The Greatest Action Cameras Of 2017

I can still remember when action cameras were a thing of the future. It was difficult taking beautiful pictures while on extreme situations because photographers, back in the day, had to endure weight, sunlight, and other external factors just to capture beautiful images. Fast forward to today, we’re blessed with action cameras that are convenient and powerful. Thinking of buying one for your travels? Here are the greatest action cameras (so far).

                                 

                                                                   Image source:cnet.com

GoPro Hero5 GoPro’s Hero5 is a bestseller for all the right reasons. It has stunning 4K video quality, takes breathtaking photos at 16 megapixels, it only weighs 118g, and it is waterproof, even without its housing! The best news is, you won’t have to break the bank to buy it. It only costs around 370 USD!

Veho Muvi K2 Pro If you’re running on a budget, and do not need a waterproof action camera, the Veho Muvi K2 Pro is a good choice. It takes 12 megapixel stills with 4K video quality. It also comes with a carry case, mounts, and an LCD touchscreen. Its 1,500 mAh battery can handle up to three hours of nonstop recording.

Image source:olfi.co.uk

Olfi One.Five The Olfi One.Five has a sleek design that makes a mark from all the other action cameras. It weighs 56g, but it needs a case for it to be waterproof. You can take beautiful HDR videos in super slow motion, too! It may be a budget camera, but its shots are not cheap at all!

Hi there, Keith W. Springer here. I’m a retired photographer from New York City. Even if I’m in my golden years, I still enjoy taking pictures of nature, National Parks, and other travel destinations. Learn more about photography when you visit this blog.

A Primer On Photography Rules In National Parks

Taking pictures in national parks is one of the most fulfilling endeavors for photographers because of the abundance of magnificent natural subjects. However, there are rules to consider if you do not want National Park Service (NPS) Rangers or, in extreme cases, the Feds approaching you for breaking the law.

Image source:myitchytravelfeet.com

The first thing photographers need to determine is whether they need to apply for a permit or not.

The NPS states that it “will not require a permit for photographers, commercial or non-commercial, to go anywhere or to do anything that members of the public are generally allowed to go or do without a permit.” Essentially, most still photographs do not need to acquire a permit, especially if the photographer acts in the same way that most visitors do.

Even using a tripod, large lenses, or time-lapse accessories is permissible. However, other props or sets that are constructed or placed on the land or to stage specific scenes would require a permit.

These props include backdrops, generators, lighting, camera, trackers, camping equipment, and even trained animals. Using a model – person or object – for commercial purposes also needs a permit.

Image source:mikereyfman.com

All commercial filming, which is defined by the law as the “recording of a moving image for a market audience with the intent of generating income,” needs a permit. Contrastingly, personal filming is allowed, as long as it would not be used in any commercial way.

My name is Keith W. Springer. I used to be an event photographer, but after I retired, I have given more focus on nature photography. When I have the time, I visit national parks with my wife, Laura. You can read more about it here.

Three business ideas for photographers

If you have a passion for photography and are very good at it, then it’s time for you to earn income with your shot-taking skills. The photography industry is a multibillion-dollar industry with a lot of potential to explore and make profit. Here are some small business ideas for photographers. 

Image source : reelbigmedia.com

1. Stock photography If you’ve tried to search for an image online, then you’ve probably come across an image of random people that has a watermark on it. They’re called stock photos. Stock photography involves taking random pictures of common places, landmarks, nature, and people and selling them to newspaper companies, magazine designers, website designers, and everyone that has a need for it. 

2. Real estate photographer The competition among real estate agents is tough. They need to market their clients’ properties and make it as appealing as possible to potential customers. So, they hire creative photographers to take pictures of properties and use the image to post in listing websites and magazines. 

3. Wedding photographer Wedding photography is a business that is always high in demand. If you want a business with low risks and more demand, you should try becoming a wedding photographer. You have to be creative though, because brides are very picky about whom they select to cover their weddings. 

Image source : blog.creativelive.com

Hi there, my name’s Keith W. Springer. I’m a retired photographer from New York. I’m currently traveling the country to photograph national parks. Visit my blog to know more.

Capture Good Low Light Photography Even Without a Tripod

As a travel photographer, the size and weight of the equipment you carry around are very important.So, each equipment has to have an essential role in your photography to have a space in your pack.One of the most important tools used by photographers, but takes a lot of weight and space is the tripod. But a tripod is only useful when you can’t find a way to stabilize your photos, especially during low light.

Image source:photble.com

Here are two ways on how to pull off low light photography even without a tripod:

Use a wide aperture

Because you’re going to handhold your camera in low light, you’ll have to work with a wide aperture, a high ISO, or both. Often, photographers opt for smaller aperture lens to maximize depth of field, but that isn’t practical for low light situations. Use your camera’s widest aperture, to get the most out of the available light, and focus on the most important picture in the frame.

Image source:photble.com

Use image stabilization

A slower shutter speed allows you to get more light to come in the lens but restricts your movement in the process because a little movement will make your image blurry. If your lens has image stabilization, you can adjust the value of your shutter speed two to three stops slower than the recommended setting before it gets blurry. This flexibility makes a big difference in low light situations.

The name’s Keith W. Springer. I’m a retired photographer from New York City. I currently travel with my wife, Laura, to photograph national parks around the country. Visit my blog to know more.

Stirring creativity through journaling

Creativity promotes innovation. Without it, a person cannot produce fresh, out-of-the-box solutions to every day problems. It is something every individual holds, but not every one practices. Here’s why anyone can boost their creativity through journaling. 

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Writing (without the backspace) helps people think freely 

Writing without expectations helps people become more creative. While writing with a backspace bar can be quite strenuous, especially for experienced writers, writing freely encourages the creative process without barring one’s thoughts. 

Journaling is a good way to practice one’s voice 

When people strive to write perfectly (or well), they fail to translate their real ideas on their page, which requires their trust to their own voice. While it’s perfectly okay to create great material, the personal voice can only be developed if it is unedited. The voice comes out without edits, and the journal exists to show the writer’s messiness. That being said, the journal is a great place to discover one’s voice. 

Writing on a journal is a record what one wants, thinks, and who they want to become 

While photographs are a record of how people changed physically over time, journals document how much one’s personality unfolds day by day. It is a record of what has been, what is, and what will be.

Image source: bulletjournal.com

Hi there, Keith W. Springer here. Let’s talk more about photography and journaling when you follow me on witter.

Park Photography: The Best Places To Visit

If you’re into park photography, then you know the best places to visit are America’s national parks. These places are dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the country.  Here’s a list of national parks that you ought to visit.

Image source: grandcanyon.com

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon is less popular than Zion and the Grand Canyon, and that’s a good thing. The place won’t be that crowded, plus, there are geological similarities to Grand Canyon. The park is located in southwest Utah.

Sagarmatha National Park

This park is known for Mt. Everest. But this park has more to offer.  Sagarmatha has a designation as an Important Bird Area. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to photograph diverse kinds of bird species. Be warned though, the terrain is not easy to trek. So if you’re not used to hiking rugged places, then this might not be for you.

Image source : tanzania.travel-culture.com

Serengeti National Park 

This park is perfect for wildlife photography. This place is heavily protected due to its wide range of wildlife. It’s also worth mentioning that no humans are allowed to live there, meaning the place is 100 percent home to wildlife.

Hi I’m Keith W. Springer. I used to be a professional photographer, but now I’m retired. Get more tips from me when you visit my blog.

Transitioning From Classical Photography To The DSLR Era

The pain of adjustment is real and much felt for the traditional photographer who has been schooled in film. When it comes to the digital era, most people often say that things are made much easier. For sure, there are pros and cons to each mode of the craft that we are equally passionate about. It is still, however, a challenging process to transition.

The trigger mentality takes a little getting used to. Back in the day, the typical mode of operation was to take ample time to capture an image, with one’s best effort in making use of whatever available light there is reflected by the image, with no more than a few tools that are relatively crude compared to today’s DSLR technology.

Image source: youtube.com

Nowadays, the mode of operation is much simpler. One only has to shoot, re-check the screen, and shoot again. Thanks to the memory card, a photographer no longer has to memorize which shots are good enough.

A classical photographer who is oriented in a different manner may have to deal with the compulsion to see how the shot comes out in print, even when he is already using a DSLR to take his shots. Until such time that he does not see the final output, he has to deal with a certain amount of nagging doubt. By all means, this is irrational, but it exists nonetheless.

Image source: davd.photo

The experience of transitioning from film to digital varies from one photographer to another. For a few, there is still a learning curve that needs to be dealt with.

Keith W. Springer is a retired event photographer from Brooklyn, New York. As photographers never really retire, Keith enjoys discovering Photoshop and Instagram to keep up with the trends. For more interesting details on photography, read this blog.