Had the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon been writing about a renowned photographer rather than a prince, the famous soliloquy might have started, “To chimp or not to chimp, that is the question.”Regardless of what the Bard might have written, that's a question I'm often asked.
In the early days of digital photography, as it began to supplant film photography for professionals and amateur enthusiasts, many photographers discovered a feature of digital cameras never possible with film cameras. It's the ability to review images immediately after making them on the small image display monitor on the back of digital cameras.
At that time, more than a few photographers seemed to constantly review their images on their camera's monitor screen. The practice became known as “chimping.”
It's a question that's been around almost since the first truly portable camera. Should you or shouldn't use lens filters to protect your lenses. Generally, the question is viewed in black and white, but I think it's more complicated, more nuanced than most photographers care to admit.
Ansel Adams, the great American photographer and environmentalist died more than 30 years ago, however, people viewing his work for the first time or even for the thousandth time still are wowed, often blown away by his images.
In the last week I received many emails asking which is better for measuring white balance accurately via a digital camera, a white card or a gray card, so I'm adding an unexpected Part III to my series on White Balance. (
Last week, in 
I'm often asked about white balance by travelers using digital cameras who periodically have a noticeable and sometimes severe color cast on their travel photos. More often than not I'm queried about what white balance actually is, why “auto white balance” doesn't work, and how to get the color rendition of a scene “right.” 
If you live in the northeastern US, the weather this past weekend ensured you knew it was winter. The snow came down, and some areas got as much as a couple of feet.
Early on, film was better than digital. Digital cameras in 2001 generally produced grainy, off-color images. Even a few years later with digital camera sensor improvements, the cameras’ internal computers still didn't interpret sensor output very well, and there were other problems too.
My DSLR with vertical grip and zoom lens is bulky and heavy, but the weight and heft is typical for pro level SLR or DSLR. 
That changed quite some time ago, as the printer manufactures like HP and Epson, designed better, and more sophisticated photo printers, along with excellent professional quality photo paper and inks.
If you’re in the Seattle area in May, you might want to drop in on the new photography exhibition at the 
Andy Freeberg photographs women Guardians in the art museums of Russia, as they sit and guard the collections. When looking at the paintings and sculptures, the presence of the women becomes an inherent part of viewing the artwork itself. In a second series, Sentry, Freeberg photographs the Chelsea Galleries white bunkerlike front desks that display the top of the heads of the desk sitters - often the only other human presence. In a deadpan approach, he targets the uniformity, anonymity, and their chilling effect.
Following the invention of photography in 1839, portraiture became accessible to all. The 1850s marked the beginning of the medium's commercialization. Continuing technical improvements enabled the instant capture of likenesses under virtually any condition and expanded the dialogue between the photographer and the sitter.
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