Nikon Slim Polarizer

There is a tremendous amount of reflections when we’re out in the wilds shooting. You might have never have noticed it, but it’s there. This reflection is coming from the sky, the blue sky. The vast majority of the time, the reflection has a blue cast to it which literally reflects off the subject’s color. This blue cast affects the color of the elements in your image (if at the right angle to the sky) giving them all a blue tinge.

Many attribute great color in a nature photo to the use of vivid white balance when in actuality the great color was a result of proper use of a polarizer. Proper use of a polarizer removes the blue reflection so the color we see with our eyes is seen and recorded by the camera. It is essential you understand that the proper use of a polarizer is to remove reflections and not make the sky dark blue (though you will have the side effect at times). There are times when a polarizer is used correctly it will also make the sky darker, but to see proper polarization you don’t look at the sky, but at the ground.

Using a polarizer correctly takes talent just like using any other tool in photography. All you have to do is rotate the filter, right? That is correct, but when you’re rotating the polarizer you need to look through the viewfinder and look for the blue to disappear (does mean you only use the polarizer if you have a bright blue sky overhead? perhaps). You don’t look at the sky, but you look at the ground. You rotate the polarizer looking at dirt if possible until the ground appears a nice, warm, rich chocolate moose brown (get it, chocolate moose, Moose’s technique?). Normally, the ground will have a cold, bluish, dead brown color when not viewing through a polarizer properly rotated. You want that ground warmed up to that rich chocolate moose brown because then you know you’ve removed the blue from the scene.

What if the ground is not your subject, does this technique work? Polarizing light is another one of those physic things photography is so wrapped around. Technically, only objects approximately 90 degrees to the film plane are affected by a polarizer, that’s the full effect of the polarizer (and if the sky is in the photo, it turns dark blue at 90 degrees from the sun). In practice, you can see the effect of a polarizer even though the object might not be a true 90 degrees. That’s why you rotate the polarizer and look. I recommend first looking at the ground because dirt is pretty much dirt and a lot easier for folks to understand the polarizing effect than looking at a critter or tree bark. That’s because polarizers are not a cure all, but just another tool.

They don’t always help! If you’re shooting in overcast light for example, a polarizer will have minimal effect. If you’re shooting a backlit subject, the polarizer will do nothing for you. Shooting a backlit subject means you’re shooting with the lens pointed towards the sun and at that angle, the physics are all against you.

Do I use the Polarizer with Digital? YES! Can you do the same thing in Photoshop? NO! Do I use a polarizer all the time? NO! Do I use the Moose Polarizer? NO, since I’m not using the 81a filter anymore. I prefer the Nikon Slim Polarizer personally and regrettably, carry two sizes now because of my lens selection.

di-GPS & SC cords – 12.31.07

The GPS craze has hit big time, must have been a favorite stocking stuffer this year. That’s cool! I’ve received a number of emails in regards to the di-GPS especially about it just “dangling” when you have something else in the camera’s hot shot. Here’s my solution.

I rarely work with flash on camera, it’s mostly off camera so I’m using an SC cable, either the SC-28 or SC-29. The SC-28 is the cord I use for general photography; the SC-29 I’ve cut down and is used just with the Wimberley F-9 Flash Arm when I’m shooting with the 600f4 on a tripod. I have a number of “hot shoe” receivers lying around in the drawers, so I have attached them to the tops of the SC cable foot that slips into the camera’s hot shoe. You can just Crazy Glue them on, but they tend to snap off. Using Pilot Point drill bits (not pointed tips), I’ve drilled holes into the top of the SC foot and screwed in as well as Crazy glued the hot shoe receiver. They never snap off, but drilling holes into your cords is not for the weak of heart and it most definitely voids the warranty.

What about when I have a SU-800 attached? I’ve not had the nerve to drill into the side of mine yet to attach a hot shoe receiver. That’s where I draw the line. But, I’m still looking for a solution to when it’s attached to the hot shoe. There are times when the SU-800 is in a SC cable and those times, the problem is solved.

One last note. The hot shoe receivers don’t always snuggly hold the di-GPS. I simply used a couple layers of electrical tape in the base of the hot shoe receiver to build it up and hold the di-GPS foot in tight. Hope this helps, have fun!

di-GPS & SC cords – 12.31.07

The GPS craze has hit big time, must have been a favorite stocking stuffer this year. That’s cool! I’ve received a number of emails in regards to the di-GPS especially about it just “dangling” when you have something else in the camera’s hot shot. Here’s my solution.

I rarely work with flash on camera, it’s mostly off camera so I’m using an SC cable, either the SC-28 or SC-29. The SC-28 is the cord I use for general photography; the SC-29 I’ve cut down and is used just with the Wimberley F-9 Flash Arm when I’m shooting with the 600f4 on a tripod. I have a number of “hot shoe” receivers lying around in the drawers, so I have attached them to the tops of the SC cable foot that slips into the camera’s hot shoe. You can just Crazy Glue them on, but they tend to snap off. Using Pilot Point drill bits (not pointed tips), I’ve drilled holes into the top of the SC foot and screwed in as well as Crazy glued the hot shoe receiver. They never snap off, but drilling holes into your cords is not for the weak of heart and it most definitely voids the warranty.

What about when I have a SU-800 attached? I’ve not had the nerve to drill into the side of mine yet to attach a hot shoe receiver. That’s where I draw the line. But, I’m still looking for a solution to when it’s attached to the hot shoe. There are times when the SU-800 is in a SC cable and those times, the problem is solved.

One last note. The hot shoe receivers don’t always snuggly hold the di-GPS. I simply used a couple layers of electrical tape in the base of the hot shoe receiver to build it up and hold the di-GPS foot in tight. Hope this helps, have fun!

WRP D2 Battery Case

This simple battery case is designed just to hold the D2 family batteries with no end cap attached. There is a simple belt loop to attach the case to your belt or fanny pack.

Order from our webstore.

WRP Compact Flash Card Wallet

You have quite an investment in CompactFlash Cards. You also depend on them to be able to capture images. Keep them safe, find them fast and easy to access with DigitalPro’s CompactFlash Wallet. Made from obnoxious bright green 1000 Codura so it can’t be lost at the bottom of your camera bag or left on the car seat, the DP wallet comes in a 6 or 9 card version. Designed by Moose for his work, you’ll find they’re the best CF wallets on the market!

An important part of the wallet design has to do with the way I operate. When I have filled a card with images and I replace it, it want to keep it separate from the unshot cards. The system I use is shot cards I turn around so I see the back of the card. Unshot cards I can read the label (and so the size of the cards). To make this system work, I have to be able to see the cards which is why our wallet has the pocket design it has.

• Fabric: Red 1000d cordura
• Mesh inside pockets-2″ wide by 1 1/2″ high
• Nylon lace gear loop/clip cord
• Velcro closure
• 6 flash card version open is 6 1/8″ wide by 7 1/4″ high, closed 6 1/8″ wide by 2 1/2″ high
• 9 flash card version open is 6 1/8″ wide by 10 7/8″ high, closed 6 1/8″ wide by 3′” high

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