Hey Everyone! I hope everyone is having a great day.  This weeks topic is kind of strange.  How can photography be an excuse to get in shape? I am the last person in the world to be telling folks about getting in shape.  As I get ready to turn 60 it is becoming a very important part of my thinking. Sixty was always the number I used to think of as old. Now that I'm getting ready to be"old" my health is very important to me. If your like me I work in a very sedentary job where I'm in a chair most of the day and to top that off I'm having to commute an hour to and hour and a half ride one way to work.  So that's another 3 hours a day I'm sitting on my butt. I do try to go out on hikes and walks during breaks at work but sometimes that's just not possible.  Now what does photography have to do with all of this?  I'm a firm believer that if your in good shape you will _MSP1594 be a better photographer.  Here goes some reasons why.

1. Being physically fit will help you cary and get your equipment to and fro. If your out of shape and you need to hike to that waterfall that is a mile away and when you get there you are so tired you can't think straight you won't take good photo's.  And that goes with any type of photography that you have to move to get too. 

2. Being Physically fit will also make your mental health better.  Which in turn will make your photography even better.  Being able to think out problems will make your photography easier letting you concentrate on your subject.

IMG_1558 3. Being in good shape will help your stamina and keep you shooting longer.  Better stamina means that when the others are getting tired and have to stop to rest you can keep going and get the shot that hey missed because they were sitting on the nearest bench catching their breath.

4, Being in good shape will let you get shots that others don't.  It will put you in places that your out of shape counterparts can't get too.  Whether its hiking that extra mile to get to that great shot or walking that extra block while doing street photography.

5. Being in good shape means you'll probably live longer.  Which means you'll get to shoot photography longer.

By using photography as an excuse hopefully it will motivate you into getting off of your butt and doing some exercise.  I'm trying to use it for me to get in shape.  I am not the person that you would think would be talking about this subject. But I have seen both sides of the coin.  I have been Creek CrossingMax Stansell Photography in good shape and gone places my more out of shape photo buddies couldn't get too.  But now I'm one of the out of shape ones and I can really tell the difference.  The last big photo trip I took with my club I was trying to get to a spot that by the time I got there I was so sweaty and out of shape I was huffing a puffing and didn't get the shot that I thought I should have been.  So I have been slowly trying to eat right and trying not to be so sedentary so I can get in better shape and live and photograph more.

So until next week get off of your butt and get outside and take some great photo's.

Wells Fargo Raleigh Hey Everyone! I hope this last week was a good one for you. This week I want to talk about traveling with your camera. More specifically flying with your gear. Now I am no expert and its been a wile since I've flown but I'm getting ready to take a trip and by the time this blog comes out I may have already come back. I'm taking a trip where I'll be flying and will have to go through TSA so I'll give some tips that I learned from their website.  Security , Security , Security, You'll have to go through it .  So getting prepared will make this experience more comfortable and less of a hassle. Doing a little research can make this as unpleasant as possible.

Carry on Backpack

My camera gear.  I have narrowed down what I'm going to bring so my load won't be too heavy for the airport and for me to carry. I am taking with me on the plane one body and three lenses, batteries for the camera and a Gopro and batteries. Your batteries must be on your carry on luggage and not in your checked bags.  You should have a way to separate the batteries so they will not bump into each other and make a spark of some sort. I have cases for all of my batteries both Camera and Gopro. In my checked luggage I'll have a backup body and one lens and my tripod.  I have a small travel tripod that will fit into my checked luggage barely. 

I will have in my carry on backpack also my iPad mini an external hard drive and my RAV-Power file hub. I will have an 10000mah back up battery also to charge cell phone and such. All electronics larger than a cell phone will have to be taken out of your bag and placed in a bin and go through x-ray machine separately. The way my bag is made I can take out the camera and lenses out all at once with the removable organizer and put into a bin then I just need to place my iPad and external battery in. Hopefully this will work. We'll see. Other things that you will have to separate out of your carry on is any liquids.  All liquids must fit into a Quart Zip Lock bag and cannot be over three ounces. They have a 3-1-1 rule. No more than 3oz. containers that will fit into 1 quart zip lock bag per 1 traveler. Any liquid larger will have to be in checked luggage. Then also your shoes and belt will have to Government Shutdown GenerosityA TSA worker helps passengers at the Salt Lake City International Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in Salt Lake City. The government shutdown has generated an outpouring of generosity to TSA agents and other federal employees who are working without pay. In Salt Lake City, airport officials treated workers from the TSA, FAA and Customs and Border Protection to a free barbecue lunch as a gesture to keep their spirits up during a difficult time. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) go into the bin. 

Checked Luggage

As I said before my backup body and a lens and tripod will be in this bag.  Of course all my clothes and extra liquids.  Also extra shoes, trekking pole, hip belt strap for my camera bag, and a 2 liter water bladder. This bag is scanned and can be inspected by TSA.  If they do inspect they will leave a card in your bag saying it was inspected. Only TSA approved locks can be used that have a universal master key that they can use to open the bag and inspect.  Only about 10% of bags get inspected.

Identification-New rules about Identification were suppose to be in effect but due to the Covid pandemic this rule has been pushed back to 2023.  It would say that your ID issued by the sate like your drivers license will be The REAL ID cards. Or Federal Government ID cards will get you into places like airports and federal buildings. Me being retired military It doesn't effect me much but the next time I get my license renewed I'll get the REAL ID with it.

Whats not allowed? Well there are lot of stuff but basically nothing sharp or things that could harm someone. You can Check with TSA on exactly what you can bring or not bring. 

If you plan ahead and do some research you can avoid fumbling around and make the security screening process not too bad.  Make sure you check with the airlines your flying on what size weight of the things you are bringing on the airplane. Because there are weight and size restrictions on what you can bring. The big message here is to plan , plan , plan. So enjoy your next trip and get outside and shoot!

Hey Everyone! I hope everyone is doing well this week.  This week I want to talk about what accessories I think beginning photographers should have.  Now there are thousands and thousands of photography accessories out there and they are for the most part pretty neat!  I do have GAS you know. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) I do love my gadgets.  But for the beginning photographer there are some essentials that I think they should get first before venturing out into the photography marketplace.  I think these are at a minimum of what a photographer should have when starting out.  So here goes!

1. A Tripod.  A tripod will improve your photography more than any other accessory that you can get. First of all it will make your photo’s tack sharp.  Giving a stable support for your camera especially when starting out and your just figuring out settings it will stay steady when your shutter is too slow and you have hand shake making your photo’s blurry.  It will slow you down and make you think.  The act of pulling out a tripod and setting it up will make you slow down and think about your shot settings and composition. Now don’t go out and buy the cheapest one you can find at Walmart.  You need to put a little money into this investment. A 150 dollar tripod is 3 times better than a 40 dollar one.  And really 150 is really not a lot for something that can last through many cameras.  They are usually made of Carbon Fiber or Aluminum.  The carbon ones are more expensive but are lighter.  So research and buy wisely and you’ll have a great accessory that can last for many years.

2.Cleaning Supplies.  Keep your gear clean!  A Lens Brush you can pick up for 5 bucks and is great for cleaning your lenses and getting in those nooks and crannies of your camera.  A rocket type hand blower is great in blowing off dust from your lenses and your sensor keeping them free of dust .  These are fairly inexpensive also. And Micro fiber clothes.  These cloths are cheap and great for cleaning your lenses with out scratching.  They are great for eye glasses also.  Keeping your gear clean will make it last longer and make you get cleaner shots saving time in Photoshop or Lightroom .

3. Polarizer Filter.  A polarizer filter is the only filter that cannot be duplicated in Photoshop or Lightroom. It takes the shine off of things and enhances the color of objects.  It’s like wearing polarization sun glasses for your camera.  The most popular kind of polarizer is the Circular Polarizer.  It is made to fit on the front of your lens and you can turn it an adjust the power of the polarization of the shot.  You can pick up a decent one for 40 or 50 bucks but you can pay a lot more.  This should be your first filter in your camera kit.

4. SD Cards.  You should have more than just one SD card.  It doesn’t  have to be a large card a 32 or 64 gig card will do just fine.  You should rotate your cards between shoots and its always good to have an extra.  These cards are cheap and you should have a few.

5. Lightroom or Photoshop.  If you don’t already have a photo editing software this is the best deal going . You can get Lightroom and Photoshop for 10 dollars a month subscription. This is a great deal.  You used to have to buy these programs stand alone 150ish for Lightroom and over 500 for Photoshop but when new updates came you had to either buy the update or buy the whole version again.  With 10 dollars a month you can have the latest updates and  the most powerful software available.  Photoshop is so powerful and used it has become a verb.  That was Photoshopped. 

_MSP6312 6.  Camera Strap.  A camera strap will help you from dropping your expensive camera you just bought.  Wether you have one that goes around your neck or your wrist .  I personally use one around my wrist but I have had the other kind also.  My preferred ones come from Peak Design and are made out of the seatbelt material which is light weight and strong at the same time.

7. Extra Battery.  Invest in a extra battery.  When your out on the go you don't want to turn on your camera and find out that you forgot to charge you're one and only battery.  Carry an extra one or two depending on how your camera eats batteries. This can be a life saver.

8. Photo Bag/Backpack.  Now you need something to put everything into.  Hi my name is Max and I have a photo bag Problem.  I love photo bags.  I have bought and sold many.  Bags and Backpacks are very personal just make sure you get something that will protect your gear and is comfortable to wear.  Gear can get heavy and a bag that is not comfortable will be miserable to carry around.

So these are just a few things I think beginning photographers should have to get started.  If I sat here longer I’m sure I could think of more but this is a good start.  So until next week get outside and shoot!