Coast, II

September 30, 2025 in photographs

California, September 2025.

From the video The tool I use all the time but rarely show you.

Bison and me

September 24, 2025 in photographs

Wyoming, September 2025.

From the video Living in my car for photography.

One of the photos I thought I had lost forever.

So it does happen...

September 24, 2025 in journal, photographs

I panicked, a little bit.

They weren’t the most important photos and footage, but it wasn't easy to take them. I’d woken up at 5am and hiked (there’s no other way to describe walking in San Francisco) with two tripods and two big cameras and lenses on my back, while gaining almost 700 feet of elevation.

That’s why I was a little upset to find a cryptic “A7IV_3902.RSV” with zero bytes on the memory card, instead of the photos and videos I had made.

So it does happen, after all: memory cards get corrupted, or something like that.

After more than 3 years using a camera with dual memory card slots, I was about to find out if the feature was worth it. I inserted the second memory card into the laptop, and to my huge relief, there they were. All the photos and videos I had worked hard to make. Phew.

Going big and heavy

September 20, 2025 in journal

I got two new lenses. Big, heavy, fat lenses. I’m still not sure why I did it. It’s not because I needed them; I didn’t.

My best guess is that I wanted a change. For the past five years, I’ve taken the vast majority of my photographs with a superzoom: my beloved Tamron 28–200mm.

I love that thing: simple, versatile, reliable. So good that it’s boring. I wanted something I could use instead of this little gem, to switch things up.

So, I picked up the Tamron 35–150mm. A much bigger, much heavier lens. Surprisingly, the weight hasn’t bothered me as much as the narrower reach. It’s faster and definitely sharper, but I’m still trying to figure out if the trade-off is worth it.

I also grabbed the Tamron 150–500mm. For the last six years, I’ve relied on the Sony 70–350mm for telephoto work, but I wanted an upgrade with more reach. Still, I’m not sure I’ll keep it long term. At almost 2kg (4lbs), it’s not something I’ll be carrying around all the time, so we’ll see.

This road trip I’m on now seemed like the perfect time to test them out. I bought them used, both good deals, I think. Especially with camera prices going up because of the tariffs. The upside is, if I decide they’re not for me in a couple of months, I should be able to get most of my money back.

I have no idea whether my images will get better or worse. Most likely, they'll be very similar to the ones I was making before. If nothing else, I might get bigger arms from this experiment. Who knows. I'll keep you updated.

Tower of the Devil, V

September 18, 2025 in photographs

Wyoming, September 2025.

From the video Living in my car for photography.

Devils Moon

September 17, 2025 in photographs

Wyoming, September 2025.

From the video Living in my car for photography.

Living in my car for photography

September 17, 2025 in journal

I'm back on the road! I drive across the country and do some photography in places as distant from each other as Lake Michigan, Devils Tower in Wyoming, and the Salt Flats in Utah. I also show how I live on the road, why I do it this way, and why it has been so beneficial for my photography.