A lot has happened since the last issue of my newsletter. I landed another national magazine cover photo, I bought the brand new Fujifilm X20 and I spent eight days straight skiing the Alaska backcountry and. After detailing my first impressions of the X20, I immediately took it on my ski trip and put it through extensive testing, running over 1,200 frames through it in a variety of shooting and weather conditions, including temperatures down to 0 degrees F. I shot action, landscapes, people and pretty much kept it around my neck and shoulder the entire time. 

 

What I determined, is that for all of the reasons that I love the X10, the X20 is even better and more capable. 

 

 

When I first got the X10 last year, I used to joke that it was a "gentleman's camera"€ with its cool, classic styling. Then I took it outside and spent the next year and a half and putting it to the test shooting action, people, landscapes, travel and just about everything else I could think of.

 

I don't feel that way anymore. I discovered that in truth, Fujifilm hadn't just created a great LOOKING little camera, they had actually created a great PERFORMING camera that is suitable for an extremely wide variety of uses. The new X20 builds on that notion with a new sensor that produces noticeably sharper imagery, and a host of brand new features that make the camera even more usable for outdoor photography. 

 

Read my full review of the X20 here. The X20 is now in stock at B&H Photo and Amazon.

 

 

Want to learn from me? How does personalized instruction sound with lessons that are tailor made to match your specific shooting style and your stated photography goals? 

 

I'm excited to announce a brand new online workshop offering that I'm now teaching through The Compelling Image. My Outdoor Adventure and Travel Photography Mentorship is a 5 part course that's designed to help you hone your creative vision, refine your technique in a much more direct and targeted way than traditional photography classes. 

 

Here's how it works: After signing up for the course, you'll provide me with a selection of your imagery that represents your style and a written assessment of your photography goals. Basically, you tell me where you think you need help and where you’d like to go with your photography. Then, over the next few weeks, I give you a series of targeted lessons, assignments and critiques that are specifically built around helping you improve in the areas where we both feel you need the most help. 

 

You'll also have the chance to speak with me directly during two, half-hour Skype calls that we'll schedule for the middle and end of the course. In addition, we'll use the class discussion board to keep in touch on a weekly basis to ask questions, present ideas and expand on the material.

 

Personal, one-on-one mentoring, with specifically targeted coursework? Honestly, I can't think of a better way that I can teach you how to become a better photographer. Even if you were to attend one of my face-to-face workshops, you usually don't get this kind of continued follow up and individual attention.

 

Looking to get your photography on track before summer hits? This mentorship program is a great way to do it. Check out my mentorship program course schedule, I've got a few slots open at the end of April and the beginning of May. You can also see my other course offerings at The Compelling Image here.

 

 

These days, more and more photographers are leaving their laptops at home and only packing an iPad when they hit the road. However, we all know that the main limitation of the iPad is storage space. Fill up one or two cards with RAW photos, and you've probably exceeded the capacity of your device. Plus, dealing with that many RAW files is going to drastically slow things down.

 

However, if you have a DSLR with dual memory card slots, you can follow this mobile photography workflow that travel and adventure shooter/writer Glenn Charles developed on his recent 8-week Alaska snow biking expedition. He traveled with a D800E, three lenses, a Sony NEX7 and an iPad Mini (see his entire kit here), and he discovered a great way to make the most out of small, mobile technology and still get his best work out to his audience on a daily and weekly basis.

 

I really like Glenn's work, and I think that he's got some great ideas for photography and travel, so he's worth following and checking out his blog.

 

 

David duChemin and company have just released Craft and Vision 2: More Great Ways to Make Stronger Photographs. This 45-page guidebook is filled with 10 chapters that explore how to create more powerful and dramatic imagery. 

 

With title headings such as Shooting in Manual Mode, Shoot More- Develop Less, Learn to Isolate and Redeem the Light, you're sure to find some awesome creative inspiration in here. In addition to the the kind of comprehensive and educational text and the stunning imagery that Craft and Vision books are known for, there are even a few video links that let you further explore some of the concepts.

 

 

Like I said, it's totally free, so there's absolutely no reason not to get Craft and Vision 2. Download it here.

 

 

The Kichatna Spires are a sea of sharp granite peaks that rise out of the Alaska Range glaciers like a set of nasty broken teeth. They're some of the most impressive rock formations on the planet and are a well known location for test piece Alaska hard rock and ice climbing. 

 

 

I've wanted to see this place for years, and so taking advantage of a clear afternoon last week, I gassed up the little Cessna, brought along another photographer friend and flew the 100 or so miles out there to circle around and take aerial photos. We were lucky to have great weather and no wind, which would make flying around these rugged formations difficult and dangerous. 

 

 

These are just a few of my Kichatna Spire aerials, all shot with the new Fujifilm X20.

 

 

I hope that you're enjoying spring wherever you are! Keep pressing that shutter and take care.

 

As always, thanks for reading, enjoy my recent posts, and don't forget to share this newsletter with your other photographer friends!

 

-Dan

 

 

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