ART. all things art/business.

A subscriber asked, "What is the best first camera to get?"

I'm not the greatest at answering these types of questions, as it's very personal (and subjective). Much like a musician choosing their instrument, the best thing to do is to get your hands on a few and try them. I'll delve into some technical stuff in the next issue, but for today, let me just share a quick story.

When I accepted my first museum photography job, I was told to use the equipment in their studio that their former photographer had used. The camera was a Canon DSLR. I started my photographic journey on a Canon Rebel (a gift from my brother), but I've been shooting with the Fuji X system mirrorless cameras for the last decade, so when I picked up that Canon DSLR, I felt lost. The menu system is vastly different, the grip, the dials, the buttons, the eyepiece, the size, the entire feel is different. After about twenty minutes of fiddling with it, I asked if I could use my own camera instead and explained, "Asking me to shoot this job with a Canon camera at this point is like asking a flutist to play trombone for a symphony gig."

Gear is a very personal choice. What someone else uses may not work for you. It's dependent upon a variety of factors, both personal and professional. What kind of work you do/want to do. What type of environment you'll be photographing in. Next week I'll dive into this a bit more. Stay tuned...

NATURE. all things nature/outdoors.

A subscriber asked, "Where is your favorite wild place?"

While I have a lot of favorites, I have a really deep connection to my childhood home landscape in northwest Missouri. The hardwood forest feels like family. So many of these trees stood on these bluffs throughout my granddad's lifetime, my dad's lifetime, and my own. They weren't just part of the landscape when I was a kid. I spent the best parts of my childhood immersed in them. Sitting in them reading and writing. Crying in them. Dreaming in them. They are more than just trees and roots and soil and bark. They are ancestors. The keepers of my family's history.

After spending seven years backpacking The Colorado Trail, I developed a pretty deep relationship to the Colorado mountain wilderness, too. I'll write more about this in my book about my journey along the CT, but year after year when I returned to the trail, it was like getting to see an old best friend again, hashing out whatever life had thrown at me as I walked mile after mile alongside her.

DOGS. all things dogs.

A subscriber asked, "What do you feed your dogs?"

It's important to me to feed my dogs something that will not only keep them fueled on our adventures but something that they really love to eat. I've tried several different types of food with my multiple dogs over the years, and each one needed/wanted something a little bit different. A few years ago I discovered Inukshuk, a Canadian-made kibble that was created specifically for Canada's sled dogs--dogs who require a lot of calories. Inukshuk makes three different "High and Extreme Energy" formulas. When we're out on the trail, my dogs eat Inukshuk 32/32, which contains 32% crude protein and 32% crude fat. It offers 4,505 kcal per kg, and 720 kcal/ cup of food, which is perfect for our backpacking trips. When we're not out on the trail, they eat Inukshuk 26/16. Lower fat and protein for the days when they aren't burning as much fuel, which helps to prevent them from gaining weight in the off-season. This system works wonderfully for us, and the dogs absolutely love their Inukshuk.

VAN/LIFE. all things life, including van life.

At the Midland show a couple of weekends ago, a gentleman who came into my booth and chatted with me awhile said something that stuck with me.

Sometimes complete strangers say the most profound things.

Until next Friday, be kind and be well.