I was recently approached by Easy Canvas Prints and asked to review their photos to canvas product. Printing on canvas seems to be growing in popularity. And if done properly, the results can be very elegant. For the last several months, finding a reliable vendor producing a quality product, has been on my to do list. So after checking out the EasyCanvasPrints.com website, I was happy to give them a trial run.
Disclosure: Easy Canvas Prints provided me with a free 16″x20″ canvas print and paid for shipping.

The first step, obviously, is to select a photo to print on canvas. I’ve …

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F-stop Gear Loka Backpack
F-stop Gear has created quite a buzz lately in the world of nature and adventure photographers. Rightly so.
There has long been a niche of active photographers who require a piece of essential equipment that simply wasn’t available – a true hiker’s backpack for camera and other gear. I’ve been hiking into the backcountry with my camera for more than 25 years. Sometimes a day hike covers 15-20 miles, starting at 2am and returning after sunset. I need to carry my backpack with 20-30 lbs. of equipment all-day-long. Not 1/4 mile from the parking lot. Not a 200 …

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Lowepro recently introduced a new line of backpacks. The Photo Runner series is kind of a slimmed down, simplified version of the well known Trekker series. So, I’m trying out a new Lowepro Pro Runner 300 AW…
I needed a bag to hold and provide easy access to all my equipment. Previously, I’d use and very much like the briefcase style Lowepro Omni  series. I have both the Omni Sport and the Omni Traveler (slightly bigger). I like their slim profile, full-zip access and organized pockets. They are great for travel and shooting from the vehicle. But alas, my equipment has outgrown …

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Today’s digital cameras provide a huge advantage over the old days of film for night sky photography. High ISO capabilities and the immediate feedback of LCD playback allow for experimentation and dialing in your settings. The results are amazing compared to what I used to get, struggling with film.
I (re)discovered the joy of night sky and star photography several months ago during a trip to New Mexico’s Bisti Wilderness. My results were satisfactory, but I knew I’d do better with a faster lens. After doing some research and weighing the options, I compromised on quality vs. price and found a …

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Somewhat off-topic, but…
Personal fitness is an important part of my photography pursuits. I love finding remote locations and hiking far into the mountains, sometimes 15-20 miles a day, is not for the faint of heart or weak of leg. So I try to eat right (with help from my wonderful wife) and stay fit.
3 weeks ago I strained a calf muscle, so I’ve been resting, stretching and rehabilitating – and worrying about losing my cardiovascular fitness. But Sunday I completed a short, slow run and today I ran my 6 mile lunch-time loop. I felt great! Not particularly fast, but …

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I’ve been looking for a new daypack with features to perform a very specific function – carrying gear on forays away from an overnight base camp. I need something that can easily stow away in my overnight backpack (without adding too much bulk and weight) and then be pulled out, expanded, filled with gear and be used comfortably/conveniently for sunrise/sunset shoots and all-day exploring.
After researching the specifications of over 50 packs, the GoLite VO24 had risen into the top 3 on my short list. So when the 2009 version popped up on SteepAndCheap for a mere $40, I couldn’t resist. …

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EveryTrail.com is a really cool site for finding places to explore and posting your own trip reports.
The website is intuitive and easy to use and I’ll be trying out their Android mobile app soon.
I added 3 trips today and will be adding more in the future. Check them out here… EveryTrail – Scott Bacon

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I recently replaced my trusty Gitzo Mountaineer G1228 MK2 with an Induro Carbon 8x CT113. I’ve been using the Gitzo for about 10 years with 35mm, medium format, large format 4×5, and most recently DSLRs. It has traveled around the world and many, many miles of backcountry trails and has never let me (or my camera) down. But the twist locks have started to get a little stiff and are the old style which allows the leg to spin and spin… Ug. And the I began to tire of the 4 section tripod setup time – 3 legs, 3 twist …

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I’ve been working my way through Nat Coalson’s Lightroom 2: Streamlining your Digital Photography Process. I was quite familiar with Lightroom prior to purchasing the book, but I knew that Nat was a real expert and that I’d likely learn some new tricks and techniques. And how!
My rather large photo library is very organized. But tips from the book helped me better integrate 1000s of digitized 35mm, 645, and 4×5 transparencies with all my new digital images. Now my entire digital library is right at my fingertips – searchable and filter-able via Lightroom.
Another cool tip that I just learned is …

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I ran through an interesting exercise today – evaluating the autofocus microadjustment with the Canon 5D Mark II and 2 of my lenses – the 24-105mm f/4 L IS and the 70-200mm f/4 L. I used the test chart and technique described by Jeffery Friedl. It took about an hour, most of it reading and set-up. Once I started taking and evaluating the test images, it went quite quickly using Adobe Lightroom. I tested each lens at several focal lengths – 24mm, 50mm, 70mm, 105mm, 150mm, and 200mm.
The results? The 24-105mm was spot on and did not require any microadjustment …

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