Time to gas up!!!!

I love this time of year, Thanksgiving is right around the corner and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for!  I’m a big child about the Christmas season, so needless to say this is an exciting time of year for me, but for more reasons than just the holidays!  Winter is a time for me to recharge my batteries, get my tires changed, and get fueled up for Spring!  My last workshop was with Jack Graham out in Death Valley.  Before we started we had an afternoon and morning in Las Vegas and we drove out to Nelson near Eldorado Canyon.  Nelson is a Ghost town that is very much like Old Car City, but more than just cars and trucks, though they have that too!  I love Americana subjects and Nelson is really a terrific place.  The great thing about Nelson is there is every kind of subject from buildings, to small close-up possibilities.

When you get off the road and in for the winter, I have some suggestions about things you can do to get ready for Spring shooting;

1.  Winter is a good time to update all your computer software and firmware in your cameras.  If you want to be able to use your post processing more effectively, this is a great time to be a member of Kelby Training,  they have tons of great classes on all the major processing programs, especially Lightroom and Photoshop!  

2.  Winter is a great time to go through your files and empty some of the gigabytes of images you’re never going to go back and work on! You might also organize your files so when you  need that killer shot, you know exactly where to go and retrieve it! This is preaching to the choir here, I need to do this myself, big time!

3.  If any of your gear is having issues this is the time to get them in for repair or just a check-up while you don’t have to have them. Sensor cleanings, re-lubricating any lenses, and cleaning you tripod leg locks are all maintenance that can be done in the down season.

4.  Any good trip is worth doing right, so use your winter months to do your research and planning for your trips when the weather breaks!  Google websites, print out maps, calculate driving times and when you can be for the best light, it will all add up to better production next year!

5.   Time to get inspired!  Take a class, read a few photo books, attend some gallery shows, all this will get your appetite prepared for going after those prize winning images you will make in 2014!

Within a few days, just in time for the Black Friday madness, I will announce all the new addiitons for the 2014 season!  Stay in touch, we will offer some special offers for those that get enrolled by the first of the year! Nelson is on the list!!!!!

Blessings,

the pilgrim