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Don's Destination:
Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
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In case anyone noticed, I didn't send out a September newsletter and my reason is because we were on the road the entire month. Sorry about that and here is the latest. On this September road-trip we traveled to some new and some familiar places. One of our stops was a national park I hadn't visited before - Lassen Volcanic NP. This park boasts great scenery, excellent hiking and fascinating geology of all four types of volcanoes that exist on earth. The highest volcano in the park - Lassen Peak - is a plug-type volcano, which we climbed on a very steep and long hike to the summit - me carrying Siena in her backpack carrier most of the way (though she did hike about a mile on her own). The view here of Lassen Peak is from Manzanita Lake, which is a great spot for evening reflection photography. Another hike I recommend is the one to Kings Creek waterfall. Lassen Volcanic NP would be a great backpacking park as well and has over 150 miles of trails with tons of backcountry lakes and campsites. We'll visit again and backpack there as soon as Siena can hike 3 or 4 miles.
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Don's Promotion:
Florida Birds & Wildlife Photo Tour
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February 18-23, 2020
The Florida bird-life is awesome and SUPER fun to photograph. We'll see nesting, chick-rearing and mating displays while there...plus birds fishing and lots of other wildlife photo opportunities! I lived in Florida for 8 years and I know the best spots. Learn bird photography from a pro.
$2495/participant includes your lodging for 5 nights.
Based out of Fort Myers, Florida.
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Hand-Held Macro
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Don's Tip of the Month:
Easy Hand-Held Macro Photography
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The realm of macro or close-up photography takes people into a world they haven't seen before. This type of photography is fun and easily accessible. You can often find endless subjects right in your own backyard. Here are my tips to make macro photos fun and easy:
- Hand-hold your camera and lens (with today's stabilized bodies and/or lenses, plus higher ISO ratings you can get very sharp images).
- Turn off your autofocus - yes - you'll manually focus.
- Turn the focus on your lens to the closest focus distance, then leave the focus alone.
- Now use your hips as a pivot point while looking through your viewfinder at your subject.
- Move back and forth in small movements until you see the subject become sharp - this is when you press the shutter button and capture your image.
- Pay attention to what background your subject is against. This is most important. A good, clean background helps the subject stand out and will mean a successful macro photo.
Photo here of a colorful jumping spider taken in my backyard in Colorado with a Canon 5D Mark IV camera and Canon 100mm lens.
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Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
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Anya's Pick of the Month:
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
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This image of mine, chosen by Anya for the month of October, 2019 shows a sunset over the Salar de Uyuni. About this image Anya says "This is the world's largest salt flat and it is an amazing place. We first saw it on a day trip when this sunset happened and then we spent another 4 days exploring the entire area on a guided excursion. It is rough traveling in this part of the world and I wouldn't recommend it if you are seeking luxury. If you want adventure, beautiful scenery, exotic wildlife and the most colorful sunsets ever, then this area in Bolivia can't be beat."
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