ART. all things art/business.

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

Check out Parts 1-4 in issues 5-8. If you'd like more specific guidance, feel free to reply to this e-mail and inquire about a one-on-one Zoom or FaceTime chat.

The art of photography goes beyond the technical, but the technical does matter, no matter how much we philosophize the opposite. Below are a few of the most common technical aspects to consider when buying a camera. Keep in mind that for your very first camera, few of these things really matter. But if you're buying with the idea that this first camera will last you awhile, whatever your photographic goals might be, read on.

Resolution. These days you can get a full-frame camera with a resolution as high as 61MP (Sony a7R V). My crop-sensor Fuji X-T5 has 40.2MP of resolution. And if you want even more pixels, you can look into digital medium and large format cameras which have upwards of 100-200MP. In the end, you don't really need more than 12-26MP unless you're planning to significantly crop your images in post or print images onto billboards. One of my older 12MP images was printed onto a vinyl wrap and applied to the large storefront window of a yoga studio in Lubbock. You can do some pretty amazing things with a "low" res camera. You can also upscale an image with decent results if necessary.

Dynamic Range is basically how much variance you can achieve between your brightest highlights and your darkest shadows in an image while still maintaining details. In short, you can over or under exposure an image and still save the details in the highlights/shadows in post. Typically measured in stops, or EV (exposure values), many digital cameras today boast a value of 12 stops or more of dynamic range, which by most standards is quite good. It's important to note that you can also achieve a great dynamic range in an image by utilizing techniques such as bracketing or image stacking and using filters. Fun fact: the human eye can perceive about 21 stops of dynamic range. Most cameras offer between 12-14.

Autofocus. Depending on what type of photography you're interested in, a fast and reliable autofocus could be the feature that makes your final decision between cameras. As for me, I don't typically photograph fast-moving subjects; therefore, having a super fast autofocus isn't such a big deal.

Buffer speed/frames-per-second (fps). If you're photographing wildlife, or sports, or even a wedding where things move very quickly, buffer speed (or fps) might be an important technical aspect to consider. In mechanical mode, my Fuji X-T5 has a 15fps buffer speed. In electronic mode, it's 20fps. I have hit a wall with my buffer speed while shooting weddings, and it is stressful waiting for your camera to catch up with you in such a scenario. How I've dealt with this limitation in the past is by forcing myself to be more intentional with my shots. Yes, even at a fast-paced wedding. The other side to buffer speed is card speed. If your memory card can't write images quickly enough, it won't matter how fast your camera's buffer speed is.

Crop-sensor vs full frame. An age-old battle. Honestly, this is personal preference, but you should know the difference and make a decision based on what you want out of your images. [This article by Adobe is fairly comprehensive regarding the pros and cons of each.]

Image stabilization. If you intend to hand-hold the camera for a lot of your work instead of toting around a tripod everywhere, you may want to consider a camera with in-camera image stabilization. Lenses can also have image stabilization.

Weather sealing. If you're going to be shooting outside a lot, in the elements, you'll want a camera body and lenses that are weather sealed.

ISO. If you need to shoot in very low-light settings at higher shutter speeds, a camera that boasts an extended ISO range might be a good option. ISO refers to a camera sensor's sensitivity to light. The Fuji X-T5 offers a native (without digital manipulation) ISO range of 125-12800 and an extended (with digital manipulation) ISO range of 64-51200. Be aware that the higher the ISO, the grainier the images. That said, in certain situations it may be worth taking the chance on being able to save an overly grainy image in post and coming away with a once-in-a-lifetime photograph that wouldn't have been possible with a lower ISO. Fun fact: ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization.

NATURE. all things nature/outdoors.

This crosses over between the ART and NATURE categories of this newsletter, but in January of this year I started a second YouTube channel focused on ambient nature filmmaking. Desiring to share a more immersive and realistic wilderness experience with others, I've been diving deep into the world of ambient nature and adventure films. Most of my focus so far has been on learning how to produce high quality field recordings. I bought a different microphone from what I'd been using for my Love Dogs channel, and when I can remember to switch the power on, I'm getting pretty good results. :) One of the artists I've been watching, and whose online audio editing workshop I purchased, is Harmen Hoek. I don't travel to the incredibly amazing far-off places that he does, but one of my several goals with this new channel is to inspire viewers to investigate the natural world right outside their doors. Yesterday afternoon, I went out with the camera and filmed in a few different locations around my area here in the midwest. I'm still editing that project, but it will be published on my From Wild Places channel soon (please subscribe!). When I was in New Mexico in April/May, I did some filming and below is the result of that. I think my favorite ambient nature film so far, though, is this one of a winter storm in northwest Missouri from last winter. It's incredibly calming to me, and well, it's also home. All of this leads me to share with you a few of my favorite nature film channels on YouTube right now, many that are providing me with inspiration and examples of what I strive to create someday in my own nature film work. When you're finished watching my "Nogal" film below, jump down and click the links to check them out.

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1. ​George S. Blonsky: independent Wildlife Photographer and Filmmaker.
2. ​Peter Paunchev: The Silent Watcher.
3. ​Careena Alexis: Outdoor Adventure.
4. ​Eric Hanson: does gear reviews but his creative hiking films are stellar.
5. ​Chris Byrne Photography: short nature films.
6. ​Forest Barkdoll-Weil: cinematic travel films.
7. ​Martijn Doolaard: ambient homestead vlogs; fantastic cinematography.
8. ​Thomas Heaton: a nature photography vlogger whose videos in the field are high quality.

DOGS. all things dogs.

A subscriber asks, "How do you get a dog comfortable on the road?"

I've been fortunate that most of my dogs so far have been quick to adjust to riding in a vehicle, and of course now that we live in the van, it's just our new normal. "Wanna go for a ride?" is a question all of my dogs have answered with much enthusiasm. That said, Japhy was the first dog to ever get car sick the first few times when he was six months old. Of course, I sort of threw him into a 12-hour ride home to West Texas from the shelter in Southwest Iowa with no preparation or training. Not a great idea. :) He eventually got over the car sickness, and I realized, too, that the motion sickness was likely caused by riding in a crate. When he rode outside of the crate, he never got sick. Your mileage may vary with this, and of course it's a good idea to use restraints if your setup allows. I'm still working on this in the van, as I only have one seat with seatbelt latches (driver's seat) and there's not currently space for crates (I have a plan to build-in crates when I can afford to tear out the bed and re-do it!). So how do you prepare a dog for life on the road, or at the very least a life that includes a few happy rides now and then? Let me use my new kayak as an example. My previous dog, Mani, loved to kayak with me, and since I've come upon a new-to-me Pelican recently, I've been training Japhy and Hazel in preparation for, possibly, kayaking with me. The first thing I've done is let them check out the kayak, as it lays on the ground, on their own terms. Then, I began prompting them to get on it and in it, jump around it, and just get familiar with how it feels to touch it in various ways. We'll continue this for awhile. Weeks, maybe. It depends on how well they do with it. If they show any fear of it, we'll keep doing what we're doing. Another thing I'm doing is moving the kayak around on the ground with the dogs nearby, so they can get used to the sound it makes when being pulled and moved about. This lessens the fear reaction when I pull it out and into the water for the first time with them present. The dogs are already quite familiar with large bodies of water, which would be another layer of training in this particular example. Transferring this to the vehicle, you might allow your dogs to get up close and sniff the tires, the doors, the fenders, etc. Open a door and see if they show interest in getting inside. If they do, let them continue their sniff-about inside. This initial introduction could happen on-leash or off, depending on your dog's anxiety level. For those dogs with higher levels of anxiety, take it very slowly and use lots of praise and treats to reward them for being brave and exploring. Other ideas for getting them inside a vehicle might include putting toys inside, using high-value treats, and having a family member (or yourself) get inside to help them feel more comfortable. You can continue doing this in short training sessions for days or weeks leading up to that first ride. My suggestion is that you don't try starting the vehicle's engine just yet. A running vehicle is another thing entirely, and often the sound of it can frighten dogs. Start with loading your dog into the vehicle and closing the door--and really solidify this--before introducing the engine. Most dogs won't notice a running engine once inside the vehicle with the doors closed. If you'd like to introduce it later, you can, using the same method of slow and safe exploration (keeping them away from the exhaust). Additionally, it's my own personal preference not to let my dogs go under a vehicle, ever, even if we're long-term parked somewhere. It's just not a good place for dogs to be, and so I train it as an area that's off-limits. Once your dog sees the inside of the vehicle as a safe space, you can begin taking short rides around the neighborhood. Maybe it's a trip to a pet store to get a new toy or special treat. Make it fun. Make it rewarding. Then go home and offer praise and some rest. If your dog does well with short rides, gradually increase the length to meet your needs. If a trip to the vet or pet store now and then is really all you need your dog to be okay with, that's fine! If you're planning to live in a van on the road someday, you're gonna want to keep at it, making your dog's comfort in the space a main priority. Keep in mind that some dogs will have a harder time than others, and patience--and gradual, high-reward, positive training--is key. Click HERE to see my kayak introduction with Japhy & Hazel.

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

​This Instagram clip of Bill Moyer's interview with Joseph Campbell about The Power of the Myth came across my feed this morning. Moyer asks Campbell, "What does it mean to have a sacred space?" Campbell responds,"You must have a room, or a certain hour a day or so where you do not know what was in the newspapers that morning. You don't know who your friends are. You don't know what you owe to anybody. You don't know what anybody owes to you. But a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation." Listen to the whole clip. It's good.

My sacred place, as it might be fairly easy to guess, is in wild places. But also in the van, often when I'm on a long drive. Or at a desk in a coffee shop early in the morning. Or running at sunrise when the rest of the world seems to still be asleep. Or those few moments before I open my eyes after a night's sleep, when life seems a little fuzzy, dream-like, and most precious. Do you have a sacred place? More than one? What do such places mean to you? Do you ever try to re-create the experience of them or express your gratitude for them in some artistic form? Hit "reply" and let me know.

Until next time, be safe, be kind and be well.