The equipment I like to use

I have been using Nikon equipment since I was in my teens. I just like the quality and the feel of Nikon products. What also won me over was the assortment of different lenses available. I really like the warm color rendition of Nikon lenses.

I have recently upgraded my camera system so it will better fit my current needs. I want to give a shout out to Ken Rockwell for his Nikon reviews site. There are really in depth reviews and info on pretty much every Nikon item ever made. His reviews really helped me decide what I wanted to purchase and I am happy with the results.

The camera body I decided on is a 36 MP full frame D800 model. Even though it is a discontinued item, I find it still works very well for my current needs.

My go to lens is the Nikon 28-300 AF-S zoom lens. I could use 2 smaller zooms to cover the focal range, but I like carrying around just 1 lens. It is amazing how these newer lenses can have such a great zoom range and retain sharp focus. It has VR (vibration reduction) to help reduce camera shake at slower shutter speeds and it works really well!!

I have a lens especially for close-up or macro photography. I use an older Nikon AF-D 105mm F2.8 Micro Nikkor lens. I have made some nice images with this lens hand held but I mostly use it with a tripod. The lens can do 1:1 magnification. That’s a pretty small area. VR and autofocus are really not helpful with macro photography, so I don’t need a newer, fancier lens with autofocus and VR. Since my camera body has the focus motor to drive this lens, I have autofocus capabilities. I rarely use autofocus when shooting macro.

The final lens in my camera bag is not a Nikon lens. I wanted a wide angle lens with vibration reduction. I need the VR to help with hand-held shots in low light. My choices for full frame lenses were, the Nikon 16-35 AF-S VR and the Tamron SP 15-30 USD VC G1 lens. Originally, I purchased the Nikon lens for scenics and later purchased the Tamron for astrophotography. For night skies, you need a lens with an f-number of 2.8 or less. After doing extensive tests, I found the Tamron had better edge sharpness over the Nikon, so I am only keeping the Tamron lens.

What I like to shoot

I have a wide variety of interests. I mostly like to photograph places and things. I am not a people photographer. I don’t do weddings or portraits. I never really developed the knack for making great people photos. That is why there are no people in my photographs.

When I go out to take photos, I call them quests. I do try to pre-plan the trip, especially if I am traveling any kind of long distance. If it is a place I have not been before, I try to do as much research as possible and see some examples of the area to give me an idea of the photos I am looking for. If it is a place I have been before, I try to think of some new images to capture since the last time I was there.

One such quest was a trip to Death Valley, California in March of 2024. What sparked the interest in going there was abnormal heavy rains that caused flooding in a lot of areas of the park. Every time I have visited the park it was always dry.

So, I planned my trip. The areas I chose to visit were, Badwater Basin,

Harmony Borax Works, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, and Zabriskie Point. After deciding what I wanted to see, I started getting ideas for the images I wanted to create. I knew I wanted to see the flooded salt flats at Badwater. I wanted to get an image of pools of water in the salt beds with the mountains and sky in the background. The above image is almost exactly what I had in mind. To get this image, I had to walk out into the flooded flats. In some places, the mud and water were knee deep. I ruined a pair of shoes and pants that got soaked with mud and salt. Luckily, I came prepared with a change of shoes, socks and pants. Was it worth it? I think so!!

I had other wide scenery images in mind for Zabriskie Point and the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes but I wasn’t able to capture what I had in mind on this trip.

I like to photograph old things, buildings, cars, etc. I like working with the shapes, colors, and textures, I like to see and capture the age and wear. I really enjoy using natural lighting and finding the best angle and direction of the light to present the subject of my image. I enjoy both color and black and white images. When I take my shots, I capture RAW color images in the camera. When I am editing the images, I usually create a color, black and white and infrared black and white image of each photo.

My next stop took me to the Harmony Borax Works. They mined Borax in Death Valley. Since I like photographing old things, I wanted to capture a more detailed image of this steam powered wagon that hauled the borax. The challenge was, how to get a nice image without the railing and people in the photo?

This was not really the image I had in mind when I planned this trip, but it is the best representation that I was able to create on this visit. I am very pleased with this image. I like the framing of the wheels in each of the bottom corners. I also like the black and white version. It just feels old and worn.

The above image is what I would call, the product shot.” It’s basically the “money” shot. The image that is selling the subject of this photo. I also like to get in closer and create detail shots of subjects to show what is interesting or unique about it. Below is a detailed image of one of the wheels. I like the partial round wheel against the steel tank with the shadow. I like seeing the faded layers of paint on the tank and the aged wood of the wheel. I am really pleased with both the color and black and white versions of this image.

The last stop on my Death Valley quest was the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. There were a few images that I had in mind for the dunes. I wanted a wide scenic image that captured the vastness of the dunes, but I wasn’t able to create that image on this trip. I wanted an image of the sun setting on the edge of the dune with a sun star. I wanted a close-up image of some small branches sticking out of the dunes with a wavy pattern in the sand. When I am out and about, I am always open and looking for “found” images. This was one image that I come across while exploring with the other 2 below.

I am planning another Death Valley quest in the spring of 2027. I would like to capture some of the images I had in mind but was not able to create on the last trip. Death Valley is an awesome place to take night sky or astrophotography. I have some ideas for Badwater and the sand dunes at night. Look for future updates!!

There have been many times where I set out and conditions change. I planned to do color images and the lighting changes and instead of being bright and colorful, it becomes grey and gloomy. Some people will pack it in and call it a day. I try to use those situations to find images that grey and gloomy might work, such as the image to the left. I changed my vision from color to black and white and made the clouds and contrast work for me.

Well, that’s pretty much me in a nutshell. If you have any questions or want more info please contact me here.