My New Newsletter: Pro Photo Daily Street Test

I haven't been updating this blog much recently and part of the reason is that I've taken on a new challenge: I'm now writing my own weekly newsletter for Pro Photo Daily called Pro Photo Daily Street Test. Each week I'll be testing and reviewing a new piece of pro or prosumer photo gear and sharing with you my thoughts and images. The first edition was just released last week and I had the chance to use and review the very fine Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 HSM OS Macro lens. You can sign up to get the newsletter (free) in your email once a week--and we won't clutter up your mailbox with lots of junk. I'm being encouraged by the publisher (which is why I agree do to this!) to be my old funny, whimsical and irreverent self--and to talk about music (my other passion) as much as I like...whenever I can find a way to weave it into the news (which is easy for me, trust me). It's going to be a fun newsletter to produce, but it's going to keep me out in the field a lot shooting and at the computer late nights writing. I hope you'll give it a look. Please sign up--it's free!

Latest Master Series interview: John Sterling Ruth

It takes a lot of talent, hard work and determination to make it in the world of commercial photography these days. John Sterling Ruth is one of those photographers that has turned his passion into a hugely successful business. And Ruth has built quite an impressive national clientele from his studio in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is the subject of my most recent Pro Photo Daily Master Series interview and it just posted today. Ruth's photos are amazing--I just love his big truck shots! (Photo Copyright John Sterling Ruth) Read the interview.

Caroline Jensen's Little Studio on the Prairie

If you are a fan of simpler times (and aren't we all) and love images that gently call to your eye and to your heart, you're going to love the work of photographer Caroline Jensen. Caroline, who lives on the prairie of southern Minnesota, leads a kind of Laura Ingalls Wilder lifestyle and she captures it in her photographs with lots of romance and a very skilled technique. She is the subject of my most recent Pro Photo Daily Master Series interview and it just posted today. Share her story if you like her work--and I'm pretty certain you will. I had a lot of fun interviewing Caroline and I just love looking at her work. (You can link to her site from the interview.) READ THE INTERVIEW. (Photo Copyright Caroline Jensen.)

A Spring Haiku

Neil Leifer Interview on Pro Photo Daily

Neil Leifer has always been one of my favorite photographers and I think it's safe to say that most people would regard him as one of the greatest sports photographers of all time--and he is the greatest boxing photographer in history, no question. But sports is not all that Neil has shot, he also covered events around the world for Time and Life Magazines. Neil is the subject of my most recent Pro Photo Daily "Master Series" interview and I have to say that it was a thrill to be able to speak with this legendary photographer. I confess that I was more than a little intimidated to speak with him (and there's hardly a photographer on this planet that I haven't interviewed), but it turns out we had a great deal of fun doing the interview--he's an amazingly nice and open person. There is a link in the story to a full gallery of his Muhammad Ali photos and they will blow your mind.  (Photo Copyright Neil Leifer)  Read the Interview.

Nikon Introduces the New D5 at CES

Just in case you need a new camera and happen to have (wait for it...drumroll please) $6500 you're not doing anything with, Nikon introduced the New D5 DSLR at CES today. This is Nikon's new flagship DSRL and it has a lot of pretty cool features. I could tell you about it's 3,000,000+ ISO speed capability (you're shooting bats in a cave at midnight, maybe?) or it's kazillion focus points, but let's face it, it's a lot more fun to let Jared and his famous fro tell you. So let 'er rip Fro!

Happy 2016

It's been a while since I've updated this blog largely because I haven't been shooting much. Most of my time these days has been spent working on my Pro Photo Daily "Master Series" interviews (that link will bring you to a list of the interviews). I'm hoping to shoot more this year, though, weather and time allowing. I shot this photo with a borrowed Panasonic Lumix FZ1000--a mirrorless zoom camera with a Leica lens that I absolutely loved. I'm fast becoming a convert to both mirrorless and zoom cameras. More about that too in the coming year, I hope. In the mean time, a happy and safe new year to you and I may open up this blog to posting photos by other shooters soon (or I may start a whole new blog); I'll let you know! Happy 2016!