Wednesday, March 22, 2017

U.S. electronic device (including cameras) carry-on ban on flights from 8 Muslim countries is misguided

Nikon D750This week, the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), notified airlines that fly from eight Muslim-majority nations, that effective Friday, March 24, passengers would be banned from bringing electronic devices larger than smartphones into airplane cabins on their direct flights to the U.S. from those nations.
Soon afterward, the United Kingdom instituted a similar ban involving some different airlines and countries.

The ban includes:
  • Laptops
  • E-readers
  • Tablets
  • Printers
  • Electronic games
  • Portable DVD players
  • Cameras
  • Other electronic devices larger than a smartphone

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Ned's Top 25 Tips for Travel Photographers

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, TurkeyGreat travel photography requires much the same of photographers as any photographic genre; advanced planning, preparation, a willingness to adjust when at the site of the shooting session and both technical and artistic photographic knowledge.

I've got twenty-five great tips to help you bring home quality travel images.

Advanced Planning:

Locate specific locations and events at your destination:
Once you decide on your destination(s), it's import to plan and prioritize your visit to include the specific locations and events you want to see and photograph, to ensure you'll have time enough for the ones considered essential. While planning, look for unique sites, people, landscapes, etc. to photograph.

Create shot lists:
For each destination location you plan to visit, create a list of photographs you want to make. Plan as many shots in advance as possible, both specific and general. Look for positions which may or may not be normally visited by people traveling to a particular site, to utilize for photographs.

Friday, March 10, 2017

If you change to "daylight" time Sunday, don't forget to reset your camera's clock

Clock in Musee d'Orsay in Paris, FranceOn Sunday, March 12, 2015, most of the U.S. will switch to “Daylight Time” from “Standard Time,” most, but definitely not all of the U.S. Arizona, except for the Navajo Nation, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands don't switch to “Daylight Time” in the spring, and back to “Standard Time” in the fall. They stick to “Standard Time” year-round.

The switch between “Daylight” and “Standard” time doesn't universally occur across the globe. More than 100 countries never change to “Daylight Time”, and more than a few countries switch between the two on different dates than other countries.

In Mexico the switch between “Daylight” and “Standard” time can be very confusing for travelers. Mexican border cities near the U.S. typically swap their “times” on the same dates as the U.S., but the remainder of Mexico changes in April and October, not March and November.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

"Popular Photography" Ceasing Publication

Popular Photography, May 1937 cover, courtesy of WikipediaIn May, 1937, many major historical events occurred:

• Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for “Gone with the Wind.”

• War Admiral won the Kentucky Derby.

• The Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 21–10 (LOL – It did happen).

• King George VI of Great Britain was crowned.

• The Golden Gate Bridge opened.

• The German dirigible Hindenburg blew up while landing at Lakehurst, NJ

• And “Popular Photography” Magazine was published for the first time.