Seriously, I’ve not had this much fun that I can remember learning a new camera! I’ve already shot thousands of images with the Z 9 but that’s not really saying much. With the speed of the FPS & AF, it’s kinda a slum dunk. With fresh snow and plenty of birds in the backyard shooting gallery, I’ve had lots and lots to shoot with as I learn this beautifully brilliant camera. I’ve come up with my Initial Settings for the Z 9 I want to share with you. I know they will evolve the more I shoot and get to know this beast of problem-solving tool. You can program basically every button and there are some great new features to assign them too. That combo has me changing things up quite a bit. Wow … just wow!

Updated Settings 12.26.21

Oh my, I’ve never before shot a camera like the Z 9! Right out of the box it’s like an old friend, that Nikon magic puts everything where I’m used to and feeling so good so shooting in a heartbeat is easy! The AF is like, wow, not even the same, on a whole new plain. The 3D is astounding! The “no-blackout” EVF is just spectacular. The 20fps is so bloody cool, 500 images on the card faster than I ever imagined. And most importantly, the gorgeous, gorgeous files! I have sooooo much more to share but I need to collect all my thoughts, go over all my notes and get my initial settings down. When I do, you’ll be hearing much more on the Z 9. To the ingenious and creative engineers at Nikon, I don’t know how you did it, but you’ve really created a fantastic machine. Thanks! Thanks and gratitude to Nikon for putting this amazing tool in my hands. mtc

It will be here before you know it, are you ready to take charge? The #1 thing I do in preparation for shooting with any new piece of gear is put aside time to do just that, shoot with the new piece of gear! Part of that is thinking through what real-world shooting / testing I want to do. For example, the Z9 is a speed demon and I want to learn this new tool so I can employ it when it matters. I’ve been working with Maggie to run right at me (shes’ a Beagle, easily distracted) so when the Z9 arrives, I can photograph her. It’s a great, in the backyard shooting, putting that Z9 through its paces, exercise to begin learning this great tool. The Z9 autofocus is a leap forward, I want to learn as fast as I can what mode works best for my photography. This is how I go about that. I have my new ProGrade & Delkin cards ready to load. Other accessories like Small Rig cage and Really Right Stuff plate ordered and ready. And I’ve planned my time around getting the initial charge on the battery. Important to start that battery off right. With that, I come back to thinking through other shoots I want to do to learn the strengths of the Z9 and how I can use them to solve problems. Then, I have made sure that the Epson P7000 & P900 have paper and ink to make the prints that come from the Z9 images. I’ve gone through this same process numerous times over the decades. I’ve found it makes “easing in” and “memorizing” the new a whole piece of gear a whole lot simpler and faster. You know that old saying, “teach an old dog … ” Making the most in the evolution in new gear requires an evolution in the photographer and their photography. I’m getting ready … I can’t wait. The Z9 is comin and I’m ready!

What you say? Yeah, now’s the time to be ready for your Christmas 2022 photograph! We creatives love to have seasonal photos we can share from our library to wish all well. When it comes to Christmas, nothing like snow on pines wraps up the season like that one photo. Having that “perfect” shot though takes some planning to have it for the season. I’ve already started looking at possible candidates, trees, and locals for my 2022 greetings. Need the “Christmas” shaped tree, a scene that supports and text I might want to add, and of course snow. The photograph doesn’t have to be trees and snow, there are thankfully hundreds of options but you gotta find them now to have them next year. I always find it fun to look for them as I see so much other seasonal joy that even if I don’t find the photo, I come back with a smile. Give it a thought, a click or two. You will find the joy in getting ready for Christmas 2022!

Ever have the feeling that you have a subject but when you put that camera to your eye, it disappears? You’re not alone, this happens to us all but it’s not a sign your photography is off track. A couple of weeks ago when I was up working with Northern Lights, I spent the daylight hours scouting for nighttime shooting locations. In Alaska, you can find the darndest things, here is just one example of that. Out on Chena Hot Springs, there was this mighty train engine literally parked on the side of the road. The nearest tracks are fifty or more miles away. Loved the colors in the softly falling snow but I didn’t see any photographs, none. But the subject was calling to me, what was it that was calling me? When you just aren’t feeling the love from the subject, ask yourself, “what’s the subject saying to you (this means you know the subject to start with)”? In this case, it is that the trucks are all goofed up. This sent my mind to the symmetry of the engine and this lead me to the long lens. None of this means the photo is worth a darn. It just means that if I think through things, I will know if my photography is off track.