"UPstrap" camera strap

I've always preferred "minimalist" camera straps. I heard good things about the "non-slip" camera and bag straps from UPstrap, a small company in Tallahassee, FL. I've been using the RF (small size) UPstrap with the K10D for the past few weeks. It's a nice strap, well-made, and the grippy, rubber pad definitely stays on your shoulder...even if you're wearing a nylon type parka. I have no connection with UPstrap and therefore am only sharing my initial observations using this strap...as a happy customer :-)

Here's the link to their website, if you want more info.
UPstrap "non-slip" straps

Family Portraits

Family photographs are typically a big part of the holidays. In many cases, it's the one time each year that everyone comes together to celebrate. Here's one photo that we all expect from these type of family events...eyes open, everyone looking at the camera, and smiles all the way around.

And here's the "other" photo you don't share with the relatives. I'm not sure which photo is actually better, but we enjoy the "out-takes" as much as the final, nicely composed photos. Notice that my dear 85 year old mom has the same peaceful expression in each photo...she has no idea what is going on behind her.

Photos shot with K10D, 31mm and 540 flash.

San Onofre Christmas

Holiday Memories

Photograph of my oldest son, taken in December, 1971 in front of Rockefeller Center, NYC. Camera: Leica M4 and 50mm Summicron lens. Film: Kodak Tri-X.

Photograph of my aunt, taken in December, 1972 in her home in Farmighton, CT. Camera: Linhof 4x5 view camera. Image scanned from the Paladium print.

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These photos are two of my favorite memories of past holidays. One of the joys of photography, for me, has been capturing special moments in the lives of my family. Make sure you take photos of your loved one(s). And remember, the photos you take this holiday season will be creating memories which will become more important to you years from now.

Happy Holidays to all!

Morning Light

The blizzard that created havoc for Christmas travel in Denver, and 30" of snow where I live during the week, has passed. It was nice to awake this morning to see sun and blue skies. Here are 4 photos taken from the balcony of my condo with the K10D and 50-200mm lens.

Holiday Blizzard

What would Ansel say?

With the recent talk about inspecting jpegs on a display, versus viewing how the print looks, I began to wonder what Ansel Adams might say about this if he were alive today. As I have many of his books, which contain some wonderful comments about the craft of photography, I found a few quotes that I think are appropos...

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."

"The negative is comparable to the composer's score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways."

"A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into."

"There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept."

Golden, Colorado

Here are a few photos of downtown Golden, where Pentax USA is located. We're right down the street from the Coors brewery. Photos were taken with a K10D, 50-200mm and 31mm. These "walk-around photos" were shot Sunday morning, after I picked up my coffee and newspaper at Starbucks. All scenes are within four blocks of our building, so you get a sense of the community.

Henri Cartier Bresson

Charlie Rose interview with Henri Cartier Bresson

Pop Photo Tests 21mm "Pancake" Lens

Pop Photo just published their test of the Pentax 21mm f/3.2 DA AF Limited lens. Here's a link to the review...Pop Photo Review

Which One Takes Better Photo?