ken zirkel

I was in the market to buy a printer before the end of 2012 tax year. My large format Canon S9000 was getting to be around a decade old, and the inks are not archival. My other printer, an Epson R800, is archival, but it is small-format. And, had its nozzles clogged to hell for [...]

[Read more →]

If there are objects close to the camera, a panoramic head is a must. For objects far from the camera, parallax is not a problem. For example, for architecture interiors, you really do need a tripod and pano head. I use these as my regular tripod setup: * 5DMII with 14mm Rokinon lens * a [...]

[Read more →]

I’ve taken a number of photo classes and workshops. I believe there are a number of things to be gained: Instruction by a pro. You may learn something that you did not know before. The obvious thing. Evaluation of your workshop work by a pro. Much better than random comments on Flickr or Reddit. Evaluation [...]

[Read more →]

It is cold out. Who wants to go outdoors to take photos? You can photograph all these things indoors: Lego figures Water drops Flowers Insects Pets Tiny models that look like landscapes Abstract stuff, could be almost anything, shot close to become patterns Pills, drugs Frost on a windowpane Creepy stuff in your basement Food [...]

[Read more →]

I got my Sony RX100 pretty much when they first came out in August. I’ve taken it to Berlin and used it to photograph a bunch of buildings for the “wikimedia loves monuments” contest. My previous “carry everywhere” camera was a Panasonic DMC-LX3, so these comments are in comparison to that. Pros: Amazing image quality [...]

[Read more →]

I can say that the Wintec G-Rays WBT-201 has worked with my iMac and MacBook Air, reliably and consistently, for over a year. It claims to operate for up to 8 hours, and I think that’s about right. I sync the .gpx file with my Mac using the free Houdah GPS software. Here are some [...]

[Read more →]

My workflow is always changing, but this is my workflow for a big trip, such as my recent trip to Berlin: Lightroom is my main workflow application, with some assistence in Photoshop, Photomatix, and Topaz Adjust filters in Photoshop. Ingest keyword and geo-encode everything. Bulk-apply lens correction settings upfront, starting with Samyang 14mm, which I [...]

[Read more →]

People on Reddit and online forums frequently ask “how can I improve as a photographer” or similar questions. My answer changes over time, here is the latest variation: Go to your local public library; the 770 section is photography. Check out some books. Subscribe to Popular Photography magazine. In print. Sign up for a photo [...]

[Read more →]

A tip I learned at a photo workshop: Set up your Canon camera so that moving dials and buttons to the left makes the exposure lower (darker); and moving dials/buttons to the right makes the exposure brighter. That is, moving the shutter speed dial to the left should give you higher speeds; and pressing the [...]

[Read more →]

I’ve been a longtime user of Adobe Lightroom, and I love it. I’ve been asked to give presentations on Lightroom at my photo club, and I sometimes use my notes from that session to share on bulletin boards on Reddit. So here it is, for my own reference: Q: How is Lightroom different from Photoshop? Photoshop [...]

[Read more →]