April 2018

Bird Photography on High Island and Galveston Island, Texas Gulf Coast

Submitted by David Cardinal on Thu, 04/26/2018 - 14:39

My friend Ed and I got to spend a few days doing some bird photography on the famous High Island in Texas, and nearby Galveston Island. Neither of us had been there before, but it was on our “bucket list” of bird photography destinations. We hadn’t been able to do much preparation, but fortunately the areas are incredibly friendly and easy to sort out for both birders and bird photographers. After only a few days of course we’re no experts, but can pass along our observations on how to make the most of your trip and a few favorite photos.

Bird Photography
High Island
Galveston Island
Texas birding
shorebird photography
indigo bunting
roseate spoonbill

MindShift launches rugged new Exposure outdoor photo shoulder bags

Submitted by David Cardinal on Fri, 04/13/2018 - 08:20

The MindShift Exposure shoulder bag, shown in "solar flare" is a storm-resistant carrying solutionRegular readers and my safari clients know that I’m always on the lookout for the ultimate field photo bag. Especially when working in inclement weather or in situations where you can’t set a bag down, it has to be both versatile and easy to access. I’ve used a variety of bags from MindShift (and sister brand Think Tank) this way successfully, but I think they’ve outdone themselves with their new Exposure series…

 

MindShift Exposure 15
MindShift Exposure 13
outdoor photography
shoulder bags
outdoor photo bags

PolarPro extends popular Polarizer and ND filter line to standard cameras

Submitted by David Cardinal on Mon, 04/09/2018 - 12:01

QuartzLine FiltersPolarPro is one of the top makers of cinematic filters for drones. I’ve been using their excellent Polarizer, Neutral Density, and combined Polarizer + Neutral Density filters with my Mavic Pro drones for over a year – and they’ve performed perfectly. Its new QuartzLine set of filters are suitable for use with lenses and cameras that accept screw-in filters from 37mm to 82mm. As the name implies they are made out of nearly pure Quartz glass. PolarPro claims a ‘hyper-neutral’ color profile and has added additional scratch resistant and water and oil repellant coatings. Filters range from a simple UV and CPL, to ND filters from ND8 (3-stops) to a dramatic ND100K (which sounds like it is a pretty amazing 16 stops). The ND8, ND16, and ND64 also come in a combination Polarizer model. Filters will ship starting on May 15th, but are available for now. Prices range from $60 – $240 depending on size and model.

PolarPro
neutral density filters
circular polarizing filters
camera filters
long-exposure photography

Cool new Profile and Preset functions accelerate image editing in Photoshop and Lightroom

Submitted by David Cardinal on Tue, 04/03/2018 - 14:52

Profiles can also be used to create a certain look either from a particular film, camera, or styleAdobe has completely overhauled camera profiles and presets in both Photoshop and Lightroom. Camera profiles are expanded and renamed Profiles. They can now include both a variety of more traditional RAW file interpreters and some new Creatively-focused Profiles. Similarly, Presets are now easier to find, organize, and use. Adobe has worked with partners to provide a variety of Profiles and Presets, and I expect to see more. All you need to do to get the new features is let your Creative Cloud software update your Apps. I’ve written a .

Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Lightroom
Skylum Luminar
Image Processing
Image Editing