Quick Steps to a Moody Image

We’ve all seen those sharp, yet soft moody looking Monochromatic Black & White, or Sepia toned images that have that timeless look.  I have found an easy way to create that look and I want to show it to you.  First, let me show you the look I’m referring to. This sort of look, or something […]

Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 Lens Review

This year I realized with the shoots I had planned I needed to add an “Ultra-Telephoto” to my gear.  Like most photographers, I have the standard 70-200mm, and even a 70-300mm, but there are times that it’s just not enough.  Being a Canon shooter, I know that Canon makes an excellent 600mm f4L lens, …….but………ummm,  …..Yeah, […]

A Story of Regret

I want to tell you a story about a tree.  In St. Louis, MO where I live, there is a very large Park named Forest Park.  Forest Park is one of the largest parks in a metropolitan city in the United States.  It was also the location of the 1904 Worlds fair, which is when this tree was […]

Review – ThinkTank Photo Roller Derby

Okay, . . . Pop Quiz:                                      You are about to travel roughly 8,300 miles with this, and a few other little things. Here’s what this is:  3 Full frame DSLRs 70-300 lens 150-600 lens 12mm lens 24-105mm […]

Sun-mer Flowers

Nothing says summer quite sunflowers.  The image of a sunflower reminds me of long warm days, the smell of cocoa butter suntan lotion, and ice cold lemonade.  As a photographer, sunflowers are great to shoot.  In infrared they are even better I do love the way they look.  Here’s a Super Color sunflower. Here’s one making the […]

DESIGNEVO Logo Maker

Logos are everywhere.  We see them on nearly every commercial product on the market.  Many photographers feel the need to have their logo on every piece they create and share online.  DESIGNEVO  is an online company that produces logos for any purpose.  I was approached by them and ask to try their online service and […]

A Simple way to Protect your Gear while Traveling

We are now heading into that time of year that many people go out traveling for vacation or holiday.  If you are a photographer that means traveling with your “gear”.  We like vacations; we get to go new places and take lots of exciting photographs.  But you know who else likes vacation time?  Thieves.  There […]

Butterflies in Hyper Color Infrared

Now that the icy grips of Winter and the way-too-wet Spring weather have finally gone away,  it is now the time that photographers like when we can go out and enjoy our passion for photography.  One thing I love to shoot this time of year is Butterflies.  As a photographer they offer a good challenge […]

Master White Balance

There is a misunderstanding that has come to light that I would address and discuss.  The issue relates to the in-camera White Balance that is set when your camera was converted by Life Pixel.  Somewhere along the way the misunderstanding has occurred and people believe that when a camera is converted we set a magical, […]

Turning Hyper Color to Monochrome

I said the next thing we would talk about was Converting Hyper Color to Monochrome, so here we go. When I started testing the new  Hyper Color Infrared last year,  I was surprised by the images that came straight out of the camera.  The color tones of the sky, the intense magentas, and reds made […]

How to work the Colors in a Hyper Color

With the introduction of the new Hyper Color Infrared, you now have the ability to create stunning IR images that do not require channel swapping.  For many photographers, this means they can easily go straight from the camera with many images.  In the past few months of experimenting with Hyper Color, I’ve also found a […]

Introducing Hyper Color

For the past few months I have been testing a new Infrared conversion filter, and I am happy to finally be able to show it to you.  It’s called Hyper Color. So, what is Hyper Color?  Basically the next evolution in Infrared photography.  I tried initially to compare to other types of IR and say, […]

The 2018 Orchid Show … with Lensbaby

Every year at this time, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, in St. Louis puts together an Orchid display unlike you will see anywhere else in the United States.  I’ve been lucky enough each year to have the opportunity to shoot the exhibit before it opens to share the images as a way of encouraging people to […]

Glass Ball Photography

If you look around online you’ll notice an increase in “Crystal Ball” or “Glass Ball” images.  They have become so popular that there are now social media groups dedicated to them.  When it comes to Glass Ball photography, most people fall into 3 catergories:  #1. You Love it.  #2. You don’t really care either way.  […]

4 Things About Infrared to NOT Believe.

As I look back on 2017, between online training and our workshops, I’ve had the pleasure to interact with a few hundred photographers, most new to Infrared photography.  I love the enthusiasm people have when they start off with Infrared, but unfortunately too often when they search online they receive information about Infrared photography that […]

Why I choose not to shoot the Solar Eclipse

Note: I started writing this before the Eclipse started today, and will finish it after it is over. Today is the big day, the full Solar Eclipse.  An event that hasn’t occurred here since, . . . a long time and won’t occur again,  . . . for a long time.  It’s  going to be […]

Why Shoot with a Converted Camera?

I get contacted on a regular basis from people considering having a camera converted, and often they aren’t sure whether they should go with a converted camera or use an external filter.  Last week I was ask how long an exposure would be needed to shoot in Deep Black & White with a wide depth […]

The Lensbaby Velvet 85

Today, lensbaby unveiled it’s newest lens, the Velvet 85.  I’ve had the opportunity for the past two weeks to test this lens out, so I can give you an honest assessment of their new art lens.   First, full disclosure, I am a big fan of the Lensbaby lenses.  Their Velvet 56 is always in […]

Canon 6D MarkII & SL2

According to news and rumor on the internet,  Thursday, 06/29 Canon will announce two new cameras; the long awaited 6D Mark II and the SL2.   All the information we have so far is coming from rumor sites like  Canon Rumors, PetaPixel  and Nokishita Camera which is a Japanese site. Here’s what we know so far: The 6D […]

Porzellan Licht

Over the past few years, Infrared photography has gone from being and oddity or niche art, to moving more mainstream.  One area that is  being paid more interest  is Infrared portraiture.  Infrared portraiture is showing up in Weddings, modeling, personal portraits and even music videos.  Recently, a German Photography Magazine, FOTO Hits contacted me interested in several pieces […]