I recently saw a Youtube video on a new bag that seemed like a really good idea, the Think Tank Speedtop Crossbody 15.  Before I get into this bag, let me speak to the quality of Think Tank bags, rolling cases, backpacks and accessories.  As you all know I have owned a ton of camera bags and a healthy percentage have been from Think Tank.  Of all the brands I have owned I’ve found theirs to be the best built with the best materials and very well designed.  After all the company was founded by a couple of photojournalists and trust me after working with some of the world’s best photojournalists for Nikon, for 13 years, no one is harder on their gear than this group!  These bags are designed to protect your gear under the most abusive circumstances, and they do!

 

This bag has a very unique feature, the top is magnetic and it is easy and quiet to open and close, it is the perfect bag for someone that wants to carry a small but versatile system and work un-noticed, like wedding photographers or press shooters.

 

Below you can see how clean the layout is and how easy it is to remove and replace your gear.

 

 

 

Above you can see what I would carry for just about anything I might have with me to shoot on a typical field day.  My Fujifilm X-T5 with the XF16-80 mounted, the XF 70-300 for longer telephoto work and for travel and environmental portraits a fast XF 23mm f 1.4. Full frame equiv. of 24-120, 105-450 and a fast 35mm.

 

I am very impressed with the ease of use of this bag it’s small size and great shoulder strap with quick adjustments.  The pockets in the top of the lid hold some lens wipes and small accessories. It even comes with a full rain cover.  Side pockets expand to hold a water bottle or other items you may want to carry along.

 

So in closing, Think Tank has done it again, a thoughtful, well designed and easy to use shoulder bag!  Two thumbs up from the Bagman!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

One area of photography that I have never mastered is Bird Photography!  Chris Klapeke certainly has!  I think shooting birds takes patience and a great since of study and timing.  Chris has developed all of those skills and knowledge needed to bring home the images!  I really enjoy looking at the images Chris has “crafted”!  You may know Chris as the owner of Outdoor Photo Gear, I know him as dear friend, and  yes, I’m bragging!  Enjoy some of his wonderful  images!

 

 

 

 

It is a honor  to know and be friends with such talented artists, Chris is a joy to spend time with!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

 

I first met Neil Powell when he bought stock in the Great American Photography Weekends, I  soon learned he was a very good shooter and he has only gotten even better!  Neil shoots sports for Indiana University, though he is a professor in the Business School.  He’s also an accomplished wildlife photographer and generalist as well! Neil is one of our best friends, but that is not why I picked him, he’s just that good with a camera in his hands!  I’m blessed to call such great people friends and it’s a bonus that they are such wonderful artists!  Please enjoy his work!

 

 

I usually limit it to 5 images but his stuff is so good,  I wanted to share all of them!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

Photography is ever evolving and I’ve gotten to experience over 50 years of that evolution!  In the past half decade I’ve seen some amazing developments that have, at least for me, changed photography forever!  Here are 5 things that I think have made photography better than ever!

 

1.  Image stabilization:  While I still believe that a tripod is the best way to get sharpness in your images and to slow you down to make better decisions, I love being able to handhold a camera, when I feel like it or can’t use a tripod!  In addition to that as we get older we get less steady so this new feature is game changer! The image below was shot handheld at 1/8th of a second!
2. 2.    Better performing lenses:   Modern lens design aided by computers and special low dispersion glasses have made imaging better than ever! The image below was made with the 16-80 zoom lens, a zoom lens!
   

 

 

3.  Noise Reduction Software:  In the film days we shot Tri-X at 1,200 and developed it in Accufine developer and we got grain the size of baseballs, but that as just the way it was back then, now in the digital age, noise which appears much like grain , is less of a problem – until you go up to 3,200 and  higher on most modern cameras, but now we have noise reduction software!   I’ve been using Topaz DeNoise and it is miraculous, I can now shoot at the every highest ISO settings and reduce the noise down to very minor levels and without affecting sharpness very much!

 

 

4.   AI equipped sharpening software:  From time to time we all suffer from camera movement during the exposure or missed focus, and now AI powered software can fix those problems or at least lessen the effects of them! Below is an image that was unsharp from camera movement before I applied Topaz Sharpen AI!

 

 

 

5.   Vastly improved frame rates & auto focus performance:  Almost all high end cameras now can shoot at very high fame rates most well over 10 Frames Per Second and Autofocus its vastly improved!   Photo below by Bill Pekala!

 

 

I hope you are enjoying all these new improvements to our craft!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim