Photography
I discovered photography through my passion to promote conservation of the Green River Gorge Greenway, a twelve mile long sandstone carved river gorge located just southeast of Seattle Washington.
I studied photography via the traditional route at the local community college with an old 35mm. However once I bought my first digital camera in 2001 I never looked back. I used my Olympus 4MG pixel camera to document the unique beauty and wildness of the Green River Gorge. I then took those images to decision makers, elected officials, and local communities to raise awareness and support for conservation of the area. It has been 18 years and I'm still surprised by something new or something that has changed along the river corridor. I've changed cameras over the years but not my mission to document and preserve the Gorge.
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Also along this journey I've traveled internationally and now nationally in the United States documenting the landscapes and subcultures along the way. We've just begun this journey through America but I'm just as interested and passionate about discovering the larger landscape as I was about a river gorge in Western Washington.
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I recently upgraded my camera to the new Canon EOS R Mirrorless. I've been looking into the mirrorless for awhile. I don't have a final vote, yet, on what I think. However one thing I am really excited about is shooting full frame. The difference in quality is pretty significant. However, as with any of the traditional camera set-ups with the large zoom lenses and all the pre-planning that goes into deciding what, when, and where I find myself falling back to my two superzoom cameras that allow me to be more flexible and spontaneous.
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If I know I'm going out to shoot a specific thing I use my Canon EOS R Mirrorless. If I'm going out for a hike or a mt. bike ride where I might want to photograph a bird at 600mm or a flower with close-up macro I'll take my Sony or my Olympus.
I own a Sony DSC-RX10 III Cyber-shot Digital Still Camera. It is an all in one camera with up to 600 optical zoom. It was my introduction to the mirrorless camera. I love it for everyday photos. It is especially useful if I think I'm going to run into wildlife and need that kind of zoom to capture it without lugging around Canon with my larger 600 lens. Also the 4K video on the Sony is good quality so it is my go to for above water video.
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My go to for adventure sports where weight is an issue in my Olympus Stylus SP-100EE. I really wish Olympus would continue to make their super zoom cameras. This is my second one. I used my last one on the road cycling from Costa Rica to Belize. By the end of the trip it was toast. 1600 miles, dust, heat, humidity, 1000s of photos, and daily use took their toll. When I got home I bought a new one which is continuing my long tradition of having a great super zoom always on hand for those unexpected shots while mt. biking, climbing, or cycle touring.
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Underwater Cameras
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I don't have a DSLR for underwater but I've found that both the Olympus Tracker and the Go Pro Hero 5 do a great job for my underwater shots. I've taken both video and photos with them. I used them for my Green River Gorge Conservation Documentary and in Belize and Ecuador for both scuba diving and snorkeling.
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4K 30P Video capture
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204 Degree Extreme Angle f2.0 High-Speed Lens
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Waterproof to 100 feet / 30 meters without housing
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Built in Wi-Fi
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5 Built-In sensors capture movement: GPS, eCompass, Accelerometer, Thermometer, and Barometer
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I love having the video screen in the back and being able to get rid of the outer housing for underwater use. The quality that GoPro has is amazing for such a small, easy to carry, compact video camera. You can also shoot stills and timelapse. Now they also have the GoPro Hero 7. I can't vouch for it because we only have the GoPro Hero 5 for now.
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Other equipment
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Manfrotto MKBFRC4-BH Befree Carbon Fiber Tripod with Ball Head
BiG DIGITAL Complete ND Neutral Density Filter Set
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Stay tuned for updates as I discover new cameras and equipment to add to the mix.
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